No sign of India changing its stance
AKM Zakaria
Updated: 19 Dec 2024, 21: 06
Demonstrations in Dhaka against attack by Hindutva extremists on Bangladesh's assistant high commission in Agartala on the India state TripuraProthom Alo
The government in Bangladesh has changed in various ways at various times. But never before has India displayed such a reaction. That is why analysts are saying in their discussions and their writings that India has not been able to accept the student-people's uprising in Bangladesh.
It is very natural that India was not happy with Sheikh Hasina's downfall. There was nothing hidden about the interests involved in Sheikh Hasina's relations with India. There are certain concerns in Bangladesh-India relations, certain demands. Sheikh Hasina dispelled India's concerns and met many of their demands. In return, India fulfilled Sheikh Hasina's wants, ensured her stay in power. India had open support for Bangladesh three one-sided elections. The people of Bangladesh believe that if was because of India that Sheikh Hasina could forcefully remain in power for so long.
Sheikh Hasina's fall hit India hard. India may have even been seething within. But there is certain protocol and etiquette that two independent and sovereign countries must maintain. There has been a big change in Bangladesh. The students and the people united to bring an end to the autocratic rule. Does India have any rationale not to accept this change?
India was naturally not happy with the political change in Bangladesh on 15 August 1975. Bangladesh's high commissioner at the time had been Samar Sen. He had been in Delhi on the day of the incident. He returned to Dhaka the very next day. On 18 August he called upon the new president Khandakar Mushtaq Ahmed at Bangabhaban. He read out a diplomatic note from India to Mushtaq. No matter how much the 15 August incident pained India, they accepted the reality in Bangladesh at the time. It may not have been warm, but they maintained working relations with Bangladesh from day one.
India and many others had taken it for granted that Awami League would win the election in 1991. They were taken aback by the election results. It may have hurt them too. But after BNP came to power, India sent Muchkund Dubey as special envoy to take relations ahead. He came to Bangladesh and met with the prime minister at the time, Khaleda Zia. Again, when BNP came to power in 2001 and there were incidents of communal violence in the country, India sent its security advisor Brajesh Mishra to Bangladesh.
The people of Bangladesh do not understand why now, after the fall of Hasina, India is behaving in this manner.
an relations being maintained with the people of any country if visas are held up? Those who go from Bangladesh for medical treatment are in a fix. But if a problem persists, people look for alternatives
Certain Indian friends have come up with explanations. They feel that the India of 2024 is not the same India as that of 1975, 1991 or 2001. India is no longer the India that it used to be -- we can take that to mean India is much more powerful than before. India is now a big economic power and its clout in regional and global politics has increased significantly.
The question is, have there been any fundamental changes in India's foreign policy? Does this change in India mean an effort to maintain its dominance over neighbouring countries? More importantly, what has India achieved through this? India's relations with its neighbours have not just deteriorated, but have turned bitter. India had been maintaining relations with the Bangladesh government (not the people), by supporting Sheikh Hasina. But it has damaged those relations too by taking a stand against the new interim government after 5 August.
Around four months after this, India's foreign secretary Vikram Misri paid a visit to Bangladesh and observers want to view this as positive. During the trip, other than meeting with the Bangladesh foreign secretary, he also met with the chief advisor Dr Muhammad Yunus, foreign advisor Md Touhid Hossain and the army chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman. The objective was to assuage the post-5 August tensions between the two countries and restore normalcy to relations.
Returning to his country, he told the parliamentary standing committee on foreign affairs that he had told Bangladesh that India would work with the present interim government. He also said that India's relations with Bangladesh were not restricted to any one political party or one particular government. India places importance on relations with the people of Bangladesh.
Diplomats make diplomatic statements. In that sense there is reason to see his visit and statement in a positive light. But in reality are there any indications that India is changing its stance? There were certain incidents of political vengeance and clashes after 5 August. Certain members of the minority Hindu community also fell victim to this.
Such incidents are unfortunate and there were immediate efforts to address these politically and socially. But the Indian government and media exaggerated these incidents and blew them out of proportion, spreading fake news and disinformation. It does not seem that India has moved away from that stance.
It may be mentioned here that with a few exceptions, India's political parties, media and even intelligentsia speak in one voice on the question of foreign policy. They do not view anything critically.
Even when he came to Dhaka Vikram Misri conveyed India's concern about the safety of Bangladesh's minorities. The question is, how are the minorities living in the India that is so concerned about minority rights? Has Bangladesh ever raised this question? Or does only India have the unilateral right to raise such questions.
The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) regularly publishes a report, the last one coming out on 1 May this year. India is high up on the list of countries with the most violations of religious freedom.
Concerning India, the report said that religious freedom had deteriorated during the rule of prime minister Narendra Modi's Hindu nationalist government. The country's constitution upholds the right for everyone to practice their respective religions, but the anti-conversion act is also being applied extensively. According to the report, thousands of Christians and Muslims were attacked in 2023. They were threatened in all sorts of ways. Hundreds or churches and mosques had also been destroyed then.
In the updated report of 2 October (India Country Update), it was said throughout 2024 minorities had been tortured and killed by extremist groups, religious leaders had been arrested, their homes and places of worship destroyed. Government persons instigated these incidents. They made provocative speeches and spread fake news and disinformation.
However, the fact that the religious freedom of the minorities in India is being violated does not justify any form of attack or violence against minorities in Bangladesh. The incidents of attacks on religious minorities in Bangladesh at various times are unacceptable and condemnable. The government says that so far 88 persons accused of involvement in such incidents after 5 August have been arrested. Now it is their responsibility to ensure that each and every incident is brought to justice.
In the meantime, at various meetings and demonstrations in various states of India, BJP and other political parties continue alleging that minorities are being repressed in Bangladesh. In Delhi, RSS carried out a siege programme outside the Bangladesh high commission. Earlier Bangladesh's missions in Kolkata and Agartala came under attack.
Just two days ago, on 17 December Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi in parliament demonstrated with her party members against the repression of minorities in Bangladesh. She carried a bag on which it was written 'stand with Bangladesh minorities' in English. In Hindi it read, 'stand with Bangladesh Hindu and Christians'.
It is the responsibility of anyone with a conscience to stand by minorities anywhere in the world. What is Priyanka Gandhi's stand on the minorities of India?
Did she not see the statement made by the Assam Christian Forum (ACF) on 28 November? The statement expressed concern about the continued attack on Christian individuals and organisations there for the past few years. They said that certain person were attacking Christian establishments, telling them to remove the statues and pictures of their faith. Their religious freedom and different beliefs were under attack.
Priyanka Gandhi, it is good of you to stand by Bangladesh's Hindu and Christian. Continue to stand. But please, stand by the Christians in India too!
The people of Bangladesh question how far India's concern about Bangladesh's minorities is sincere or how far it is a threat. There are all reasons to see India's present stance as motivated.
We recall the unfortunate incident of people of the Hindu community coming under attack during Durga Puja in 2021 during the rule of the Awami League. According to Bangladesh Hindu Bouddha Christian Oikya Parishad, 117 temples and puja mandaps in 27 districts of the country had come under attack at the time and 9 people were killed. India did not react to that in 2021 as it is reacting now. Does India feel that it is not really a problem if the Hindu community comes under attack if Sheikh Hasina is in power?
India is a regional power. It has ambitions of becoming a global power. There is nothing wrong with such ambitions. But a country that wants to be big, must act like a big country too. There does not seem to be any reflection of this in India's foreign policy. After the 5 August change of government in Bangladesh, India's behaviour has no indications of being a big country. India's foreign secretary had said they give importance to relations with the people of Bangladesh. This must be proven.
India has held up issue visas to Bangladeshis for the past for months. People from here go to Bangladesh for business, tourism, shopping, studies and medical treatment. Medical visas are being issued on a limited scale. But can relations being maintained with the people of any country if visas are held up? Those who go from Bangladesh for medical treatment are in a fix. But if a problem persists, people look for alternatives. If things continue in this manner, Bangladesh's people will no longer keep India in their travel plans. Who will stand to lose in the long run?
Prime minister Modi's statement on social media made it clear how India views our liberation war or Bangladesh's victory. He wrote, “Today, on Vijay Diwas, we honour the courage and sacrifices of the brave soldiers who contributed to India’s historic victory in 1971. Their selfless dedication and unwavering resolve safeguarded our nation and brought glory to us. This day is a tribute to their extraordinary valour and their unshakable spirit. Their sacrifices will forever inspire generations and remain deeply embedded in our nation’s history.”
What does Modi's post prove? He claims the victory won through the liberation war on 16 December to be India's victory. Congress leader Priyanka said almost the same. Bangladesh's people do not take such statements easily. There really is no evidence that India gives importance to relations with the people of Bangladesh.
* AKM Zakaria is deputy editor of Prothom Alo
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