Mohammad Amjad Hossain :
India, a big neighbor among the countries in South Asia, is showing its muscles to dominate the region for good or bad against rising military and economic power house of Asia, China. Nehru’s doctrine of India “must dominate or perish” which emanates from radical doctrine of Hindutva, has surfaced again when India’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government of Narendra Modi has interfered in the internal affairs of Nepal, a close door neighbor of India.
Nepal is a landlocked country between two Asian giants: India and China. Since Nepal is progressively showing interest in developing relations with China, India does not trust Nepal anymore.
Moreover, Nepal has adopted its democratic constitution following the abolition of Kingship which witnessed a bloody civil war.
United movement in Nepal in 2006 succeeded to abolish 240 year old Kingship and instead establish multiparty system wherein Maoist group is now associated with political power in Nepal. UCPN Maoist party’s Onsari Gharti Magar is the first elected female Speaker of Nepal Parliament. The constitution is secular and embrace federalism. It was approved by 502 members in 598 member Parliament of Nepal.
Nepal’s growing relations with China has become an eyesore for India.
As a result, India did not welcome new constitution of Nepal on the pretext that its minority community: Madhesis is deprived of full citizenship and proportional representation in government and army.
Indian leaders might have thought if Madhesis occupy politics in Nepal, India would control Nepal.
The fact of the matter is that only 30 percent of Madhesis of 27 million people belong to Nepal. Madhesis are predominantly Hindu and ethnically and socially are akin to India just across the border.
Nepal recently has been subjected to deadly earthquake in April this year which resulted in shortage of basic goods including fuel.
Nepal, therefore, was compelled to begin gas rationing after supplies of food, medicine and fuel from India stopped abruptly. Nepalese authorities said India had started a blockade in retaliation for a new Nepalese constitution which did not accommodate wishes of Madhesis.
In response to Nepalese complaint, Indian authorities said there was no embargo but its drivers were afraid crossing the border because of violent protests from Madhesis. Nearly half of Nepal’s imported goods enter the country via a single mountain pass.
Nepalese authorities have proof that protesters fled into India when Nepalese security forces tried to disperse them and protesters threw stones from Indian territory at Nepalese security forces.
It is clearly evident that India is playing a game from behind the scene to pursue their strategy to change the constitution to have a role for the Madhesis.
Following meeting with Nepalese Foreign Minister Kamal Thapa, who is also Deputy Prime Minister of Nepal with Indian Home Minister, Indian Foreign Minister and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, flow of trucks are entering Nepal from Birgunj border point. New constitution of Nepal is secular and provides special rights to Madhesis.
It abolished status of Hindu state. India being world’s largest democracy has reacted against democratic constitution adopted by Nepal after seven years of debating.
As reported in Indian Express, administration in New Delhi asked point blank “to make as many as seven amendments to the constitution to address concerns of the Madhesis and Janjatis.” This is certainly interference in the internal affairs of Nepal.
The present Indian government of BJP has also involved in meddling politics in Sri Lanka.
In the general elections that were held in January this year, President of Sri Lanka Mahinda Rajapaksa was defeated by Mathripala Sirisena. Mahinda Rajapaksa succeeded in ending decades long civil war against Tamil Tigers in 2009. Mahinda Rajapaksa was projected as pro-China in Sri Lanka who claimed that Indian authorities had a hand in organizing campaign against his defeat.
Noteable, Sir Lanka and China developed a good relation of mutual cooperation during Rajapaksa’s presidency.
Indian administration was involved in assisting Tamil Tigers in Jaffna overtly and covertly to become an independent entity of Sri Lanka. As a result, decades long civil war between Tamil Tigers and forces of Sri Lankan government cost huge number of deaths numbering in thousands.
There are reports that India instigated Tamils in Jaffna to demand separation.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had been to Sri Lanka in 60 years to speak about Tamils.
Making a historic visit to war torn Jaffna on 14 March, 2015 Indian Premier called for equitable development and respect for all citizens in Sri Lanka. He urged Sri Lankan government to ensure early full implementation of the 13th amendment relating to devolution of powers to Tamils and to go beyond that in finding a political solution.
This uncalled for advice certainly amounts to interference in Sri Lanka’s politics. 13 amendment is the product of a pact signed by Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and Sri Lankan President Jayawardene in 1987 which has become part of Sri Lankan constitution in 1987.
It must be noted that Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated by a Tamil activist for having betrayed their cause in signing such accord. India paid heavily for involvement in internal politics of Sri Lanka. Narendra Modi, Indian Prime Minister, however, handed over 27,000 new homes to Tamils in Jaffna during his visit.
Relations between India and Pakistan, which is a close friend of China since Mao Tse tung was in power in 70’s, becomes worst. Outstanding disputes include Kashmir, water distribution, dams that India constructs in violation of Indus Water Treaty of 1960 through mediation by World Bank and border disputes as well.
Having seen of China’s presence in Bangladesh, BJP government took immediate step to ratify Bangladesh-India demarcation of land boundary signed in 1974 after long 40 years.
The fact remains that India still holds both stick and carrot to dominate Bangladesh by holding sharing of waters from trans-boundary rivers.
During the visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Bangladesh from 6 June of this year for two days the Premier said “India would be able to settle the Teesta and Feni rivers water sharing issues with the help of its West Bengal and Tripura states”.
The Indian Prime Minister is on record by saying “I am confident that with the support of state governments of India, we can reach a fair consensus on Teesta and Feni rivers. Our rivers should nurture our relationship, not become a sources of discord.Water sharing is above all, a human issue.”
Since his visit to Bangladesh four months have lapsed by now there has been no progress to resolve water sharing issues which are vitally important to existence of Bangladesh. Water is a life line of lower riparian of Bangladesh.
Another bad news for Bangladesh is that Prime Minister Narendra Modi directed Chief secretaries of 5 states bordering with Bangladesh to work towards early completion of fencing on India-Bangladesh border. This direction came at a review meeting with all Chief Secretaries of States in New Delhi on 3 November.
Now Bangladesh has no card in hand to play against India as she allowed corridor to India to go to the landlocked seven sister states of India. Bangladesh has to depend on the wishes and whims of India.
(Mohammad Amjad Hossain, retired diplomat from Bangladesh and former President of Nova Chapter of Toastmasters International Club of America, writes from Virginia.)
