The acquittal of India’s BSF guard accused of unprovoked killing of 15-year old Bangladeshi girl felani near Bangladesh’s Kurigram border at a BSF trial has been a lethal blow to the spirit of Indo-Bangla Friendship. The wanton killing of Bangladeshi trespassers in Indian Territory has been a regular feature in the last few years in sharp contrast to official declaration of close friendly ties between the two neighbours.
The casualties are mostly Bangladeshi cattle traders. But the sight of Felani the Bangladeshi girl dangling by her red dress caught in Indian barbed wire fence was chilling. Felani was an illegal Bangladeshi national working as a housemaid in New Delhi and was returning home with her father when she was shot and killed.
Bangladeshi Human Rights Organisations have called the acquittal a travesty of justice. Even Israel has come out of her ‘bone breaking’ responses against Palestinian Intifadeh agitators. They have built a high wall running across West Bank-Israeli border. Across American-Mexican borderlarge scale trans- border infiltration by Hispanics takes place but America does not kill wantonly; perhaps because it has a large Hispanic population.
India is Bangladesh’s largest neighbour with common border on three sides. One can live without a friend but not without a neighbour, be it between states or between two families. So, a country in general, in its best interest tries to cultivate friendly ties with its neighbours. The present government of Bangladesh has been commendably active in this regard. They have acted out of goodwill to give foremost importance to Indo-Bangla ties and have been quite enterprising in coming forward. There are however detractors who say in doing so the government has been pursuing a ‘one country’ foreign policy.
Geographically India has much to gain from Bangladesh. Its territory gives India much needed access to its land locked north-eastern part. Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Monipur, Tripura, Mizoram and Nagaland are languishing in resource development due to their remote nature. So, India has been pursuing transit facility with Bangladesh for a long time. This government has responded with great openness.
It granted transit facility to India for setting up a 450 MW Power Plant at Palatana of Tripura. This was remarkable in view of the fact that its road infrastructure and waterways are not in the best of conditions. And these carried behemoth carriers to Agartala. The wear and tear is understandable; besides there were unresolved issues on Indo-Bangla bilateral desk. Two years back when Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh was visiting Bangladesh with a large friendship delegation consisting of chief ministers of India’s north-eastern states to sign the Teesta River Treaty there was much fanfare about a milestone in Indo-Bangla friendship.
However, Paschimbanga’s chief minister Mamata Banerjee would not agree to Bangladesh’s share of water in the treaty. She needs more water for her state particularly for Jaldhaka Irrigation Project in Jalpaiguri. The Teesta Treaty had to be forgotten for Mamata would not budge and her Trinamool Congress counts in Indian alliance politics with the national election due in May 2014. Unfortunately for Bangladesh, water flow from upstream in Teesta has been continuously declining. Mamata’s icy stand would not deliver anything for Bangladesh. After all she has an election around the corner and the dour stand against Bangladesh can be a good trophy to display to her constituency.
The Barak Dam in Manipur state of India raised concern in Bangladesh about its north-eastern rivers, habitat and eco-system. India’s proposal of aerial view of the dam site did not offer a comprehensive in- depth joint study of the dam and its effects. Criticism in Bangladesh continued for a while but as it happens for a lesser partner the resentment lost steam. Barak Dam is not heard. Wisely for a neighbour Bangladesh did not retire into sulking and carried on with earnestness and allowed India the transit facility of transshipment of large consignment of rice for one of its north-eastern state.
Friendship
All this happened when Bharatiya Janata Party BJP led centre-right opposition National Democratic Alliance NDA firmly opposed the ratification of Land Boundary Agreement signed with Bangladesh during Manmohan Singh’s visit. The ratification would have facilitated the complete demarcation of India-Bangladesh border and an amicable resolution of enclaves and adversely possessed lands. There are 111 Indian enclaves in Bangladesh and India has 51 Bangladeshi enclaves. It would have given beleaguered people on both sides a choice of nationality. In case the enclaves are swapped Bangladesh will gain!
The cattle traders from Bangladesh trespassing into Indian territory are essentially a matter of demand and supply. Bangladesh is predominantly a beef eating region and Paschimbanga forbids slaughtering of cattle resulting in plentiful supply of unused cattle. The dynamics of market carries cattle traders from Bangladesh to India where the sellers are. Indeed India can have legitimate concerns of cross-border subversion. But cattle traders are hardly the role model for carrying out acts of subversion. If they are at all to be intercepted it can be done without killing them. Besides cross border cattle trading has been going on since pre-liberation period. It was an enemy territory then now they have a friendly neighbour across the border. Yet killing of cattle traders by BSF men has gone up considerably in the last few years!
When Felanis leave home for another country the deciding factor is the prospect of better wages to supplement the income of a subsistence farmer’s family. India’s currency value is higher than that of Bangladesh. A maid’s job in New Delhi brings better wages; even the deterrence of a life threatening journey does not preclude the pursuit of a better life. Every human being has the right to it. Felani exercised it and unfortunately paid with her life.
It is beyond comprehension why the BSF guard shot and killed Felani when she was almost over the fence. He knew the girl was returning home to an officially friendly country and did not have the age or the outfit of a subversive infiltrator escaping across the border. It was an act of manslaughter that contained all the elements to convict the guard. Felani committed no reported crime during her stay in New Delhi; she was a free girl, free to go home-not a criminal fleeing a crime. Friendship is all about Felanis and how they are treated.
Opinion - Friendship That Won’t Bloom
Bangladeshi author begs India to legalize trespassing illegal Bangladeshis and the basis of relationship of 2 countries depend on how one country treats the illegal immigrants from Bangladesh!
The casualties are mostly Bangladeshi cattle traders. But the sight of Felani the Bangladeshi girl dangling by her red dress caught in Indian barbed wire fence was chilling. Felani was an illegal Bangladeshi national working as a housemaid in New Delhi and was returning home with her father when she was shot and killed.
Bangladeshi Human Rights Organisations have called the acquittal a travesty of justice. Even Israel has come out of her ‘bone breaking’ responses against Palestinian Intifadeh agitators. They have built a high wall running across West Bank-Israeli border. Across American-Mexican borderlarge scale trans- border infiltration by Hispanics takes place but America does not kill wantonly; perhaps because it has a large Hispanic population.
India is Bangladesh’s largest neighbour with common border on three sides. One can live without a friend but not without a neighbour, be it between states or between two families. So, a country in general, in its best interest tries to cultivate friendly ties with its neighbours. The present government of Bangladesh has been commendably active in this regard. They have acted out of goodwill to give foremost importance to Indo-Bangla ties and have been quite enterprising in coming forward. There are however detractors who say in doing so the government has been pursuing a ‘one country’ foreign policy.
Geographically India has much to gain from Bangladesh. Its territory gives India much needed access to its land locked north-eastern part. Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Monipur, Tripura, Mizoram and Nagaland are languishing in resource development due to their remote nature. So, India has been pursuing transit facility with Bangladesh for a long time. This government has responded with great openness.
It granted transit facility to India for setting up a 450 MW Power Plant at Palatana of Tripura. This was remarkable in view of the fact that its road infrastructure and waterways are not in the best of conditions. And these carried behemoth carriers to Agartala. The wear and tear is understandable; besides there were unresolved issues on Indo-Bangla bilateral desk. Two years back when Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh was visiting Bangladesh with a large friendship delegation consisting of chief ministers of India’s north-eastern states to sign the Teesta River Treaty there was much fanfare about a milestone in Indo-Bangla friendship.
However, Paschimbanga’s chief minister Mamata Banerjee would not agree to Bangladesh’s share of water in the treaty. She needs more water for her state particularly for Jaldhaka Irrigation Project in Jalpaiguri. The Teesta Treaty had to be forgotten for Mamata would not budge and her Trinamool Congress counts in Indian alliance politics with the national election due in May 2014. Unfortunately for Bangladesh, water flow from upstream in Teesta has been continuously declining. Mamata’s icy stand would not deliver anything for Bangladesh. After all she has an election around the corner and the dour stand against Bangladesh can be a good trophy to display to her constituency.
The Barak Dam in Manipur state of India raised concern in Bangladesh about its north-eastern rivers, habitat and eco-system. India’s proposal of aerial view of the dam site did not offer a comprehensive in- depth joint study of the dam and its effects. Criticism in Bangladesh continued for a while but as it happens for a lesser partner the resentment lost steam. Barak Dam is not heard. Wisely for a neighbour Bangladesh did not retire into sulking and carried on with earnestness and allowed India the transit facility of transshipment of large consignment of rice for one of its north-eastern state.
Friendship
All this happened when Bharatiya Janata Party BJP led centre-right opposition National Democratic Alliance NDA firmly opposed the ratification of Land Boundary Agreement signed with Bangladesh during Manmohan Singh’s visit. The ratification would have facilitated the complete demarcation of India-Bangladesh border and an amicable resolution of enclaves and adversely possessed lands. There are 111 Indian enclaves in Bangladesh and India has 51 Bangladeshi enclaves. It would have given beleaguered people on both sides a choice of nationality. In case the enclaves are swapped Bangladesh will gain!
The cattle traders from Bangladesh trespassing into Indian territory are essentially a matter of demand and supply. Bangladesh is predominantly a beef eating region and Paschimbanga forbids slaughtering of cattle resulting in plentiful supply of unused cattle. The dynamics of market carries cattle traders from Bangladesh to India where the sellers are. Indeed India can have legitimate concerns of cross-border subversion. But cattle traders are hardly the role model for carrying out acts of subversion. If they are at all to be intercepted it can be done without killing them. Besides cross border cattle trading has been going on since pre-liberation period. It was an enemy territory then now they have a friendly neighbour across the border. Yet killing of cattle traders by BSF men has gone up considerably in the last few years!
When Felanis leave home for another country the deciding factor is the prospect of better wages to supplement the income of a subsistence farmer’s family. India’s currency value is higher than that of Bangladesh. A maid’s job in New Delhi brings better wages; even the deterrence of a life threatening journey does not preclude the pursuit of a better life. Every human being has the right to it. Felani exercised it and unfortunately paid with her life.
It is beyond comprehension why the BSF guard shot and killed Felani when she was almost over the fence. He knew the girl was returning home to an officially friendly country and did not have the age or the outfit of a subversive infiltrator escaping across the border. It was an act of manslaughter that contained all the elements to convict the guard. Felani committed no reported crime during her stay in New Delhi; she was a free girl, free to go home-not a criminal fleeing a crime. Friendship is all about Felanis and how they are treated.
Opinion - Friendship That Won’t Bloom
Bangladeshi author begs India to legalize trespassing illegal Bangladeshis and the basis of relationship of 2 countries depend on how one country treats the illegal immigrants from Bangladesh!
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