Muhammad Quamrul Islam :
An old national vernacular daily of Bangladesh reported on December 8, 2019 that West Bengal Chief Minister Trinamul Chief Mamata Banerjee has said Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina gives security to Hindus in Bangladesh. And in West Bengal they give security to Muslims. She said in a function on the occasion of Solidarity Day at Mayo Road of Kolkata that she will not allow it to happen that Hindus will be given citizenships while Muslims will be driven out of India. She added CAB (Citizenship Amendment Bill) and NRC (National Register of Citizenships) are two sides of the same coin. CAB and NRC will not be accepted in West Bengal.
She said they have not seen First Independence Movement. But to combat CAB and NRC the second ‘independence movement’ will commence. She alleged, by sheer force of brute majority and number, the bill is being passed in two chambers of Parliament at Lok Sabha and Raijya Sabha in India. She called upon grant citizenships to all to which she will extend 100% support. In Assam, Bengalis have been excluded from the list of NRC. She also pointed out incongruities relating to seven sister states in this region.
She said Indian economy has fallen flat and bankrupt. Thereafter the country would be. They are trying to cover up burning economic issues undertaking CAB, NRC, which is not possible. First CAB, then NRC, is their strategy. She asked to put confidence on her; all will stay united in close harmony. Despite her strong protests and influential others countrywide reported in media, ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not listen to her and others and passed CAB into law.
But CAB now CAL (Citizenship Amendment Law) led to violent protests, reported in newspapers of Indian states bordering Bangladesh. It was signed into law on December 12, 2019 by President Ramnath Kobind. Next day December 13 protest demonstrations took place in various places in West Bengal, Assam, Tripura, Manipur, Meghalaya. Ignoring the resistance of Army, Police and Paramilitary forces, there were processions, road blockade and arsons in various places. Curfew was imposed In Meghalaya. Day before people in thousands took to streets breaking curfew in Assam. To stop them police opened fire that killed three persons and wounded two, according to government source. To suppress demonstrations in various states, mobile phone, Internet and SMS services were suspended.
Reports of clashes between Police and demonstrators continue; police fired tear shells, wounded and arrested many to control the situations who protest this anti-Muslim Law that would result in deterioration of law and order, distress to Bengalis and large scale push-ins in Bangladesh. According to the programme of mass movement called by West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamul Chief, it has been observed on December 16, 17 and 18, 2019 duly. She attended each bold procession vindicating the just cause of Bengal and administered oath sworn by all; the spirit spreading to other states, not caring the communal slogan in favour of Hindus and stiff control of Central Government of Hindu Nationalist Party BJP across India. It was carved out of partition independence 1947 into India and Pakistan by British colonial rule.
True, Indian democracy was unfettered and undisturbed since partition 1947, held national and state elections duly as provided in the Constitution, which Pakistan could not done due to Parliamentary lapses, shortcomings of political leaderships led to military interventions and so on. The western wing of Pakistan was separated from eastern wing by thousands miles of Indian Territory and porous borders, drawn and declared by British. It meant British divided Bengal with 4200km long porous borders in 1947, satisfied their imperial deign and non-Bengali National Congress leadership in central Delhi. There was no people to people contact naturally between two wings of Pakistan and Kashmir problem vexed Indo-Pakistan relations since inception. The geographic and cultural unity of Bengal and North Eastern Region were disturbed.
The eastern wing of Pakistan with porous borders emerged as sovereign Bangladesh in 1971 in the spirit of Bengali nationalism, democracy and socio-economic emancipation of the multitude on the line of its historical heritage. But, 48 years after independence ground reality frankly speaking is having democracy, flourishing nationalism, ensuring equitable development, good governance, combating bribery and corruption are far cry. No doubt, economic growth due to the impact of globalization, increasing wage earners remittances, low cost garment workers, toiling famers and foreign helps in various ways to sovereign state including NGOs have taken place, which has not been matched with maintaining traditional morality for sustainable development with human face.
Geographic, cultural, economic unity and sustaining educational standard that was needed for Bangladesh and aspired for so long has not yet dawned. Rather, decline in education system, governance and patriotism remain unchecked; porous borders were fortified by barbed wires fencings, which cannot be a sign of friendship and even economy on both sides is divided. Reports of border killings, smugglings, trafficking and money laundering in haats frequently appear in media. But, Instead of rectifying those by practical measures for the benefit of people on both sides of the divide, BJP has now adopted communal agenda.
Thankfully, Trinamul Chief has called the movement and also other states in this region out of intense feeling for communal harmony from time immemorial, as fall of anyone would bring disaster to this region in the first instance. It is sad to see reports in media of Bangladesh that Foreign Minister is not speaking to the point ventilating actual grievances. He is out to please Delhi dismissing anxiety in Bangladesh populace and push-ins; may be neo-wealthy and powerful elite do not feel!
(Muhammad Quamrul Islam is economist, advocate and columnist; e-mail:[email protected])
An old national vernacular daily of Bangladesh reported on December 8, 2019 that West Bengal Chief Minister Trinamul Chief Mamata Banerjee has said Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina gives security to Hindus in Bangladesh. And in West Bengal they give security to Muslims. She said in a function on the occasion of Solidarity Day at Mayo Road of Kolkata that she will not allow it to happen that Hindus will be given citizenships while Muslims will be driven out of India. She added CAB (Citizenship Amendment Bill) and NRC (National Register of Citizenships) are two sides of the same coin. CAB and NRC will not be accepted in West Bengal.
She said they have not seen First Independence Movement. But to combat CAB and NRC the second ‘independence movement’ will commence. She alleged, by sheer force of brute majority and number, the bill is being passed in two chambers of Parliament at Lok Sabha and Raijya Sabha in India. She called upon grant citizenships to all to which she will extend 100% support. In Assam, Bengalis have been excluded from the list of NRC. She also pointed out incongruities relating to seven sister states in this region.
She said Indian economy has fallen flat and bankrupt. Thereafter the country would be. They are trying to cover up burning economic issues undertaking CAB, NRC, which is not possible. First CAB, then NRC, is their strategy. She asked to put confidence on her; all will stay united in close harmony. Despite her strong protests and influential others countrywide reported in media, ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not listen to her and others and passed CAB into law.
But CAB now CAL (Citizenship Amendment Law) led to violent protests, reported in newspapers of Indian states bordering Bangladesh. It was signed into law on December 12, 2019 by President Ramnath Kobind. Next day December 13 protest demonstrations took place in various places in West Bengal, Assam, Tripura, Manipur, Meghalaya. Ignoring the resistance of Army, Police and Paramilitary forces, there were processions, road blockade and arsons in various places. Curfew was imposed In Meghalaya. Day before people in thousands took to streets breaking curfew in Assam. To stop them police opened fire that killed three persons and wounded two, according to government source. To suppress demonstrations in various states, mobile phone, Internet and SMS services were suspended.
Reports of clashes between Police and demonstrators continue; police fired tear shells, wounded and arrested many to control the situations who protest this anti-Muslim Law that would result in deterioration of law and order, distress to Bengalis and large scale push-ins in Bangladesh. According to the programme of mass movement called by West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamul Chief, it has been observed on December 16, 17 and 18, 2019 duly. She attended each bold procession vindicating the just cause of Bengal and administered oath sworn by all; the spirit spreading to other states, not caring the communal slogan in favour of Hindus and stiff control of Central Government of Hindu Nationalist Party BJP across India. It was carved out of partition independence 1947 into India and Pakistan by British colonial rule.
True, Indian democracy was unfettered and undisturbed since partition 1947, held national and state elections duly as provided in the Constitution, which Pakistan could not done due to Parliamentary lapses, shortcomings of political leaderships led to military interventions and so on. The western wing of Pakistan was separated from eastern wing by thousands miles of Indian Territory and porous borders, drawn and declared by British. It meant British divided Bengal with 4200km long porous borders in 1947, satisfied their imperial deign and non-Bengali National Congress leadership in central Delhi. There was no people to people contact naturally between two wings of Pakistan and Kashmir problem vexed Indo-Pakistan relations since inception. The geographic and cultural unity of Bengal and North Eastern Region were disturbed.
The eastern wing of Pakistan with porous borders emerged as sovereign Bangladesh in 1971 in the spirit of Bengali nationalism, democracy and socio-economic emancipation of the multitude on the line of its historical heritage. But, 48 years after independence ground reality frankly speaking is having democracy, flourishing nationalism, ensuring equitable development, good governance, combating bribery and corruption are far cry. No doubt, economic growth due to the impact of globalization, increasing wage earners remittances, low cost garment workers, toiling famers and foreign helps in various ways to sovereign state including NGOs have taken place, which has not been matched with maintaining traditional morality for sustainable development with human face.
Geographic, cultural, economic unity and sustaining educational standard that was needed for Bangladesh and aspired for so long has not yet dawned. Rather, decline in education system, governance and patriotism remain unchecked; porous borders were fortified by barbed wires fencings, which cannot be a sign of friendship and even economy on both sides is divided. Reports of border killings, smugglings, trafficking and money laundering in haats frequently appear in media. But, Instead of rectifying those by practical measures for the benefit of people on both sides of the divide, BJP has now adopted communal agenda.
Thankfully, Trinamul Chief has called the movement and also other states in this region out of intense feeling for communal harmony from time immemorial, as fall of anyone would bring disaster to this region in the first instance. It is sad to see reports in media of Bangladesh that Foreign Minister is not speaking to the point ventilating actual grievances. He is out to please Delhi dismissing anxiety in Bangladesh populace and push-ins; may be neo-wealthy and powerful elite do not feel!
(Muhammad Quamrul Islam is economist, advocate and columnist; e-mail:[email protected])
