Chinese Friendship : No Ghouls Will Fly over Bangladesh

Mohammad Zainal Abedin : The recent visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping opens a new era in Sino-Bangladesh relation. China agreed to provide $ 24.45 billion as loan to and investment in Bangladesh. Both the countries signed 27 deals what will boost Bangladesh economy, alongside its infrastructures other than cementing further its foundation of independence and sovereignty. It is strongly believed that such a big deal unveils solid relation and mutual trust between the two countries, which will go a long way to influence the regional and international politics. In the joint communiqué the MOUs and treaties were termed as symbols of “comprehensive and strategic partnership of cooperation” and portrayed the upcoming “2017” as the “year of friendship”.  The far-reaching impact of the deals and the renewed relation between Bangladesh and China is comprehendible from the displeasure expressed by different Indian circles. Hostile, even defamatory and undesirable comments and reactions were poured in Indian media.

Sino-Bangladesh deals on huge loan and investment annoyed Dhrubo Joti Sharma, a leader of a regional party ‘Asom Gana Parishad’, so much that he in an interview with a Dhaka-based daily ‘Aorthronitee’ threatened PM Sheikh Hasina as saying,  “Bangladesh PM stepped into the trap of China. …… It is her political imprudence.   ……..  She will have to compensate for it.” According to Sharma, despite having relation with India developing closeness with China is contradictory to subcontinental geopolitics.”

Volumes of series will be needed to document India’s treacherous friendship and its mischief with Bangladesh. I don’t opt to uncover in this column the ugly sides of Indo-Bangladesh relation. However, I should say, Sharma’s comments were directed to get blessings from his New Delhi masters, but they rouse shame for him, as he is under India and is not as independent as the Bangladeshis are. This situation was created as Bangladesh imprudently and injudiciously awarded everything to India whatever India sought. Such inappropriate donations to India made the Indians to think that Bangladesh is no longer an independent, rather a subservient, at best a half-independent country, whose sovereign authority is under India custody and hence has no right to enter into any deal with China. We are to reverse the situation, so that the mentality of Sharmas’ is changed. They are needed to be realized that Bangladesh is an independent and sovereign country as well as India. China-Bangladesh deal was the latest signal what perhaps opened their eyes, at least to some extent, to realize the reality.

The independence and the sovereignty of Bangladesh are undermined if any circle directly or indirectly objects signing of any treaty with another country, whether it is China or America or Japan. It is Sharma’s unrealistic argument that having friendship with India, Bangladesh shouldn’t enter into any deal side by side with China. It is a sheer interference on our foreign policy as well as sovereign authority. All of us are needed to be cautious so that none can insult us in anyway. t It is the duty of all of us, particularly the government, to take firm step to develop closer relation with China so that humiliating idea is removed from the psyche of Sharmas.

Sharmas bid to look at us through the prism of slavery as they are not as independent as we are. So they became irritated and annoyed seeing the Sino-Bangladesh deal and close friendship as well. Sharma wouldn’t have reacted in such way, if Assam was independent as Bangladesh is, rather he might have welcomed it. The outlook of half-independent Sharma and that of ours couldn’t be identical.

By admonishing Bangladesh Prime, Minister Sharma virtually bid to degrade the independence and sovereignty of Bangladesh that hurt and shook our spirit of nationalism and patriotism. We have the right to decide to engage in any pattern of deal with China whether it is commercial or financial, or even military one. I have every belief it (military pact) will surely be singed in course of time. If, Bangladesh could sign varieties of deals with India why it cannot do the same with China. We have that authority. It is not our responsibility to look into what type of relations India and China have. Our foreign policies are not framed to oversee who is whose friend or foe? Our regional and international relations will be determined considering our far-reaching interest and national security. Our relations with America, China, Russia or India are based on our national interest. It matters little what type of relations these countries maintain with India. India’s deteriorating relation with China doesn’t mean Bangladesh will also create animosity with India or won’t enter into any deal with China or won’t welcome any Chinese assistance. India has varieties, even military, treaties with America, Russia and China. So Indians shouldn’t raise question against our close relations with anyone of these countries. Such attitude is a gross violation of international norm and even equivalent to poking nose into our affairs what is tantamount to defame our sovereign authority. If such behavior continues, we are to revise and review our relation with India. We are to come to this conclusion that India designs to keep us within its fold or sphere of influence, wants to treat with us as good as those of its any provinces, what under any circumstances, we will never accept or tolerate.

Analyzing the patterns of anger, condemnation, or agitated reaction of the Indians centering the Sino-Bangladesh closer ties, Bangladesh should seek Indian clarification of reacting that way. India must acknowledge in practice, not in words, that Bangladesh is an independent sovereign country. Our friendship with India doesn’t mean we will not be able to develop same relation with any other country without India’s permission or beyond its foreign policy. It doesn’t refer to friendship, rather indicates to slavery. Such attitude denies our independence and sovereignty. Sovereignty means authority of planning internal and external policies and principles and their implementation without external pressure or prescription. Despite maintaining friendly relation with India, Bangladesh has the authority to develop friendship with any country whether it is China, or America. Due to this authority Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib ignoring India’s intention asked India in 1972 to withdraw its troops from Bangladesh.   He enjoying the same power, without consulting with India, participated at the OIC Summit held in Lahore of Pakistan in 1974 what was contrary to India’s foreign policy. Sheikh Hasina also applying the same authority signed deals with China and India doesn’t have any logical reason to be annoyed by them.

India exercising its undue and undesirable lordship, under the cover of fake friendship, irritates and intimidates all of its neighboring countries that prompt them to develop close relations with others. India verbally recognizes its neighbors as equal in status, but somehow denies the same in practice. To turn the neighboring countries to vassal states India recruited agents and created terrorists in all of its neighboring countries to destabilize, even to disintegrate them. Above all, India exploits every country, except China, surrounding it. India, despite a poor country, bids to dictate and interfere in the internal affairs of its neighbors availing its geographical magnanimity and military might. Indian policymakers possess a horrendous dream of creating Mahabharat occupying India’s neighbors, what will cause serious bloodshed in the South Asian region.

India needs to be tolerant enough to honor and acknowledge the existence and territorial integrity of its smaller neighbors. There are many smaller countries in the world bordering the mega-sized nations. China, a front-ranking economic power in the world, borders 13 neighbors, includes smaller countries like Nepal, Bhutan, Vietnam, North Korea etc. China never declared that it dreams to create a ‘Great China’ merging any of its smaller country into it.

During the 20-year (from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975) long Vietnam’s liberation war against America China was its most reliable ally. China provided money, shelter, weapons, training, logistic and diplomatic support, even its armed forces to liberate Vietnam. There are hardly a couple of yards in Vietnam where which were not affected by American air attacks. That Vietnam, giving priority to its national interest, strongly leaned to America. Now America is the main development partner of Vietnam. Besides, sensing Sino-Indian discomfort relation, Vietnam developed friendly ties with India and allowed India to construct a deep seaport in the controversial South China Sea. Vietnam for its own interest pushed away China, a friend of its most crucial period in its history.

In 1971 India helped us for nine months. Using this excuse India now designs to enslave us by swallowing our territory.  Sharma in his interview reminded Bangladesh saying, “Bangladesh is to remember: only India is its real friend.” Sharma obviously knows what type of friend is India for Bangladesh and how notoriously it deals with Bangladesh and how Vietnam behaves with China — its onetime real friend.

I don’t like to expose in this column the awesome ugly aspects of Indian friendship with Bangladesh. Does such friendship mean that we will not be able to develop friendship with any other country? Why friendly relations can’t be developed with China maintaining the same with India? Does Sharma considers Bangladesh as an Indian ‘kept woman’? A ‘kept woman’ is bound to allow some male person without proper marriage to have illegal physical relations with her throughout her life. Should Bangladesh remain loyal to India in the same manner without securing its interest and serve for Indian ones (interests)? Bangladesh is a nation-state. A nation refers neither to a man nor a woman. A nation is an abstract entity and objectively impersonal. Why the Sharmas can’t comprehend this reality? The submissiveness of any government, for any reason, to India doesn’t mean subordination. It mustn’t mean that Bangladesh has been sold out to India. No individual, irrespective of his/her position or power, possesses the right to sell out his/her country. It (submissiveness) may, at best, be one kind of diplomacy.

The diplomacy of any country is, as if, a game of chess. Like chess the pawn of diplomacy should not be confined to a single country. The diplomatic pawn of a nation should be moved hither and thither suiting its interest. Bangladesh did so, and this trend will continue for centuries to come, whether India consumes it or not.

The audacious intimidation uttered from different circles of Indians not only exposes their shamelessness, but also uncover their severe anti-Bangladesh intrigues. The current and the future policymakers of Bangladesh will have to carefully deal with India. It wouldn’t be wise on their part to   consider India as a sincere and harmless or devoted friend of Bangladesh. India is not a trustworthy neighbor. On the other hand, Indians publicly propagate that they will form a ‘Mohabharat’ comprising Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka. Bangladesh, along with these countries, is to deter and frustrate their cherished utopian dream. They even claim that Bangladesh is theirs. Taking all these issues into consideration Bangladesh is to review all the treaties, agreements, and MOUs signed so far with India and amend, or void, or at least keep them inactive or unimplemented that deem to be contrary to our national interest and security.

Bangladesh should seek the intervention and cooperation of all the international forums, including UN, against the damages that India causes to Bangladesh by depriving from the waters of the international rivers; killing our people in the border; let loosing smugglers and surrogates to destruct our economy. Initiative will have to be taken to develop proactive relations with those distant and nearby nations that believe in the separate identity and existence of Bangladesh and are not harmful to our independence and sovereignty. Closer and wider ranges of treaties should be signed with China and other countries. Construction of the most-delayed, but desired China-Bangladesh road and railway links via Myanmar need to be activated and pushed forward on an emergency basis. It needs to be clarified to China why Bangladesh doesn’t prefer such link through the detoured mountainous regions of India. That route will be most expensive, time-consuming and dangerous as the region is frequently rocked by the pro-liberation guerrillas, who are active in all the Seven Sisters. Besides, it is beyond our strategic and national interest.  Bangladesh must not concede to Indian pressure in this respect, as India’s prescribed route technically denies our separate existence. We cannot act upon, according to Indian prescription suiting its interest, even on the face of Indian threat. We are to go forward with courage.

We have to keep it in mind that the main goal of India is to delete our existence by annexing our country to India. We need such friends who don’t design to make us a part of their country. We need to develop close relations with any country whether it is China, America, or Russia. The recent treaties signed with China will strengthen our independence and sovereignty, if the government can aptly handle the opportunity, which was opened due to the recent deals. India’s anger and displeasure manifest that truth, otherwise why should India react in a negative way. It means, such treaty is a deterrent to India’s hegemonic blueprint that made them angry. This treaty will deter the ghouls and they will no longer dare to fly over our sky.

Friendship with China should get top priority. By remaining absorbed in Indian friendship and setting aside our allies around the world we will not be able to safeguard our country, as Sikkim couldn’t do that what allowed India to merge it to India. (The contributor: A journalist & researcher, NY. Email: [email protected])