Over the last few months I have been observing the increasingly
monotonous promotion of the book `The India Doctrine' by the infamous
Barrister MBI Munshi. His supporters and the books promoters are
easily identified and include Isha Khan, Zoglul Hossain and Moin
Ansari (a Pakistani national residing in New York). These are all
well-known and renowned anti-Indians who at every opportunity spout
venom at our big neighbour and try to create a hostile and militant
attitude to New Delhi. If the opinions of these few individuals were
kept within this small coterie there would not be much concern but
the ideas and perspectives found in The India Doctrine appear to be
spreading. If one reads the recent write-ups and speeches of such
public intellectuals like Farhad Mazar, Mahmudur Rahman, Prof.
Mahbubullah, Prof. Ataur Rahman, Shah Abdul Hannan and the anti-
Indian stance of the BNP-Jamaat neo-Razakars you will see the
adoption of the ideas contained in The India Doctrine. Similarly,
several newspapers, magazines and journals such as the Naya Diganta,
Sangram, Dinkal, New Age, Bangladesh Defence Journal, The Financial
Express, PROBE, The Bangladesh Today and The New Nation have also
been sponsoring or highlighting this new anti-Indian agenda.
After much irritating and incessant publicity surrounding this book I
decided to purchase a copy from The Bookworm near Jahangir Gate. This
is the only bookstore in Dhaka that actually sells the book. For
those who support the ideals of the Liberation War and the sacrifices
made by the people of Bangladesh one can only be repulsed by its
contents. The book does not even leave Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur
Rahman untouched by its scurrilous and repulsive innuendoes and
second rate theorizing about a supposed and fantastic Akhand Bharat
being allegedly pursued by Indian policy-makers since partition in
1947. What Barrister MBI Munshi does not discuss is the sacrifices
that were made by India for the independence of Bangladesh. Barrister
Munshi manages to disingenuously twist history to make India appear
as the villain and not the murderous Pakistan army that raped and
killed unarmed civilians in the erstwhile East Pakistan.
What is particularly aggravating is that none of the so-called
defenders of our freedoms and secular ideals has come forward to
contradict the objectives and ideas of the book. This is extremely
dangerous as the anti-Indian tilt now appearing in Bangladesh could
have very unfortunate consequences for the country. If New Delhi
views its small neighbour as becoming hostile to its friendly
overtures it could turn the screws and make things difficult for
Bangladesh. Already many in India view Bangladesh as ungrateful. The
secular intellectuals of Bangladesh must come forward and warn of the
dangers of following the ideas contained in The India Doctrine.
The book essentially promotes an intellectual blueprint for
instability and reversal of the secular gains made in 1971 which
ultimately trashed the concept of the Two Nation Theory but which is
still oddly propounded in Pakistan. After 1971, Pakistanis should
have come to realize that the misguided ideals of the Two Nation
Theory are no longer relevant - the creation of Bangladesh proves
that point. Unfortunately the neo-Razakars in Bangladesh still
passionately hold to this concept of the Two Nation Theory. The India
Doctrine superficially provides them with an argument but it is
indeed a weak foundation. The dream of India's disintegration (an
implication made in the book) is just that – a dream. Instead we are
seeing Pakistan on the verge of political collapse and Bangladesh
with an uncertain future. It is without doubt India that will emerge
as the regional superpower and elites in Pakistan and Bangladesh
better come to recognize that reality or both countries will suffer
the consequences. Both Pakistan and Bangladesh are too weak and
internally divided to pose a threat to India's rise so why fosters
dreams based on an ill-conceived religious division which has done
more harm than good. The meaning of Islam is submission so both
countries should gracefully submit!
Sohail Tajul Islam
Student
Department of Medicine
Imperial College London
------------------------------------
[Disclaimer: ALOCHONA Management is not liable for information contained in this message. The author takes full responsibility.]
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