[Assam] Dr. Colachal, as you have rightly referred to Kashmir freedom why did not you delve into the DARK secrets of India taking over of K&J Hills of Assam, Manipur and Tripura and advocate return of the stolen Sovereignty of these regions?

[Bartta Bistar]

Bangladesh and India



"Viewpoint"

http://www.bangladesh-web.com/view.php?hidDate=2007-07-10&hidType=HIG&hidRecord=0000000000000000165364



Tuesday July 10 2007 17:46:31 PM BDT


 <abdulruff_jnu at yahoo.com>

Dr. Abdul Ruff Colachal <abdulruff_jnu at yahoo.com>



As a self-imagined super power of South Asia, India has always attempted to
project itself as a great power that its neighbors should fear and oblige.
New Delhi tried, though quite unsuccessfully, snatch the international
positions and power for itself to the detriment of its neighbors. As a
result, India's relations have been badly strained not only with Pakistan,
but also with its another neighbor Bangladesh. India's obnoxious ties with
Pakistan are fairly known to the world, but not the ill-treating relations
with Bangladesh. As New Delhi's strenuous efforts to snub the Pakistani
leaders and isolate Pakistan failed miserably, it turned to Dhaka to slam it
on issues that are common to both.

Emerging Indo-Pakistan relations seem to have replaced the so-called
"cross-border-terrorism" with cross-border trade and oil pipelines. New
Delhi looks down upon Dhaka, as it did on Pakistan for a long time, in a
sustained manner and all high level talks between the two have not,
therefore, yielded any significant improvement. India's repeated claims for
credit for the creation of Bangladesh by separating former East Pakistan
from Pakistan can not be doubted. But the real cause and the amount of
sincerity in creating independent states by India as a noble principle can
certainly be doubted and questioned. New Delhi, like Russia and many others,
uses different yard-sticks in measuring virtues of independence for freedom
loving peoples or nations.

Although the division of Pakistan into two parts was unbearable for
Pakistani leadership initially, Islamabad did come to accept the reality of
Bangladesh existing as a sovereign nation. The fact that as a smaller
country it could concentrate on its economic and other issues better was
realized in due course in Pakistan and Islamabad began to worry less about
loss of East Pakistan and focused on its developmental activities. But for
New Delhi the creation of Bangladesh has become a worry in due course, as it
has to now face two Muslim nations, one on either side. India thus over
years had made Bangladesh an opponent and a potential enemy as much as
Pakistan is treated as an enemy on par with China.

Following a bloody Indo-Pakistan war initiated by India, ostensibly to teach
a lesson to Pakistan, Bangladesh became a sovereign state during the
Congress regime in India. As India, all of sudden, claims credit for the
birth of Bangladesh now, it opens up a few issues regarding India's
responsibilities and its attitude to the concept of independence. As the
chief architect for the creation of Bangladesh, India also has to shoulder
the chief responsibility to assist it to become a strong nation as well by
enhancing its economic and security environment. World perhaps had expected
that India would even share its scientific and nuclear facility with
Bangladesh, since Pakistan also has acquired it, and involve Dhaka in
India's space research efforts as well. However, India neither shares nor
terminates its nuclear facility so as to prove itself either as a dependable
neighbor or as a responsible and respectable member of world community
interested in world peace and disarmament.

Unfortunately, in stead of helping Bangladesh overcome its socio-economic
difficulties and advance its legitimate technological requirements, New
Delhi behaves quite indifferently. India, an established anti-Muslim and
anti-democratic country, track Muslims both in India and Bangladesh as
so-called terrorists, and questions, like US does it with regard to Middle
East for energy reasons, the democratic frame of that country.

Indian policy to Dhaka pursued over years reveals that with the creation of
Bangladesh, New Delhi only quenched its blood thirst by starting war with
Pakistan, taking revenge by dividing Pakistan. From the stand point of a
credible supporter of regional stability and development, India should have
viewed further development of Bangladesh essential for peaceful development
of the region and guide that nation as an elder brother dies, and not to
behave like a big brother, as it seems to be doing right now. That puts
unnecessary stains on New Delhi's regional policy. After all, as a leader of
the region as well as a former NAM leader, India was viewed as a staunch
supporter of the cause of future of Bangladesh.

However, Bangladesh indeed has made progress on its own. According to a
brief by World Bank (2005), among Bangladesh's most significant obstacles to
growth are poor governance and weak public institutions. But despite these
hurdles, the country has achieved an average annual growth rate of 5% since
1990. Bangladesh has seen a dramatic increase in FRI. A number of
multinational corporations, including Unocal Corp. and Tata have made major
investments, with the natural gas sector being a priority. In December 2005,
the Central Bank of Bangladesh projected GDP growth around 6.5%.

Bangladesh is poised to overtake India in garment exports at the end of
current fiscal year in the wake of an appreciating rupee, leaders and
experts of Indian Textile Industries projected on Thursday. Last year, India
exported garments worth US $ 8 billion, whereas Bangladesh notched up around
US $ 7.8 billion. With low manufacturing costs coupled with several
incentives in the overseas market, Bangladesh apparel exports have
continuously been rising at a rate of 20-25 per cent.

Despite India's accountability for the miserable position of Bangladesh, the
nation has made tremendous progress. A recent report reflects that
Bangladesh has secured the 16th position pushing India to a far away the
100th. It seems Bangladesh is surging ahead amid turbulences and chaos. Led
by an brilliant economist and a former top civil servant, Dr Fakhruddin
Ahmad, the caretaker government has taken all right steps to stem corruption
and reduce the impact on the e national development by political infighting
between two political rivals — Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina. However, if
the political parties refuse to let democracy work in pursuit of their old
goals of corruption and nepotism, Bangladesh may not be freed from any
dangerous situation.

Now that Pakistan is fast developing New Delhi can do very little to
restrain it in any way, despite the "nuclear deal" and "strategic
partnership" it is trying with USA and, therefore, it seems India is taking
it on Bangladesh, a weak nation being crushed by political instability and
rampant corruption. Strange though it may seem, while it seeks foreign aid
and loans and other favors from developed nations and economic institutions
by seeking sumptuous free lunches, at times on its own terms, New Delhi
often reminds Dhaka that there is no "free lunch" in international politics.

Even as India and Pakistan are seen to be coming closer day by day, the
Indo-Bangladesh ties suffer from a lot of bottle-necks. When people freely
cross borders among India, Nepal and Bhutan for socio-economic reasons,
India makes a big hue and cry when a few Bangladeshis come to India for
social reasons or to earn their bread. It looks as if New Delhi is keen to
keep Bangladesh a weak country that should salute and fear India, obviously
for economic and strategic reasons. The steps taken by India to check
so-called cross border terrorism and "illegal immigration" have been
resented by Bangladesh. The result has been regular skirmishes between the
border guards of two countries and constant tensions among the border
relatives.

It is difficult to know, when Bangladesh could be easily created by
bifurcating Pakistan with a deadly war, what stops India from making Tibet
independent as well and see that a sovereign Tibetan state with a
government, which India houses at present in Himachal Pradesh, is
established in Tibet itself to fulfill the cherished aspirations of
Tibetans. That way Tibetans can live in peace, both in Tibet as well. The
Tibetans in India have been pressing the Government of India to obtain their
independence from China.

Then the question of freedom for Kashmir which was virtually annexed by
India soon after it became free from England. For the last two decades or so
Kashmir valley has been deadly militarized in great tempos and peace is
totally lost in the state. Should not India consider freeing Kashmir at
least now after killing people en-masse and properties destroyed
unrelentingly, so that it can once again become independent country?

New Delhi should alter its "enemy" mindset. By establishing soft borders as
well as visa-free regime between Kashmir and India, New Delhi could have
good neighborly relations with Kashmir, if it so desires. Initially, then,
Kashmir could have a pro-India Prime minister/President, if government of
India insists, so as to ensure peaceful transition of power a legitimate
government. But the best option could be to leave the matter to the UN which
could over-see the transfer of power as well the establishment of the new
State with an elected government.

India should at least be seen to be serious and sincere in addressing the
question of Independence in a larger perspective so that Tibet and Kashmir
issues could be positively resolved in an amicable manner and, if necessary,
by taking lead in freedom struggles of the nations seeking independence.
That will certain add credibility to its claims of being the largest
democracy. In doing so, India could make its claim of independence of
Bangladesh a sincere case for international reference.

If, however, India still refuses to use its diplomatic and security as well
as trade resources to free Tibet and grant independence to Kashmir, the
claims it stakes for Bangladesh's independence looks farce and ridiculous.
Independence is indeed a noble concept and it should not be, in
consideration of the so-called national interest, clean-bowled just like
that, please! There needs to be cooperation among the nations in South Asia
and for which India's constructive, proactive role is inevitable. Other wise
all efforts for a strong SAARC or an Asian Union like EU, are meaningless!
Indian Media could be kind to India's neighbors too.

_________________

Dr. Abdul Ruff Colachal
Research Scholar,School of International Studies
India
E Mail : abdulruff_jnu at yahoo.com
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