A letter by Biswajeet Mahapatra, an Indian, on Indo-Bangla relations published in your daily on 3-4-06 has drawn my attention. The writer claims that India's neighbours are inclined to disrupt the country by their instigating activities. I wonder how he actually thinks of provocative actions by the small neighbours of India against it. The entire area of all the neighbours of India, except China, is as large as one third the total area of India and it is far ahead of all these countries combined in size, military might, and economy. If I am mightier than you, then I can think of a suppressing role, I can craft the plan to appropriate some of your territories, I could proceed so as to disrupt your internal stability. But while I am weaker, even incomparable in any terms with you, I can just take the defensive stand. Yes, India might be our "elder brother", as India's former prime minister M. Desai once said and I.K. Gujral believed (Gujral Doctrine, 1996), but it cannot be our "boss". Whereas they thought that as an elder brother India would have to be liberal and caring to the "younger brothers", India now seems more rigid in its policy towards its neighbour, Bangladesh. Of course, Bangladesh has the same international dignity like India as a sovereign nation.Truly, India helped in our liberation war and deserves an honourable space in our history. But it also cannot be forgotten that the overwhelming gratitude to India of the Bangladeshi people eroded amazingly within two years of our independence, thanks to its dominating stance towards Bangladesh. Bangladesh has no way, not to mention it smallness and poverty, other than living in peace and amity with India. Why should Bangladesh tussle with India?
Indeed, what is essential is that India should respect the sovereignty, freedom; right of economic development and right to live in peace of Bangladesh, as it respects those for itself. It cannot kill the innocent Bangladeshis and recourse to provocative actions on border. If there were an end to these activities, the historical ties between Bangladesh and India would definitely improve.
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