Description
Abstract
The Border Haats, were established on the lines to revive the traditional rural marketplaces along India’s international borders with Bangladesh as a strategic initiative for cross-border cooperation, local economic development, and border management. These marketplaces were restored in the 21st century under bilateral agreements to provide controlled areas for trade, promote cultural exchange, and reduce illicit and informal cross-border activities. Using the theoretical frameworks of Institutionalism, Neo-Functionalism, and Cultural Linkage, the paper will examine Border Haats as institutions that integrate economic spillovers with historical socio-cultural linkages, enabling a bottom-up approach to border governance.
Focusing on India’s Northeastern frontier, the study will contextualize the shift in India’s neighborhood policy from a security-dominated, top-down perspective to one that incorporates local communities as stakeholders in regional integration. It will checks whether the expansion of Border Haats have improved livelihoods, expanded market access for remote frontier populations, and enhanced people-to-people connectivity across the border. The paper will try to investigate significant barriers to their optimal operation, such as weak infrastructure, limited trading baskets, poor connectivity, seasonal disturbances, and bureaucratic hold-ups caused by political tensions between Bangladesh and India.
By positioning Border Haats both as a trust-building measure and a developmental tool, the paper will try to argue for the whether the border haats strengthen institutional framework, enhance operational efficiency, and deepen integration with broader regional connectivity initiatives . It will also determine whether these Border Haats serve as a model for managing Borders in South Asia, where there is considerable contention over the boundary lines.
Keywords - Border Haats, Northeast India, Bottom-up approach, Cross-Border Cooperation
