In pictures: Lives in limbo on India-Bangladesh border

Indo Bangladesh border on the Indian side. Most of the roughly 2400 mile long border is barbed. — Image caption,
Along the India-Bangladesh border, there are more than 100 pockets of Indian territory in Bangladesh and more than 50 Bangladeshi enclaves in India. These enclaves remain disputed and the lives of the people living there are in limbo. Most of the roughly 3,862km(2,400-mile)-long border is fenced off as shown in the picture. (Text and photographs: Alakananda Nag)

Indo Bangladesh border on the Indian side. The white stone on the right corner of the photo is the only border demarcation between India and the Bangladesh enclave within it. In some places, it is difficult to differentiate between the two.

But some areas on the border are not demarcated clearly, leading to confusion. The white stone on the right corner of this photo is the only border demarcation between Indian and Bangladeshi enclaves here.

Indian citizens stand on Indian territory, right of frame. They stay away from stepping on to Bangladesh territory, left of frame.

People living in the Indian enclaves are regarded as Indian citizens. In this photo, a group of Indians stand on the Indian territory, which is to the right of the frame. But if they move to the left of the frame, they will be stepping into the Bangladeshi territory and hence become illegal.

A girl plays hopscotch with a battered plastic glass in a Bangladesh enclave in India.

These enclaves are a legacy of the 1947 partition when the British left the subcontinent. Life in these land-locked islands is miserable. There is no electricity, no roads, no schools, no hospitals, or any kind of civil society. In this picture, a child plays hopscotch with a battered plastic glass for entertainment.

A little boy runs across a makeshift bamboo bridge.

Many enclave dwellers send their children to schools illegally with fake identities. The residents of both sides say they feel abandoned by their countries.

The enclaves are also known as "chitmahals" and the residents have to rely mostly on agriculture for their livelihood. In this photo, a cow grazes in a field in a Bangladeshi enclave.

Mohammad Mansoor Ali Mia sitting on a bed in his home

Mansoor Ali Mia (photographed at his home) is vocal about the plight of the enclave dwellers and demands his rights. "There was a census in 2011. Based on that, why have we not got our nationality?" he asks. He remembers, as a child, "suddenly belonging to another country when everything else remained the same".

A man stands amidst jute plantation, the most important crop in the enclaves. The enclave dwellers survive mainly from subsistence farming.

The most important crop in the enclaves is jute and the enclave dwellers survive mainly from subsistence farming.

Paddy field full of water in Bangladeshi enclave in India

Paddy is a major crop grown in the area and fields like the one in this photo are a common sight in the enclaves.

Men sit for evening prayers at the village mosque.

In 2011, Delhi and Dhaka signed a treaty to resolve the issue of disputed enclaves. It was agreed that the residents of these pockets would have the option to choose the country they wanted to live in, but it has not been enforced yet.

Sadhana Chakravarty, 81, wants to be "identified as an Indian citizen. Nothing else". She and her two daughters-in-law cook on a mud stove as there is no gas supply in the enclaves. Both her sons passed away and the three women barely manage to survive.

The day-to-day struggles of the residents are many. There is no electricity in the enclaves and people have to rely on candles and lanterns for light once night falls.

Mohammad Shahjamal Sheikh stands with a torch in his hand

The enclaves are home to about 50,000 people, say officials. Unofficially, the figures is said to be almost the double of that. This photo shows Mohammad Shahjamal Sheikh returning home in the darkness.