Mohammad Amjad Hossain :
It seems to be an interesting development in the South-Asia sub-continent to watch Mango, a delicacy fruit, play diplomacy during the pandemic era.Mango diplomacy is nothing new.There is hardly any dispute that quality Mango grows in India and Pakistan followed by Bangladesh.Mango grows in South East Asia sub- continent during the era of Emperor Akbor who ruled Indian Subcontinent from 1556 to 1605 Ad who accelerated the process of planting trees of mangoes while the process has been expedited by Portuguese during 1530 in Bengal and India.During the rule of Sultan Mahmud Shah. Portuguese succeeded to build factories in Bengal while they introduced chillies, delonix regia, Guavas, Pineapple, Papayas and Alphonso Mangoes. According to the Guardian of London, Alphonso mango is named after Afonso de Albuquerque who was a noble man and military expert of Portugal who helped establish Portuguese colony in India. It was Portuguese who introduced grafting on Mango trees to produce extraordinary variety of mango. Alphonso mango variety is produced in Maharashtra and Gujarat mainly.
During the rule of Mao Zedong, Chairman of People’s Republic of China Mangoes which was handed over to Chairman Mao Zedong of People’s Republic of China by the visiting Foreign Minister of Pakistan in August 1968 Sir Mohammad Zafarullah Khan makes an interesting in the politics of China. Chairman Mao Zedong used mango as part of politics to control rowdy elements during cultural-revolution. According to BBC Mao thanked the workers with a gift of 40 mangoes to handle most chaotic and traumatic decades of its history during cultural-revolution. Therefore, mango played a significant role. Wax replica mangoes cushioned in silkare carried in glass cases during the re-enactment of Beijing’s National Day Parade in Harbin, October in 1968, according to BBC. As a matter of fact, Harbin has become a political, economic, scientific, cultural and commercial hub in China.
During the visit of Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto of Pakistan to Bangladesh on 27 June in 1974 at the invitation of Banghabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Prime Minister of Bangladesh, for three days. Prime Minister Bhutto brought mangoes and rice as gifts to political leaders and officers of Ministry of Foregn Affairs of Bangladesh. While I was working in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and posted at Bhangabhaban as Protocol officer during the visit of Pakistan Prime Minister. I was one of the recipients to receive mango. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif of Pakistan also gave boxes of mangoes to Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi in 2015 during Eidul-Fitri. Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh played mango diplomacy when President George Bush paid a visit to India in 2006. Since he was aware that George Bush liked mango he got approval to export mango to the USA.
As a matter of fact, Pakistan has been producing quality mangoes and turned out to be the third largest producer in the world .India on the other hand turned out to be the largest producer of mangoes of different varieties. Incidentally quality of Pakistan mango is much superior in comparison with Indian as admitted by congressman Mani Shankar Aiyar. Mango diplomacy did not succeed to reduce border tension between Pakistan and India.
Mango has been described as the king of fruits which originates in the Indian sub-continent and is scientifically known as Mangifera Indica. In fact, Mango has become a national product in the Indo- Asia sub-continent.
Since pandemic has been dominating the world, President of USA and China refused to accept mango as a gift but Pakistan Ambassador to the United States Asad Majeed Khan hosted reception recently in Washington DC where a number of guests were from US parliament. Mango played major role in the party because different items were prepared with mangoes. Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina broke unfriendly relation with Pakistan by dispatching a consignment of 1000 Kilogram of Haribhanga mango to Prime Minister Imran Khan and Pakistan Prime minister congratulated Bangladesh Prime Minister on the occasion of 50 years celebration of independence of Bangladesh, apart from extending invitation to visit Pakistan.
The Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina also availed of mango season to play diplomacy. By now the Prime Minister has dispatched 2,600 kilogram mangoes to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the President of India Ram Nath Kovind, apart from Chief Minister of West Bengal Mamata Banerjee. She is also planning to dispatch mangoes to Chief Ministers of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura. Incidentally, as of now there appears to be no solution in site about sharing water from Teesta river ,apart from stopping border skirmishes.
(Mohammad Amjad Hossain, retired diplomat from Bangladesh and former President of Nova ToastmasterInternational club of America writes from Falls Church, Virginia).
