Modi's 'Bangladesh First', Teesta and Shringla's 'Covid Diplomacy'

Talking to Hiranmay Karlekar, Former Editor of the Indian Express, he said, "Look, there are some BJP leaders who are stupid. Modi should shut their mouths. It has taken 35 years for the preliminary verdict of Assam's civil register to come. It is now in the high court. It will take another fifty years to complete. Until then, no one knows where the water will go! ”

by Swadesh Roy

India-Bangladesh relations have resurfaced over the past week due to Indian Foreign Secretary Harsh VardhanShringla's 'Covid Diplomacy'. Shringla came to Dhaka once after taking the charge as ‘Foreign Secretary’. His visit at that time did not attract much attention. But this time the trip has attracted attention firstly for three reasons.

Firstly, the visit has been very precipitous or fast.

Secondly, this is the first visit of a high-ranking official of any country with expectation of meeting the Prime Minister during this Covid-19 situation.

And thirdly, on the day of the visit, Indian newspapers reported that China's investment in Teesta water conservation and river rehabilitation projects would be important during the visit. And in the border area of India, the reports about this project of China in Bangladesh are mentioned at a time when there is a problem with the border of India and China. However, by the end of the day, apparently the tour has ended with a tour of ‘Covid Diplomacy’.

India and Bangladesh are geographically two neighbors who can never deny anyone. Both must be acknowledged with the utmost sincerity. And that confession must be made a reality. Father of the Nation of Bangladesh, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman is the founder and architect of this diplomacy that Bangladesh is pursuing today. He outlined what his country's diplomacy would look like in his 70's election speech. "If he is elected, his government will not be engaged in any war with any country and will maintain special relations with neighboring countries," he said in an election speech in the 1970s.

Bangabandhu could not implement his diplomacy in the structure of Pakistani state. But on the basis of that election the government of his independent country was formed. And as the head of that government, he carried out this diplomacy during his tenure. Sheikh Hasina’s ongoing government is following that policy one hundred percent. So it was seen that India and China went to a tense stage with their borders. And 20 unarmed members of India's armed forces were killed by Chinese troops by hitting them with non-lethalarms. At that time, Bangladesh did not take any side. On the contrary, the government of Bangladesh has made it clear through various words that their position is against any kind of war and in favor of a peaceful solution. On the other hand, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who is in her seventies, had a 90-minute meeting in this Covid situation with the Foreign Secretary who brought Narendra Modi's special message, and it explains that Bangladesh always has a special relationship with its neighbor.

The Prime Minister of India Indira Gandhi also introduced a different diplomacy for the new country through the creation of Bangladesh and her visit to Bangladesh in 1972. The policy, she started to follow regarding Bangladesh was a little outside of their thought of ‘Chanakya’ foreign policy. In other words, carrying the deepest relationship with Bangladesh without always looking after one's own interests. In fact, Bangladesh's position is completely different within India's three connected neighbors, namely Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh. Because, the citizens of Nepal and Bhutan can take part in the Union Civil Service Examination of India and get a government job in India just like the citizens of India.

On the other hand, Bangladesh and India are separate and equal countries since the time of Mujibnagar government. So, naturally India's relations with Bangladesh are always about mutual dignity and mutual fair interests. Nothing beyond that. As Bangabandhu was the world leader during Bangabandhu's time, the Indira Gandhi government always tried to solve any problem between Bangladesh and India by giving him that status.

And that’s why, the land boundary line and the Ganges water agreement, these were done quickly and with dignity during the time of Bangabandhu. Sheikh Hasina also receives the same honor from India as one of the leaders of the world today, as the greatest leader of SAARC.

During both these visits of Sheikh Hasina in 2017 and 2019, I have seen from all the events that one can attend as a journalist in Delhi, from their senior leader Advani to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, everyone gives different respect to Sheikh Hasina. She is not only the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, she is one of the leaders in the world today, the biggest and the most accepted leader in SAARC.

Advani referred her as the key leader of SAARC. Therefore, many problems of India and Bangladesh have been solved during the tenure of Sheikh Hasina. She has been much more successful in resolving issues with India than the other two close neighbors of the world, even in the case of US and Mexico. Even then, in politics and diplomacy, one thing has to be kept in mind, there will be problems with the neighbor at any moment and it has to be resolved peacefully.

If neighbors become enemies, the loss happens only to them. That loss is observed in the case of both India and Pakistan. This loss has also happened to Bangladesh in the past. Because Zia, Ershad and Khaleda Zia had never been able to establish good relations with their main neighbor India to please Pakistan. That is why, they could not solve any problem of India and Bangladesh. Because of these three people, Sheikh Hasina has to solve the long unresolved problems of India and Bangladesh. Just as Indira Gandhi had a single majority in Parliament during Zia's tenure, Rajiv Gandhi had a much larger majority in Parliament than needed in the time of Khaleda Zia. But no one solved the India-Bangladesh land boundary problem with any initiative. To resolve this later, Sheikh Hasina had to wait until the BJP got a single majority in Parliament.

Just as Zia and Ershad had knee-deep diplomacy, Khaleda Zia also followed the path specified by the Pakistani intelligence in the case of India. It is true that Zia and Ershad never got the respect of the right head of the state in India as military rulers. But they have given the highest respect to the democratically elected Begum Zia. Even though, when she was the leader of the opposition, the Indian government invited her to India and gave different status in their Hyderabad House.

At that time, I heard many journalists in Delhi saying that even the heads of government of many countries do not get this honor in India. But what did Begum Zia do in return as directed by the Pakistani intelligence agency ISI? She insulted the whole state of India and the people of India sitting in her own country. Because, she did not meet President Pranab Mukherjee, the symbol of the people and state of India, visiting her country. Pranab Mukherjee waited for her but she did not join the pre-arranged meeting with him. She didn't even politely call him and tell him not to go.

Even after this behavior of Begum Zia, the position of Bangladesh is very high among the people of India due to the qualities of Sheikh Hasina's leadership. Evidence of this can be found in 2019 after Sheikh Hasina's speech on onion. The people of Delhi were so impressed by her speech that when not only Delhi journalists, but also a Kashmiri shawl seller came to know that I was a Bangladeshi, he said, "Hasinaji is now more popular in India than our Prime Minister. If she takes part in the election in India, she will be elected without asking for votes from anyone.”

And because of this Sheikh Hasina's leadership, the Prime Minister of India, in his speeches before our Prime Minister in 2017 and 2019 said, 'Bangladesh First' to him. He gave first priority to Bangladesh in his foreign policy. And he called for a more forgiving look, saying it was a failure to make the Teesta deal. He further said in his speech that the Teesta water agreement will be signed within the next one year.

However, the Indian Prime Minister did not say in which way the Teesta water agreement will be signed within a year. However, he said it in 2017. Then, he came to power with a much larger majority in the election. The BJP has also emerged as the second largest party in West Bengal. But even then, he certainly did not speak for a year over the Teesta water deal with the change of plot and power in West Bengal.

Listening to the words of the Prime Minister of India that day, I thought, he seems to be walking the path of IK Gujral. Gujral wrote in his autobiography that when he was not getting a full response from West Bengal before signing the Ganges water treaty with Bangladesh, he was thinking of signing the agreement by exercising the powers of the central government within the constitution. After Mr. Modi's statement, I thought it was natural that he might walk on the path of Gujral. But no signs of it have been seen yet. On the contrary, some of his ministers have given messages that worried the people of Bangladesh over the last one year. Such as the Citizenship Act of Assam. The matter depends on court not his government at all. This case went to court during the tenure of the Congress government and Rajiv Gandhi. As a result of the verdict in this case, Hindus and Muslims in Assam, also Bengalis, have been excluded from the primary register.

The matter has gone to the high court. Talking to Hiranmay Karlekar, Former Editor of the Indian Express, he said, "Look, there are some BJP leaders who are stupid. Modi should shut their mouths. It has taken 35 years for the preliminary verdict of Assam's civil register to come. It is now in the high court. It will take another fifty years to complete. Until then, no one knows where the water will go!"

On the other hand, in February, the Minister of State for Home Affairs of India made an impossibly anti-Bangladeshi and anti-Bengali statement on the issue. AbhilashPuljal, an economist from Delhi, said, “In reality, our state minister for home affairs is not even qualified to be a commissioner of the Delhi municipality. After passing on Modi's popularity, he has now become a state minister. Does he have any idea about this register? ” It is true that this register is not a solution to the citizenship problems of the people who have left East Bengal in Assam or West Bengal. The High Court of India needs to think more deeply about this. Even many BJP leaders have no idea about this. What many don't know is that their Citizenship Act enacted in 1955, states that those who lived in India until 1955 or were born anywhere in British India and came to India are Indian citizens.But in reality, Pakistan did not follow the Nehru-Liaquat agreement. Then in 1962 and 1964 riots broke out in East Pakistan. Many East Pakistanis went to India and now they are Indian voters. They are now living in India for generations. So, BJP has to get the civil register out of its head. Rather it needs to be more inclusive. The Prime Minister of India must think about it. Otherwise, if it continues like this, the leaders of his party will go on with unbridled statements and it will be uncomfortable for the people and the government of Bangladesh.

The issue of Teesta has come up in the Indian media before Shringla's visit involving China. That is, China's one (1) Billion Dollar project to conserve Teesta water and rehabilitate the river. Although, there is a Teesta agreement and the water currently flows in Teesta, this project is necessary for Bangladesh. Because, not only Teesta but also many rivers of Bangladesh are in need of reform now.

That’s why, it was one of the many projects when our Prime Minister visited China. However, it is still in the Planning Commission. Moreover, it will be financed by Exim Bank of China. The interest rate will be around five percent. Seeing the position of Indian media in this situation, if there is any reality of the news and if is sensitive issue for India; or if they may be a little worried about a Chinese project on their border.As a neighboring countries may be concerned about each other's work. As we are concerned about the civil register. Of course, since relations between the two countries are not only good, the principle of 'neighbor first' is key to both countries. So, if the Indian government has anything to do with the concerns which were reported in their media, they need to discuss them. They are partners in many development projects in Bangladesh. A lot of development in their line of credit is happening here. In that case, the one (1) billion project could be on India's line of credit instead of China's Exim Bank's five per cent interest, or some other way at one per cent interest. Surely two countries can come up with a solution. Because, for two friendly countries, there is never a problem remains till the end. And if ‘Covid Diplomacy’ through Shringla conveys this message all together - the two countries will solve any problem with sincerity. So, it can be said that this ‘Covid Diplomacy’ is definitely a successful thing that happened between the two friendly states.

Swadesh Roy, Senior Journalist, Dhaka, Bangladesh. He is a highest state award winning journalist and can be reached at swadeshroy@gmail.com