Author: Avtar Singh Bhasin
Publication: The Pioneer
Date: December 11, 2004
The people of India have warm feelings
for Bangladeshis. The bilateral turf has witnessed many significant
developments which would go a long way in promoting peace, security
and economic ties in South Asia. However, good news does not make
headlines in the media-problems invariably do.There are some aspects
in our relations which engender these.
Bangladesh has a huge trade imbalance
with India. This cannot be bridged by export and import alone. But
if Bangladesh gives India transit facilities through its territory,
it can earn huge revenue which can wipe out its trade deficit with
India as it will be much more economical for Indian traders to send
goods to the Northeast using the shorter route.If this could have
been allowed in the pre- 1971 period, why should it be an irritant now
?
Over 20 million Bangaldeshis have
illegally entered into India and are causing socio-economic problems.
The government of Bangladesh is not seen as doing enough to address
this issue. Bangladesh's refusal to even recognise this problem is
a problem in itself.
It is not a figment of Indian imagination
that the Al-Qaeda has a presence in Bangladesh. This has been reported
and well documented by the international media.It is not India's
intention to malign or defame Bangladesh. While greater responsibility
is cast on the bigger country to create a climate of confidence and
trust, the responsibility of the other cannot be minimised in contributing
towards the fund of goodwill. Bangladesh's refusal to recognise infiltration
and the use of its territory by insurgents or Al-Qaeda-Jihadi elements
is manifestation of a tendency to refuse to face the problems squarely.
Happily, Bangladesh by itself is
free from indigenous terrorism. But foreign terrorists striking bases there
could engulf the host in a situation not to Dhaka's liking. Terrorism is
a Frankenstien which, if not checked, could gobble up not only Bangladesh,
but the entire neighbourhood. It is in this perspective that India's
articulation of such fears with much greater stridency than before
has to be viewed. It should be taken as a wake-up call.
The same problem is seen in Dhaka's
response to India's repeated entreaties to check the presence of
Northeast insurgents in its soil. Whenever the issue is raised, Dhaka's
stock response has been that its territory will not be permitted
for use against India. This is not enough. Many responsible leaders
of the country have gone on record for saying that the insurgents
are "freedom fighters". There is also a tendency to place them on
the same footing as the Mukti Bahini. The evidence placed before
Dhaka's consideration by India should not be slighted in this way.
Bangladesh must cooperate in curbing their activities. The media attention
that the issue receives is quite justified.
Avtar Singh Bhasin, Former diplomat
and commentator on Indo-Bangladesh relations
