To ‘Leave’ or to ‘Move’: Experiences of Citizenship along the Border

To ‘Leave’ or to ‘Move’: Experiences of Citizenship along the Border of Bangladesh and India

Almost 55,000 people lived in the de facto stateless spaces known as enclaves along the border of Bangladesh and India until 2015. Enclaves were pieces of one state inside another where residents lacked access to basic rights, such as health, education, and legal protection. These territorial oddities were exchanged in 2015, and the residents were given an option to choose their state of citizenship. While most of them decided to ‘leave’ their home state and opted for a change in their formal citizenship status, a few of them decided to ‘move’ to their home state. Drawing on the experiences of the former enclave residents, I contend that ‘acts of belonging’ played a significant role in their choice of citizenship while the host state turned them into ‘showcase citizens’ by taking unforeseen measures.

Event Sponsor
Internaitonal Cultural Studies Program, Mānoa Campus

More Information
Morsaline Mojid, 8087457575, culture@hawaii.edu, Enter Title Here (PDF)

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