Sujan Bhattacharyya
Part- 1
Two countries having a long tie of cordiality is now exchanging serious abuses. Each one is eyeing the other as the gravest enemy. Conflict between them is aggravating day by day. Yes, we are speaking of India and Bangladesh. It is a matter of fact that anti-Indian and anti-Hindu sentiment is on the sharp rise in Bangladesh. The July Uprising has certainly fuelled it. But we cannot deny that such hatred was under making during the entire decade. A section of Bangladeshi people is heavily pouring upon India, mostly over the social media. In response their Indian counterparts are also retaliating. And the end product is drastic decline in mutual relation.
It is a fact that people quarrelling over the social media are prone to lock themselves safe within the room first. Their purpose is only to sensitise the chosen issue. How far their service is voluntary one or at the exchange of booty is not clear. IT cells of various shades have deep-rooted presence in these countries. And the activity of IT cell caused several troubles there too. Who stepped over the national flag of one country or who made doormat with that of the other in reaction seems to be an infantile insanity. No country or nation can be disgraced so easily. But the bare fact is being overruled by most of the players on both side of the frontier. That is the tragedy of the hour.
The question of anti-Indian sentiment of Bangladeshi people is a complex one having a thorough continuity. During the present decade it has been amplified to a great extent. Certainly, misdirected foreign and trade policy of Indian government has a great responsibility in this aspect. It is fact that the relation of India with all her neighbours is tense for a long period. None can easily expect a true warm relation between India and Pakistan. The genesis of Pakistan and their traditional measure towards exporting militancy into India will keep the tension alive. In case of Maldives, the communal composition may provide an easy answer. By why is the relation of India with Nepal or Bhutan so strained over the last decade? There is only one answer.
To combat China in regional supremacy India resorted to aggressive role with her neighbours. It is not debated that India is the single-major power in South East Asia in terms of economy, technology and military capacity. But India brought about a drastic change in her foreign policy since 2014. She is trying to impose a kind of domination in the region. Certainly, that is causing the harm. On the other hand, economic policy of China played a crucial role here. Bangladesh was only an exception. Indian government thoroughly maintained a cordial relation with Bangladesh. Certainly, that was on the official format. But now-a-days that is broken outright.
On a superficial view, anti-Indian sentiment apparently grew in Bangladesh on cricketing issue. The most-acclaimed semi-proverb ‘All are thieves, India and ICC’ germinated on cricketing conflicts. But in cricketing perspective Bangladesh is a child in contrast to India. Rather if the question would have come on the question of football, that would have been something meaningful and fitting. Both the countries have no significant international achievement in football. In that case the debate would tantamount the quarrel between two last benchers on the question or merit. A cricketing squabble can easily reduce the achievement of India. That may bring consolation to one’s inferiority complex. The face book environment helped that meaningless quarrel to cross every limit, aggressive supporters even moved up to distorting names of other countries. Indian virtual patriots did not hesitate to pay the return in equal terms. That inspired Bangladeshi patriots further. And it paved the way for deterioration of mutual friendship.
It is a fallacy that both sides involve Bengali-speaking people only. On one side it is people from Bangladesh and on the other it is from West Bengal. Thus, the cricketing debate devastated the natural attachment between Bengali-speaking people across the border. Rest of India is lesser concerned about Bangladesh. Their prime concern is Pakistan. Have you noticed one thing? I have not mentioned about Bengalese. Why? Because it has no practical impact now. Since the days of Ziaur Rahman, most of the people of Bangladesh have acclimatised themselves as Bangladeshis instead of Bengalese. On the other hand, people of West Bengal have generated a deep apathy to their Bengali identity. Eastern Bengalis are trying to become Arabs while their Western brothers are trying to adopt the Hindu-Hindi legacy. So, the prime enemy of Arabic tending eastern section is now the Hindi tending western population and vice versa. Do you need any proof?
Many travel blogs are maintained by Bangladeshi people. Besides this many individuals also share their travel experiences over the social media. Most of the write ups bear the same tune on Bengali people of West Bengal. As per depiction, West Bengal people very miser and unfriendly. Whenever any guest comes, they offer only a cup of tea. But the writers are very generous towards non-Bengali Indians. They are portrayed as much more hospitable and kinder. However, those who travel to Bangladesh from West Bengal for various reasons are full of praise. That may be the reality. But is every West Bengal people miser and non-hospitable? There is certainly a purpose behind such writings. And that is to justify the communal partition of Bengal in 1947. The motive of such exposition is to establish that people of two sides are different not only by religion, but also by innate character. So, none should dream of a brotherly knot.
(continued)
Sujan Bhattacharyya, Author and Socio-political analyst, India.
