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
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Sign the Petition : Release the Arrested University Teachers Immediately : An Appeal to the Caretaker Government of Bangladesh
http://www.mukto-mona.com/human_rights/university_teachers_arrest.htm
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Daily Star publishes an interview with Mukto-Mona
http://www.mukto-mona.com/news/daily_star/daily_star_MM.pdf
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MM site is blocked in Islamic countries such as UAE. Members of those theocratic states, kindly use any proxy (such as http://proxy.org/) to access mukto-mona.
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Mukto-Mona Celebrates 5th Anniversary
http://www.mukto-mona.com/Special_Event_/5_yrs_anniv/index.htm
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Mukto-Mona Celebrates Earth Day:
http://www.mukto-mona.com/Special_Event_/Earth_day2006/index.htm
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Kansat Uprising : A Special Page from Mukto-Mona
http://www.mukto-mona.com/human_rights/kansat2006/members/
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MM Project : Grand assembly of local freedom fighters at Raumari
http://www.mukto-mona.com/project/Roumari/freedom_fighters_union300306.htm
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German Bangla Radio Interviews Mukto-Mona Members:
http://www.mukto-mona.com/Special_Event_/Darwin_day/german_radio/
Mukto-Mona Celebrates Darwin Day:
http://www.mukto-mona.com/Special_Event_/Darwin_day/index.htm
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