Figure 35 The Belgian-Dutch Border at different locations of Baarle town

THE BAARLE TOWN

Because of the region's extremely complicated borders, many buildings and streets in the town of Baarle are located in both the Netherlands and Belgium. This unusual border zigzags through town, forming an oddly shaped Belgian enclave that somehow contains even smaller parcels of Dutch land. From the ground, Baarle appears normal and is similar to other smaller settlements along the Dutch-Belgian border. Visitors will notice, however, that many streets in the village have lines denoted by crosses that run between slabs denoted by the letters B and NL. These markings delineate where one country ends and another begins, reminding anyone who passes over them that they have entered a different sovereign state entirely. These lines are quite common to run straight into buildings or lie horizontally across roads, dividing public and private property right down the middle. Fortunately, the Netherlands and Belgium are both members of the Schengen Area, which means their borders are completely seamless, allowing visitors (and residents) to walk through Baarle without stopping for passport checks. (Kljajic, 2021)

The town is divided into two municipalities, Baarle-Nassau and Baarle-Hartog, that are administered by the Netherlands and Belgium, respectively. Because its Belgian sections are approximately five kilometres from Belgium, they are referred to as an enclave. To complicate matters further, several stretches of Belgian land in Baarle encircle plots claimed by the Netherlands, creating enclaves within enclaves.

Figure 35 The Belgian-Dutch Border at different locations of Baarle town

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF CASE STUDIES

Through the case studies, we can see diverse typologies and functioning of borderland areas. We have seen Indian borderlands of Attari-Wagah border and Akhaura-Agartala border and also the diversity in the hierarchy of spaces in both the borders. Although the focus is some way or the other cross-country trade but the way spaces are planned are different from each other. Similarly, we see international borders of US-Mexico and Netherlands-Belgium.

BORDER SECURITY:

BORDER CONTROL ASPECTS

Border management is a security function that necessitates coordination and concerted action on the part of various government agencies in our country. The goal is to secure our borders and

protect our country from the risks associated with the movement of goods and people from

India to other countries and vice versa. India's borders are extremely complicated. It has 14818 kilometres of land borders and 7516.6 kilometres of coastline. Except for Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Delhi, and Haryana, every state has an international border or a coastline. In 17 states, 92 of India's 593 districts are border districts. Plains, hills and mountains, deserts, riverine territories, and marshes form Indian borders. (MHA 2011)

Managing such a diverse border is a difficult task, but it is critical for national security. Border management is difficult for a variety of reasons. Some of our maritime borders remain unresolved. Land borders are not completely delineated. Sections of our borders are based on man-made boundaries rather than natural features. Border patrol forces are frequently underresourced and under-equipped. They're also used for things other than border patrol. Intelligence gathering, sharing, and coordination are all flawed processes. Institutional mechanisms for coordinating intelligence gathering, sharing, and coordination are ineffective. The region around India is in disarray. India's neighbours are under political and economic unrest. In addition, India has ongoing border disputes with several of its neighbours. Uncertain borders not only exacerbate bilateral tensions, but also allow for cross-border infiltration,

illegal migration, smuggling, and crime.

We share borders with seven different countries (Bangladesh, China, Pakistan, Nepal, Myanmar, Bhutan, and Afghanistan) and all types of terrain, including deserts, fertile lands, swampy marshes, snow-capped peaks, and tropical evergreen jungles. Because of our vast terrain, we are vulnerable to insurgency, illegal migration, and smuggling.(Sinha 2000) Our territorial boundary is defined up to 12 nautical miles in the case of our coastal border line. This zone is our sovereign territory, and other countries must seek permission from India before entering it. The zone of hot pursuit, which extends up to 24 nautical miles, is adjacent to this. Any violation of customs, sanitary, immigration, or fiscal regulations in the contiguous zone may result in repercussions from coastal states. The exclusive economic zone (EEZ) is the zone where coastal states hold the right to natural and economic resources such as minerals, oil exploration and fishing. Ships of other countries can pass through this zone as long as they do not pose any threat to the coastal states.