The world gets more and more complex day by day and in this era of “specialisation,” we see many a “specialist” scientific, social, economic etc explaining phenomena.
An economist explains why there was a depression and a political scientist is requested to say a thing or two about the ever-brewing anarchy in the Middle East. Sometimes most people feel pretty stupid when they listen to the superficially “wise” explanations of these so called specialists.
Indignant Bangladeshis, having been treated with a surprising disdainfulness by their neighbour India on many issues of bilateral importance, have frequently called in such specialists to propound intelligent analyses of the situation.
The truth is, however, that you do not have to be a rocket scientist to assimilate the crux of the matter. Technology might have changed many things in our world but the basic principles of animosity, prejudices, and xenophobic insularity remain the same. Even uneducated farmers know, when they are informed of the facts, why what is happening is happening.
It is impossible to neglect the possibility that our giant neighbour is taking advantage of the military and political weakness of Bangladesh. The immediate impact on the agriculture of Bangladesh, of the policies practiced by the Indian government with regard to our common rivers, is so horribly disastrous that we are forced to stop being polite in our response to the injustice.
It is now difficult to ignore the suggestion that India is exploiting the frailty of a feeble state. It is unlikely that impecunious Bangladesh can start investing in the military sector anytime soon to lift its status to a state where the neighbours would not have the temerity to neglect our rights as a nation.
There seems to be only one other way to thwart desertification of Bangladesh to find a strong ally in the neighbourhood. There is luckily one “big brother” around. China, forecast to be the foremost international economic force in coming years, is the name of the country.
China has shown considerable interest in recent years in Bangladesh. Obviously it is not a philanthropic interest and one should not expect such a thing either in this era of hegemony and battles for supremacy. China is basically interested in gaining economic advantage by exploiting the geopolitical position of Bangladesh. Moreover, as a huge potential market, already overflowing with everything Chinese (from baby-diapers to gas turbines), densely populated Bangladesh happens to be important to China.
The more or less tacit partnership of Pakistan and China has long given India pause for thought. In the last century, India picked fights with both China and Pakistan separately. So if Bangladesh could earn a warm friendship with China, it could play a significant role in making sure that we are treated with more respect in the future.
The government’s over-friendliness to Delhi in recent times is rather humiliating and embarrassing for us as a nation because while there are warm conversations between the diplomats of the two countries, common rivers are not allowed to flow in to Bangladesh freely; BSF is hanging Felani’s dead body from the barbed fence, severely torturing Bangladeshi intruders and killing without mercy.
The foreign ministry must develop a little more self-respect and officially issue firm and harsh rejoinders to these types of injustice and inequity. At the same time, we should strive and seek to form a stronger partnership with China. Having a giant friend always helps, doesn’t it?
