Many residents feel they are effectively stateless and belong to neither country.
They say they risk their lives if they try to cross over into India, and are often harassed by the security forces of both countries. The issue has acquired fresh importance because local assembly elections are due in the Indian state of West Bengal, which borders many of these enclaves. The issue has proved contentious between India and Bangladesh in the past, as access to some of the Indian enclaves involves going through Bangladeshi territory and vice versa. In addition, the whole border issue is now extremely sensitive after fighting erupted at other points along the frontier last month, leaving 19 people dead. The Indian authorities want to conduct a census in the area covered by the enclaves - the first in 50 years.