About this book:

*Borderlines and Rivers: Geopolitics of Bengal's Frontiers* explores the volatile intersection of statecraft and hydrology in the Bengal delta following the 1947 Partition. The book argues that the borders between India and Bangladesh are not merely political constructs but are active ecological processes shaped by the shifting courses of the Ganges-Padma, Brahmaputra-Jamuna, and Meghna river systems. Because these rivers constantly erode banks and create new land (chars), the rigid cartographic lines drawn by the Radcliffe Commission frequently clash with the liquid reality of the terrain, leading to persistent disputes over sovereignty and land tenure.

The text details the institutional efforts to manage this fluidity, analyzing landmark agreements such as the 1996 Ganges Water Treaty and the 2015 Land Boundary Agreement. While these treaties aimed to resolve historical anomalies like the Cooch Behar enclaves and water-sharing quotas, they often struggle to account for siltation, seasonal monsoons, and upstream engineering interventions like the Farakka and Gazoldoba barrages. These infrastructures, intended to control the delta, frequently exacerbate downstream precarity, turning environmental changes into diplomatic friction and human insecurity.

Beyond high-level diplomacy, the book highlights the lived experiences of borderland communities—farmers, fishers, and women—whose livelihoods are dictated by the "law of the riverbank." These populations navigate a "stateless" existence on shifting soil, facing displacement by erosion while dealing with the constraints of security infrastructures like the border fence. The narrative illustrates how informal economies and "border haats" persist despite militarization, revealing a human geography that remains interconnected across national lines.

The concluding chapters warn that climate change, rising sea levels, and intensified disasters will further destabilize these fluid frontiers. The author advocates for a shift from "positional deadlock" to "interest-based diplomacy" and basin-wide management. Ultimately, the book contends that regional stability depends on governing "with the grain" of the delta, moving away from the pursuit of fixed, immovable borders toward flexible, climate-aware, and community-centered policies that reflect the restless nature of the landscape.

What You'll Find Inside:

• Bengal's borders are shaped by dynamic river systems where erosion, accretion, and channel shifts constantly challenge fixed sovereignty lines.
• The 1947 Radcliffe Line imposed a static boundary on a fluid delta, creating enclaves, disrupted ecosystems, and lasting humanitarian crises.
• Water-sharing treaties like the 1996 Ganges Water Treaty and stalled Teesta Accord illustrate the tension between upstream infrastructure and downstream livelihoods.
• The 2015 Land Boundary Agreement resolved centuries-old cartographic anomalies by exchanging enclaves and offering residents a choice of citizenship.
• Borderland communities adapt through informal economies, border haats, and resilient livelihoods, while facing displacement, security fences, and climate‑driven disasters.

Who's It For:

This book is geared toward geopolitical analysts, South Asian studies scholars, water‑resource policymakers, and borderland practitioners who need a rigorous, interdisciplinary understanding of how river morphology, legal frameworks, and community resilience interact along the India‑Bangladesh frontier. It will also benefit students of international law, environmental geography, and development studies seeking concrete case studies of transboundary cooperation and conflict in a climate‑vulnerable delta.