Hili, Oct. 2: India on one side, Bangladesh on the other and an international border blurred by celebration in between.

Running the risk of being branded infiltrators, people from both countries are crossing over in their eagerness to participate in an occasion of common joy.

Pintu Das, Shyamal Kar Ranjit Pramanik and their friends joined the countless more from the Indian side as they crept into Bangladesh territory to offer anjali and go on a hurricane-pandal tour.

Mohsin Ali, Aminul and Rezzak, also “infiltrated” into India to join the pratima darshan brigade from across the border.

The Border Security Force (BSF), which spares no opportunity to go after infiltrators, has not made any arrests.

“We are keeping a strict watch on the border. We have taken special measures to prevent any trouble during the festive season,” said G. Pande, commandant of the BSF battalion here.

The police too, have made arrangements to ensure that the puja are a fun-filled and peaceful affair.

“We have stepped up patrolling all over town in order to tackle any breach of peace. We can do nothing about people coming into India from the other side of the border. That is something the BSF is supposed to take care of,” officer-in-charge of Hili police station S. Mukherjee said.

Despite what the lawmen claim, it is practice for the residents of neighbours, estranged by the partition, to come together celebrate the biggest event on the calendar and there is little the security forces can do to prevent it.

The houses here are all on what is supposed to be the no-man’s land.

During the three days of Durga puja, hundreds of residents on either side cross and re-cross the border to either be present during anjali or simply to go pandal-hopping. The security forces standby to prevent any trouble, which usually does not occur.

On the Bangladesh side of the border is Dinajpur district and Hili town.

Though there are several puja pandals, only one claims the status of “international”.

Organised by Biplabi Sangha, the pandal stands right next to the railway tracks that cleaved India and East Pakistan. The tracks are now put to use by the Bangladesh railways.

Though South Dinajpur does not have any railway connection with the rest of the country, at the Biplabi Sangha pandal a passing Bangladesh Railway train makes a racket loud enough to make one believe that he is standing on a platform.

“Each year, we have a fireworks display on the banks of the Jamuna that flows along the border. Both sides of the town have a blast watching the colourful show,” said sangha secretary, Ganesh Saha.

Barring the three puja days, residents of Hili live different lives, frustrated and hesitant to cross the border. It the puja that unites the town, albeit for a few days,” he said.