“How Mamata Banerjee’s Government Held National Security Hostage for Nearly a Decade”, The Narrative, January 30, 2026
“In a stinging indictment of administrative apathy with grave national security implications, the Calcutta High Court on 27 January 2026 directed the Mamata Banerjee led West Bengal government to hand over already acquired land to the Border Security Force (BSF) for Indo–Bangladesh border fencing by 31 March 2026. The judicial intervention marks a decisive moment in a dispute that has dragged on since 2016, despite repeated Cabinet approvals, central funding, and mounting security warnings. The High Court’s order makes the position unequivocally clear: national security cannot remain hostage to political delay, bureaucratic inertia, or electoral considerations.
A Porous Border and a Prolonged Failure
The Indo–Bangladesh border, spanning 4,096 kilometres, ranks among Bharat’s most sensitive and vulnerable international frontiers. West Bengal alone accounts for 2,216 kilometres, which is more than half of the entire border length. Yet nearly 26% of this stretch remains unfenced, turning the region into a hub for infiltration, cattle smuggling, drug trafficking, human trafficking, and the circulation of counterfeit currency.
Since 2016, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs has repeatedly approved and funded land acquisition for fencing across nine border districts: Cooch Behar, Jalpaiguri, Uttar Dinajpur, Dakshin Dinajpur, Maldah, Murshidabad, Nadia, North 24 Parganas, and South 24 Parganas. The total critical stretch identified for fencing measured approximately 235 kilometres…….”
Read full article at thenarrativeworld.in
