If you publish and if you would like you translate into Bengali, please feel free to do so. I have no means to translate.
I sent it to the Daily Star. Either they did not receive it or are unwilling to publish it. I am copying to Mr Rubel too. I have known him from his essay
on a Bengali news outlet ( online)
Thanks, Romeo A, Sydney.
Here is the essay:
Anti -India Schizophrenia in Bangladesh
In response to anti-India mindset of the English speaking urban middle class most palpable during a political crisis (Source: the Bangladesh Times)
Now look into the India´s side. Since August 1975 Pakistani sentiment has been infused into the body politic of Bangladesh after the cruel assassination of Bangladesh´s Independence leader Shiekh Mujibur Rahman. At the same time Islamic militancy has risen unabated, the anti-liberation forces were invited by vested quarters to rule the country. India obviously began to grow suspicious in the pretext of a possible proxy war by Pakistan against India to quell the decade long rivalry between the two rival nations that fought 3 wars since 1947. The 4th one several years ago was pushed away by frantic diplomacy by the US and UK governments. India is clinically nervous and possibly feels safe with its "friendship" with the Awami League to protect its interest and to eliminate the fear of Islamic insurgency by Pakistan via Bangladesh. Awami League government discourages this, probably rightfully. No sensible human being can support his/her country to be used by a third country to incite violence in the house of next door neighbour. This is grossly pathological. If Awami League really and effectively stopped these activates, it did the right thing morally and politically.
Politically speaking, BNP is openly anti- Indian that is not a bad option I think. Not all people all over the world have good feelings towards every other nations. British people still don´t like the Germans, and the French people normally don´t like the Americans. This is normal within a certain limit a long as there is no clinical hostility at a schizophrenic level between nations of other language, culture and religion. As long as this anti- India sentiment does not hurt Bangladesh, BNP´s anti-India stand is totally acceptable so long it does not harm the neighborly relationship based on an equal basis. However, my question is why BNP could not make a better deal with India on businesses and borders when it was in power? Yesterday, I read on a Bangla News channel that on the Independence Day some people were singing Indian Hindi songs. While the passing by journalist ask them why they were doing so, the young men wanted to know if it was "haram" to dance with Indian songs on Bangladesh´s Independence Day. I am very puzzled why BNP failed to thwart Indian cultural invasion in Bangladesh? Is BNP really against India or that´s more like satisfying Pakistan by selling her anti-Indian rhetoric and policy? Does BNP really care about Bangladesh and Bengali cultural values? Does BNP have any party manifesto to enhance, promulgate, and perpetuate Bengali culture and ideals in Bangladesh?
My views may sound like I am a pro Awami League person. I am actually not. I am a pure and simple pro Bengali person, (I do not give a damn if there are Bengalees in India or on the moon or on martial planet...that is not my headache, it may well be NASA´s headache). Also, as one reader commented yesterday, at this point of Bangaldesh´s crisis, if I have to choose between Hasina´s secularism vs. Khaldea´s "Gopalism", I would choose Hasina though I know for sure that secularism is not safe either in the hands of Hasina and her corrupt and morally bankrupt party members, ministers and MPs. I also believe that it´s going to be sham election.
Coming back to the anti-Indian rhetoric: I think the victims of the Bangladesh´s anti- India politics are the innocent Hindus of Bangladesh. If the social climate is anti- Indian, and since Hindus traditionally look upon India (that is no harm, Swedish young girls look upon America to get a job in New York as baby sitters, Source: BBC) because of cultural and religious reasons, they very easily fall prey to the anti-India venom. Even though the Hindus were sufferers since independence and have nothing to do with the war crimes, they were very badly hurt without getting any justice neither from the Awami League nor from the BNP, let alone the law enforcing agency. This is tarnishing the image of the country irrespective of whether it is ruled by the either party. Yesterday the US ambassador admitted that the minorities were disproportionally victimized in the election and war crime trial related crisis. This minority bashing is bad and disgraceful.
I as a simple person cannot wish away this mass schizophrenia but I can appeal to the Bangladeshi people to do some soul searching on this issue. This is not to protect the Hindus but to protect the country from descending into a bigger chaos. No country can thrive by a systematic grudge on a neighboring country. If the neighbor is a bad guy, then both BNP and the Awami league must jointly face this bad guy. In the short term however it is recommended that BNP establishes itself as a strong, viable, and sensible opposition without unnecessary anti- Indian psychopathology. I think Bangladesh will really stand on her own feet if the two parties work as the Democrats and GOP (Republicans) do in America. Despite many misdeeds and corrupt policies in the past, Bangladesh has a bright future if only there could be a true bipartisan political system based on sound democratic principles and not driven by out -dated, ineffective, anti-historic and potentially harmful anti-Indian impulses. Finally, I would like to add that India should be treated as any other country on earth but if there are practical reasons for each country providing a hypothetical MFN status to the other, there should be a referendum because Bangladesh should always be prioritized first, Indian priority is and should be second or last. This should be the political lifeblood of Bangladesh´s politics not the schizophrenia.
Joy Bangla, Joy Bangladesh (Victory to Bangla and Victory to Bangladesh).
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