It is a pity that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s two-day visit to Bangladesh, beginning Tuesday, which otherwise has the makings of a point of departure, may just get marred on account of insufficient domestic political sensitivity shown by New Delhi, unless last-minute repair work by the Centre can meet the justified concerns of West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee. The chief minister appears to have declined at the last minute to be a part of the team of five chief ministers accompanying Dr Singh to mark a pathbreaking occasion in relations between the two countries.
Ms Banerjee is said to be disturbed that India has agreed on a formula to share the waters of the Teesta river with Bangladesh without factoring in the preference of West Bengal, the Indian state most affected by the sharing formula that has been advanced by India. The Trinamul Congress president, a significant UPA-2 ally, is reportedly unhappy with New Delhi for agreeing on a 50:50 allocation for the neighbouring country. It is argued that such a division prejudices the interests of several North Bengal districts, in which popular anger could break out. This is a part of the state where Ms Banerjee’s base is not as solid as elsewhere. New Delhi has given indications that it would eventually not make an agreement with which West Bengal is dissatisfied. With hardly any time left for the visit to begin, it is not clear what remedial steps are at hand.
But for this unhappy aspect, the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Dhaka in 12 years is geared to set the stage for a qualitative change in bilateral relations. Under a framework agreement, it envisages the resolution of the long-pending boundary issue by ending the regime of “adverse possession” of enclaves by the two countries, the offering of customs duty relief to Bangladesh trade that has long been an irritant, a broad opening up of trade and transit to facilitate business and people-to-people contacts, and providing for the use of Chittagong and Mongla ports by India.
The changed mood in India toward Bangladesh began with the visit of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wajed to New Delhi in January 2010, during which far-reaching changes were envisioned, underpinned by an impressive line of credit not extended by India to any other country. This was followed up in quick order by the government in Dhaka seeking to checkmate anti-India Islamist and other terrorist outfits on its soil. The effort marks a new turn in subcontinental politics, and underlines the contrast with our Pakistan equation. New Delhi must do all it can to bring Kolkata on board when the prospects otherwise look so good.