Eastern discomfort

The talks now underway between India and Bangladesh should be used to bring some sanity into the troubled relationship between them. The talks can be constructive only if Bangladesh recognises that it cannot dismiss India’s concerns by baiting it. It has to begin by acknowledging four crucial facts. First, that Bangladesh Rifles have in recent times behaved in an appalling fashion. Indian forces, by contrast, have been restrained even in the face of great provocation. Second, Bangladesh is being used as a haven for terrorism in the Northeast. It needs to recognise that no state can today be seen to support terrorism in any form. Third, there is a problem of illegal migration from Bangladesh. This problem has its roots in the complex political economy of the region. But creative solutions will emerge only if the issue is at least acknowledged by Bangladesh. Finally, Bangladeshi politicians have to stop playing the anti-India card at will.

It is possible that clearer demarcation of borders and more cooperation on patrolling can assuage some of India’s fears. India can also move to a more sensible and liberal visa regime that is more in tune with the economic geography of the region. This country has to be pragmatic and willing to explore options that can benefit the Bangladeshi people. The rest of the world is marching ahead with intensified trade relations and neither India nor Bangladesh can afford to be left behind. If India’s core security concerns can be addressed, India should be liberal in every way it can. It should recognise Bangladesh’s anxieties as a smaller power. For instance, the manner in which India cancelled the SAARC summit in February did not take Bangladesh’s sensitivities into account. Now it should unilaterally offer its neighbour a more liberal tariff regime. Exports to India must be encouraged and more joint ventures, enabled. India can also do more to create better land port facilities on the Indian side of the border, as Bangladesh has been demanding. And it can do more to resolve the small but thorny issue of enclaves along the border that symbolise the failure of the relationship.

It will be too much to expect the relationship to improve overnight. But if India sheds some of its condescension and Bangladesh, its self-defeating paranoia, a beginning can be made. The greater onus is on Bangladesh in this instance. If it continues to adopt an intransigent posture, it could find India’s patience running out.