Sushma Swaraj visit of hope

Date: 3rd January 2015

Sushma Swaraj, the Minister of External Affairs of the new BJP Government of India, just ended her 40 hours visit to Dhaka, her first overseas trip upon assuming office. It ended with a clear direction about how the new government would pursue bilateral relations with Bangladesh. The direction will be a major departure from the way the outgoing Congress government had conducted Bangladesh-India relations. New Delhi will henceforth conduct its relations with Bangladesh, country-to-country and government-to-government and in this new direction; New Delhi will not consider the interests and the fortunes of any political party.

The Indian Minister also underlined that the internal political problems of Bangladesh will have to be addressed and resolved by its people. This assurance too was a major departure from the way the Congress government had viewed Bangladesh. In the backdrop of the political situation leading to the January 5 elections, the Congress led government took upon its hands the task of saving Bangladesh from falling, as it had perceived, into the hands of the Islamic fundamentalists. In fact, Indian Foreign Secretary Sujata Singh had come on an official visit to Dhaka just before the January 5 elections and met HM Ershad to encourage the Jatiya Party to participate in the non-inclusive elections that the AL led government had decided to hold, to give it credibility. Sujata Singh had argued with President Ershad that unless the JP participated in the January 5 elections, Bangladesh would fall into the hands of the fundamentalist BNP/Jamat alliance.

The Indian Minister established the new parameters of conducting bilateral relations also by a few subtle messages and some not so subtle ones. One not so subtle message was the decision to meet the BNP leader Begum Khaleda Zia that was held despite the efforts of the Bangladesh government. The meeting established the BNP as the main opposition party in Bangladesh, a fact highlighted by the UN Secretary General through a very unusual statement following his meeting with the Bangladesh President. The Indians did not go as far as the UN that had asked the AL led government to negotiate with the BNP for fresh elections. Nevertheless, the meeting with the BNP is significant because it underlined that New Delhi is taking a realistic view of the political situation in Bangladesh and not supporting the AL efforts to the contrary.

The Indian Minister in her address at the BIISS gave one subtle hint. There she stated that institution building and tolerance are extremely important for democracy that has been interpreted by many as criticism of the way the AL led government has been ruling the country. Another subtle hint has been given by the fact that the two sides held separate press conferences that was the way New Delhi wanted. New Delhi felt that a joint press conference would lead many to perceive that the new government would follow the same partisan way of dealing with the Awami League as the Congress had done, a perception that it was very eager to avoid.

Sushma Swaraj did not talk on substantive issues except by way of reaction. She said the BJP government would deliver the Teesta and LBA deals soon but did not give any time frame. She did not raise the issue of alleged Bangladeshis in India. These actions suggested that New Delhi wanted the visit to be one of goodwill to assure the people of Bangladesh that India will not be an interfering neighbour, no doubt in acknowledgement of the fact that the Congress Government blatant interference in Bangladesh internal affairs for the AL has pushed India standing in Bangladesh to sink to an all time low.

The visit of the Indian Minister therefore did not fulfill the expectations of the Awami League government that had hoped that she would come with a commitment that the BJP Government would treat it as the outgoing Congress had done. The visit nevertheless has made the BNP smile because the Congress government interference for the AL has been responsible for its current predicament in politics that is nothing short of a nightmare. The visit has given the people some hope because India holds the key whether Bangladesh finds a democratic way out of the dangerous situation prevailing in the country. If India really means that it is for the people of Bangladesh to resolve its internal problems, then there is hope for the country. Sushma Swaraj visit has given Bangladesh that hope.

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