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After the anti-Indian upsurge in Nepal, it was now the turn of Bangladesh to
give file Indian expansionists a good slap in the face. While the Indian rulers
sought to confuse the issue through a systematic disinformation campaign: the
acute contradictions within themselves helped bring out the truth.
The events of mid-April centred around a tiny Khasi village of 20 families
situated near the Meghalaya-Bangladesh border. Village Pyrdiwah (Padua to the
Bangladeshi) belongs to Bangladesh but is in "adverse possession" of
India. There is a BSF outpost stationed here.
On the night of April 15, 700 Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) men suddenly surrounded
the outpost and held the 20 BSF men hostage. Not a shot was fired. They dug
trenches and evicted the villagers. Neither file BSF's G Branch, responsible for
intelligence, nor a RAW operative stationed at Dawki, 3 kms away, had any
inkling of the BDR plan. The siege of the BSF continued and was not lifted even
after a flag meeting, held two days later.
As the BSF men remained trapped in Pyrdiwah, reports began coming in of BDR
reinforcements amassing at the border and of the Bangladesh army being put on
alert. The home ministry at Delhi. felt that something drastic had to be done to
break the deadlock. The BSF troops were instructed to patrol the border areas
intensively and a plan was drawn up to seize a Bangladeshi outpost 300 kms away
in order to bargain the release of the Pyrdiwall outpost.
The plan to attack Boraibari was drawn up: two companies of BSF personnel were
hastily requisitioned to assist the one company posted opposite Boraibari: and
BSF's deputy commandant, B.R. Mondal, was asked to lead the charge.
On the morning of April 18, the 3 company strong force marched across the border
into Bangladesh. They moved toward Boraibari without facing any resistance. Smug
with their easy success, they continued their march forward well into
Bangladeshi territory. Then suddenly, as out of nowhere, a thousand frenzied
villagers emerged out of the bushes, backed by BDR forces, and ambushed the BSF
companies. Taken by surprise, the BSF panicked, terror-stricken they fled madly
towards the border. In the process the cowardly BSF abandoned 18 of their men.
16 were captured, while two escaped. Years of pent up anger and hatred against
the BSF resulted in the brutal mutilation of these fascist dogs. The photo
flashed across the country, of a BSF jawan being carried by villagers tied to a
pole like a dead pig, displays the extent of their hate, which has resulted in
much humiliation of the BSF forces.
It is primarily this hatred for the BSF amongst villagers on both sides of the
border that resulted in the fiasco at Boraibari. It was the villagers on the
Indian side who leaked the information to their counter-parts across the border.
The BSF after all, is a thoroughly discredited force in the entire North East,
known for its terror and brutalities. They freely indulge in murder, rape and
loot. They actively involve in smuggling along the borders. In fact, just a few
days earlier, four traders captured by the BSF in Manipur “disappeared". This
event occurred in Churachandpur district, where the BSF had launched a major
offensive against the Manipuri People's Liberation Army. Now, the Manipur
Human Rights Commission has ordered the DIG of Police to locate these people.
With such kind of actions it is no wonder the people wrecked vengeance on the
BSF
Now, to hide the reality of the fiasco at Boraibari the BSF and
government repeat numerous falsehoods. The officials are making all attempts to
obliterate the trail of events. The usual tricks — destroying paper records,
sealing lips and transferring people around — are on. The two who escaped are
mysteriously hidden from view, and the media have been propagating that it was
only 2010 40 personnel who entered Bangladesh.
BSF Demoralisation
Though the BSF comes under the home ministry, Advani has not issued a single
statement on the events. The ministry, has sought to put the blame on local BSF
officials pretending it was not party to the plans. This is vehemently denied by
the BSF. Much of these accusations are being aired ii) the public media adding
to the demoralisation
Besides, the callous attitude of the BSF officials and government towards their
ordinary jawans has come out sharply. The home secretary and GOC (eastern
command) has not even visited the places where the incident occurred. Not only
were 16 of their brethren abandoned in the battle field: their bodies, instead
of being handed over to their relatives, were hastily cremated at Tura. At their
cremation not a single minister or senior official was present. While the bodies
were handed over by the BDR on April 20, the ministry of home affairs reacted
only on April 22.
Not surprisingly, an ex-BSF director general, Prakash Singh, charged the
government with letting down the para-military forces and “compromising
national honour.” He added that with such callousness the entire force can
get demoralised.
Besides, these events have come on top of the Tehelka exposures, which has
already led to some level of demoralisation in the army. The jawans begin to
think that while they are being killed in the battle field, their own officers
and Defence officials are busy making crores in underhand arms deals.
Facts behind Pyrdiwah
A border agreement between the two countries prevents “defensive
Constructions", including roads, in areas “under adverse possession”
(a diplomatic term for "occupied territory"). Yet the BSF began constructing a
footpath in this area, in total violation of the agreement.
Nearly a year ago, the Bangladesh Rifles had asked the BSF to dismantle the
footpath in Padua. The issue was first, raised last June through a letter
between the security personnel of the two sides. A month later, it was again
referred to by the BDR during a flag meeting. There was still no response. After
a few months the BDR asked BSF to stop work and get back with a response by
March 15. On April 15, when reports crossed the border that the footpath had
been completed, the BDR stormed the area.
The BSF eventually tore down the footpath. Though there was no violence in
Pyrdiwah, the situation spun out of control a few days later when 300 BSF
aggressed into Bangladesh in Boraibari.
In both the incidents the Indian government and BSF are clearly in the wrong.
Instead of admitting the mistakes, they have sought to cover lip by spinning
numerous fake stories, giving the impression that it has been a Bangladeshi
aggression.
First they propagated the standard ISI plot theory. Then they propagated it was
a BNP ruse to embarrass Sheikh Hasina in the run-up to the coming elections.
Then they floated the story that it was a plot by the "pro-Pakistan" BDR chief,
Rahaman, without knowledge of the government. Finally, when none of these
stories could stick, they began saying that due to widespread anti-India
sentiments in Bangladesh. Sheikh Hasina needed such an event, in order to win
the coming elections (due in July).
While the spin-doctors have been over-active, nowhere has the Indian government
admitted that it was wrong to have built that footpath at Pyrdiwah, and, that it
was wrong to have aggressed into Bangladesh at Boraibari !!
Indian Expansionism's Dadagiri
The reactions of the Indian politicians to the events show the arrogance of the
Indian expansionists. Jaswant Singh, the foreign minister and acting defence
minister, accused the BDR of "intruding" into Pyrdiwah, even
though maps in possession of Dhaka and Delhi show Pyrdiwah as Bangladesh's, but
in "adverse possession of India." He further thundered that the attack
was "unprovoked and unwarranted” and that "criminal adventurism is a
crime.” He threatened in big-bully style, that “India will not accept
defilement of men in uniform. We will not take it lightly.”
The Shiv Sena MP, with even greater arrogance stated that “small countries
which owe their very existence to India are now threatening our sovereignty.”
The Bajrang Dal convenor, Jain, demanded that Bangladesh be "taught a lesson
for its misdeeds"; while the VHP president, Dalmiya, led a demonstration
outside the Bangladesh High Commission and burnt an effigy of Sheikh Hasina.
Though no less expansionists, the other parties were more cautious in their
reactions, terrified that if the government of Bangladesh passes in to the hands
of anti-India forces in the elections, it may once again become a hot-bed for
support of North East insurgencies. In fact, India's dadagiri is not just around
this one event, it is in the entire relations between the two countries.
Take the border dispute, a legacy of the British. To resolve this issue (of the
4,100 km border 40.6 kin was undemarcated due to topographical difficulties and
6.5 km was disputed) an Accord was signed in 1974 between Indira Gandhi and
Sheikh Mujib Rahaman. Bangladesh immediately ratified it, and brought into
effect all the necessary constitutional amendments for implementing it.
Till today India has not ratified it! One of the important provisions was
the return of the Berubari enclave to India in return for the Bangladeshi
enclaves of Angarpota and Dehagram and a corridor to access them. While Berubari
was returned to India within months of the Accord, India took more than 25 years
to give Bangladesh a limited-access corridor.
What is more, since the last few years, the BSF has been aggressively
maintaining the 'sanctity' of the border, and the Bangladesh government has been
strongly representing against this in border meetings. In fact India has
consciously ignored Bangladesh's complaints during the past two years, when in
53 clashes 45 Bangladeshis, including 2 BDR men, have been killed. The Indian
casualties were less than 10. Dhaka, on several occasions, lodged protests with
the Indian government, summoned its high commissioner six times and demanded
compensation. India did not even regret the BSF action. The hue and cry over the
recent border incident is only because India suffered heavy casualties.
Besides, even in the initial days of liberation (1971) the widespread plunder
Indian soldiers resorted to horrified and alienated the people. And even before
the Bangladeshis could recover from the shock a new brand of robber barons, in
the form of Marwari Indian businessmen, flooded the local market with
substandard goods.
Take also the Farakka dam issue. For nearly two decades India wreaked havoc on
Bangladesh's economy and ecology by unilaterally withdrawing the Ganges water
and diverting it into the Hoogly through the Farakka dam in West Bengal. The
rationale was to flush accumulated silt at the Calcutta port. Bangladesh was
repeatedly assured that an equitable water-sharing treaty would be signed before
the dam became operational. The dam become operational in 1974, the treaty in
1996 !!
Again Nepal's access to Bangladesh's Mongla Port was denied for years. It has
now been allowed, but with restrictions.
Take even the sphere of trade relations. Eight years ago Bangladesh lowered its
tariff to a weighted average of 17% which for particular goods coming from India
amounted to 12%. In comparison. India's weighted tariff has only recently come
down to 25%. Instead of giving Bangladesh privileged treatment — being a far
weaker economy — India does not even provide the same facilities that Bangladesh
does. In addition, Bangladesh has removed practically all non-tariff barriers.
India imposes six types of non-tariff barriers on Bangladeshi goods. Today
Bangladesh is the single largest market for Indian goods outside the developed
world - comprising 6.5% of total export trade. The yearly exports, formal and
informal, amount to nearly $3 billion. Bangladesh has become a dumping ground
for Indian products, but prevents Bangladeshi goods into India. It is now even
desperate to rob Bangladesh's rich natural gas resources.
Such then is the history of Indo-Bangladesh relations.
Indian Rulers gets a tight slap in the face
Not only was India forced to tare down the footpath at Pyrdiwah, not only did it
get a bloody nose at Boraibari, but the BSF is a demoralised lot due to
accusations and counter-accusations between the home ministry and the BSF.
Inspite of its 'great' nuclear power and massive arms stockpile, the bully has
been forced to look on helplessly after getting a double slap in the faced for
its aggressive postures.
The Indian rulers then sought to make out that the Bangladesh government was
unaware of the events. This too was immediately rebuffed. Infact the military
slap in the face was followed by a series of political slaps which has left the
Indian expansionists reeling in dizziness.
The foreign secretary of Bangladesh, Syed Moazzem Ali publicly stated that the
BDR moved into Padua (Pyrdiwali to Indians) - the Bangladeshi village which the
BSF has kept under its control since 1971 - after the latter began constructing
a road to connect Padua with the Indian territory, violating international law,
which prohibits any construction within 150 metres of the zero line.
The Bangladesh foreign minister, Azad, stressed the need for the fill
implementation of the 1974 Mujib-Indira treaty to bring about a permanent
solution to all border problems.
Soon after these events the Indian media reported that Sheikh Hasina, while
returning from Europe, will visit India in May, and hold talks at the prime
ministerial level to diffuse the tensions. India also invited an official team
to Delhi for discussions. A few days later the Bangladesh government issued a
statement saying Sheikh Hasina will not be stopping over at Delhi. They also
stated that they have no intention to send an official team to Delhi, and if
India wants to have talks they can come to Dhaka.
But the biggest slap in the face for the Indian expansionists came barely a week
after the border events. Bangladesh conducted full scale naval exercises in the
Bay of Bengal with the Pakistan navy. Three Pakistani vessels and two
Bangladeshi ships were part of the joint exercises between the two countries,
conducted within Bangladesh's maritime boundaries. Also, to add insult to
injury, neither Bangladesh (which hosted the exercise) nor Pakistan, informed
India, as required by international convention. The three Pakistani vessels
sailed down the Arabian Sea, passed through Sri Lankan waters and up the Bay of
Ben gal without straying into Indian territorial waters. What has shocked the
Indian rulers even more is that these 3 vessels after finishing the exercises
sailed away toward Myanmar on April 26th evening. They were to conduct similar
exercises with the Myanmese navy
So, it appears, that the big bully of South Asia, stands increasingly isolated
in the sub-continent. Its paralysis, even after receiving repeated slaps from
Bangladesh, shows it is a giant with feet of clay. Its huge stock of weaponry
and massive armed forces are, infact, mere paper tigers in the face of the
continued opposition of the entire South Asian people, including those of India.
Today, not only in the North East and Kashmir, but more and more people
throughout the country are coming out in opposition to Indian expansionism. The
big nation chauvinism, whipped up by the Indian ruling classes, is beginning to
sound increasingly hollow, even though their drum-beaters make frantic noise.
Today, there is great need for the entire people of South Asia to unite, to
fight Indian expansionism. In this battle, the Indian people must play a leading
role and actively oppose all forms of hegemony, arm twisting, bullying by the
Indian expansionists on the neighbouring countries and the nationality
movements. Indian expansionism is the major bulwark of reaction in the region.
The people of South Asia, including the Indian people, can never breathe the
fresh air of freedom as long as it exists. Ii must be smashed completely and
thoroughly, so that relations between the countries and people of the region can
be re-built on the basis of genuine equality, mutual trust and lasting
friendship.
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