EDITORIAL 'Promises not kept by India'
Respected worldwide and better known as India's father of Nation, Mahatma Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi abhorred the act of breach of promise and termed it "a base surrender of truth." A promise made is a debt unpaid. A promise is a cloud; its fulfilment is rain, so goes an Arabian maxim. Napoleon Bonaparte's advice: The best way to keep one's word is not to give it.
Diplomatic nicety demands that promises are kept by all means; therefore reneging on promise is undesirable in inter-state relations. A foremost contemporary in Dhaka's print journalism front-paged an article entitled "Promises not kept by India" in its issue of May 30 last.
It details how India agreed to export 5 lakh metric tons of rice to Bangladesh but that rice never arrived. Four years ago Pranab Mukherjee, a powerful minister, came to Bangladesh to see the damages caused by cyclone Sidr and announced that India will rebuild one of the devastated villages. But his promise to Bangladesh remains hitherto unfulfilled. The article says, in many cases India's promises to Bangladesh have remained as just words, and this should not have happened, according to Indian government leaders, civil society members and columnists who talked to the Bangladeshi journalists during a recent 9-day tour. The discussions centred around sharing of the 54 common river waters, demarcation of 6.5kms border and transfer of enclaves and adversely possessed lands, trade imbalance, non-tariff barriers to Bangladesh export products and unabated killings of Bangladesh nationals by Indian border guards the -- the most brutal among which was the case of teenager girl Falani shot dead by BSF soldiers.
The much-talked "Tin Bigha" corridor, non-ratification of Mujib-Indira Land Boundary Agreement also came up in the conversations. Bangladesh parliament ratified the agreement in 1974 but the Indian parliament has not. As is known, the Shanti Bahini of the tribal people of the CHT began its low-intensity guerrilla war operations allegedly from bases in Tripura in India. In 1977, they ambushed a Bangladesh military convoy after which defence system increased in the CHT. However, the CHT peace pact more or less minimised tension.
Throughout 2009 the ruling Awami League and its economists and intellectuals were vociferous about rosy dreams that huge amount of money will flow into Bangladesh through giving transit facilities. It was disclosed Bangladesh could reap a profit of $2.3 billion in a period of 30 years by giving transit facilities to India, Nepal and Bhutan, Economictimes-indiatimes.com dated 31 Oct, 2010 reported quoting Dhaka-based Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD). Bangladesh and India signed a joint communiqué in January 2010 creating scope for introducing multi-modal transit and transhipment between the two nations. However, the most vital issue of charging transit fee of millions of dollars still levitates betwixt and between certainty and uncertainty. In October 2010 Finance Minister AMA Muhith said Dhaka would not charge transit fees on Indian cargoes for using Bangladesh territory until negotiation on settlement of such duties concludes. The dreams and hopes shattered. New Delhi demanded the fee waiver referring to the 1972 protocol which, a recent Indian letter to the government said, provides for equal rates of toll for both inland and inter-state transportations of goods and commodities through waterways. A trade analyst said there was no instance of giving waiver of transit and transshipment fees in international trade even under the rule-based trading regime of the World Trade Organisation.
During the Liberation War India was our friend in need which we always acknowledge, but after independence she could not keep it up in so far as bilateral relations with Bangladesh are concerned. The developments that unfolded since the early seventies regarding the big neighbour's attitude were not pleasant. The issues are many beginning from depriving co-riparian Bangladesh of the legitimate share of the Ganges water, greater plan to divert waters of the 54 common rivers, and a sustained media campaign against this country.
In sum, a neighbour like India could certainly be a great blessing. There is no doubt that as a neighbour Bangladesh certainly and definitely cherishes lasting friendly relations with India based on understanding and cooperation for mutual benefit. But this essentially needs due reciprocation from India for fruition.
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