What's Mamata victory all about -- for us?
It is only natural to pore over the results of Bidhan Sabha elections in the neighbouring Indian state of West Bengal to try and assess its likely bearing on West Bengal-Bangladesh ties, and more important, on Indo-Bangla relations.
Look at the equation between Trinamool Congress (TMC) and Sonia Gandhi-led Indian National Congress, the majority partner in the UPA government at the centre, to emerge from the West Bengal polls. And you have a clue to the potential of how it might impact Indo-Bangla relations.
The Trinamool has bagged 185 seats to its electoral partner Congress' 42. Despite being the single majority party TMC is keen to form the government with the Congress, clearly considering how it would ensure the centre's cooperation with the state government. The disconnect between Left Front government and Union Home Minister Chidambaram on the question of Maoist insurgency can be recalled here to reinforce the point.
But to think Mamata owes to Congress more than the latter to her would be grossly erroneous. At heart, the Congress must be feeling indebted to the Trinamool wave as personified by Mamata, on the crest of which it rode to tally a sizeable chunk of seats. The Congress (I), long since banished from West Bengal, by the seven times election winner Left Front, has posted a foothold in the state -- thanks to the Mamata chariot.
In this overall context, Bangladesh can expect a favourable concerted policy approach and direction from both the union and the state governments to her outstanding issues with India. The question is how serious, forthcoming and focused the combine would be to place Bangladesh atop its regional list of agenda. For our part, we hope to see a vigorous hands-on policy towards Bangladesh.
From records of agreements inked between our two countries it appears, however, that the first Ganges water sharing accord was signed by the Janata government, and the second was consummated in 1996 courtesy of a minority government in India. And the Chittagong Hill Tracts agreement was signed with the PCJSS at the time of a caretaker cabinet headed by I. K. Gujral. What clinched the CHT accord was India demanding that the tribal refugees and their leaders encamped in Tripura return to Bangladesh.
In other words, the legacy of problem-solving so far as Bangladesh is concerned somehow has had little to do with stable and strong governments in India. Time has now come to grapple with outstanding Indo-Bangla issues from a position of strength in both countries. We reckon the conditions couldn't have been more conducive to resolving bilateral disputes than at present.
The first words to come from Mamata Banerjee sounded both pragmatic and optimistic. She said: "The relations between our two countries are good but can be improved further." Clearly, she is aware of the predominant role of the centre in shaping bilateral relations between two countries, especially in matters of common water sharing, border demarcation, and delineation of maritime boundary.
There is, of course, a West Bengal say on the issues like, for instance, the former Left Front chief minister Jyoti Basu played his part in bringing about the Ganges water sharing agreement with its review clause. As for the borders, we share most of these with West Bengal so it can influence and help the centre in delimiting the 6.4 kilometres of the un-demarcated land border besides ratifying the Mujib-Indira land border agreement of 1974.
Incidentally, one recalls an observation from Left Front leadership that if a greater proportion of Bengali-speaking BSF personnel is employed on the borders this could be an answer to border killings of Bangladeshi citizens.
The memoranda of understanding signed between Indian PM Manmohan Singh and his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina in January last year laid a pathway for intense engagements between the two countries at the government-to-government and people-to-people levels. The understanding encompassed transit-related infrastructure building, credit line to Bangladesh, freeing up of the list of tradeables from Bangladesh, exchange of enclaves in adverse possessions, deferring signing of interim Teesta water agreement until after the West Bengal elections et all.
Bangladeshis would like to see just and equitable solution of issues with India as tangible benefits are derived by Bangladesh for all to see. Clearly, India's generosity as a big neighbour is on test.
A final word on trust-building and taking things forward from here. There is just no issue between India and Bangladesh that doesn't admit of negotiated settlement based on mutual respect for sovereignty and equality of states. Since the cultural bonding is enormously strengthened following the epochal Rabindric celebrations, it is turn for the political will to help build an era of peace and prosperity in this part of the world.
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