Will Salman Khurshid’s visit pave the way for better ties?

Zaglul Ahmed Chowdhury

Indian external affairs minister Salman Kurshid has just wrapped up a two-day visit to Bangladesh – his first in the present capacity since he took over the key portfolio a few months ago. He has been catapulted to the present position from another important ministry – law – following the exit of an ageing S. M. Krishna for making ways for the relatively younger politicians. Salman Kurshid is an important politician in the Congress party, which heads a rainbow coalition titled ‘United Progressive Alliance’ (UPA). Salman along with senior politician Pranab Kumar Mukherjee and some other influential ministers belong to a group that enjoys the confidence of Congress and UPA supremo Sonia Gandhi. Now that Pranab has been elevated to the largely ceremonial presidency of the Indian republic, Salman Kurshid is seen as an effective ‘trouble shooter’ for the government as well as Congress party. Apart from foreign affairs, he is inextricably associated with the pivotal issues of the party and the ruling alliance. His Bangladesh visit is designed to create better political environment for both the countries and Salman spared no efforts in that direction.

His visit to Bangladesh has been timed in a manner that itself warrants importance since it can not be viewed as a ‘routine’ exercise. His talks with the Bangladesh leaders – ranging from the prime minister Sheikh Hasina to his counterpart Dr. Dipu Moni followed substantial talks the Indian foreign secretary Ranjan Mathai had recently here. Salman’s wide-ranging discussions with the Bangladesh government functionaries are a prelude to the much-vaunted visit of Indian president Pranab Mukherjee to this country early next month. The sequence of the visits from New Delhi is simply extra-ordinary for the simple reason that never before had three important visits taken place from India to Bangladesh within a span of hardly one month. Indeed, the timing of Salman’s Bangladesh sojourn has been exceptional as it followed his foreign secretary’s talks here and was being preceded by the all-important visit of the president. Here, it is also worth mentioning that Salman Kurshid also met leader of the opposition Begum Khaleda Zia – a practice New Delhi seems to be following at high level visits in recent times.

The Indian external affairs minister’s visit has certainly given a much-needed stimulation to the Indo-Bangladesh ties that are broadly quite cordial, but not without irritants and hiccups. It is a matter of common knowledge that when the Congress is in helm in India and the Awami League in the government in Bangladesh, the two countries seek to have best of the bilateral relations. The glorious background of 1971 serves as a catalyst for this factor even though ties among sovereign nations are largely determined by their respective national interests and policies. Unquestionably, the Dhaka-New Delhi relations are now fairly friendly with both sides responding to each other’s needs and requirements. However, an impression has crept up that probably Bangladesh is receiving the smaller slice of the cake as some critically important matters like the final settlement of the 1974 Indira-Mujib land boundary agreement and accord on Teesta water-sharing have not been accomplished so far. Issues like the occasional unfriendly actions along the frontier by the Indian border guards and yawning trade gap are also in the list. India too has its agenda like the transit and transfer of more Indian ‘secessionists; figures from Bangladesh.

Salman Kurshid has assured that unresolved issues would be settled as soon as possible. He has been specific about the land boundary accord, expecting that the Indian parliament would ratify it shortly as the cabinet has already okayed it. Well, the role of the opposition parties like the BJP is important here and it remains to be seen whether the government would be able to take them on the board for the purpose. Settlement of the issue brooks no further delay and New Delhi needs to fulfill the long-delayed commitment. On Teesta water-sharing, Salman was somewhat ambiguous and probably, he can not be fully faulted for this. For, the matter needs the support of Paschimbangla’s mercurial chief minister Mamata Banerjee, who blows hot and cold on the Teesta water accord. She is known to be against the accord in the manner New Delhi and Dhaka want to ink it, alleging that it would affect the interests of her state. At the same breath, she also speaks on the need for ‘friendship’ with Bangladesh. The accord was to be clinched when Indian prime minister Dr. Manmohan Singh was in Bangladesh, but Mamata’s stance scuttled the scheduled signing of the agreement that Bangladesh is longing impatiently for justified reasons. But the bottom line is that Bangladesh deals with India and it is imperative that New Delhi government makes sufficient maneuvering with the chief minister of one of its states so that the subject no longer remains within the parameter of ‘expectations’. It is plausible to think that the Indian government would try its best to reach the Teesta accord and land boundary agreement since failure of these may impact negatively in the coming elections for the ruling Awami league. However, Salman Kurshid has emphatically said that his country would maintain good and cooperative ties with a neighbour like Bangladesh regardless of which party is in power in Dhaka. He has echoed the policy that was also stated by Pranab Mukherjee in Dhaka during his last visit as the finance minister of his country.

Salman’s discussions here covered wide areas of bilateral, regional and international issues of common concern. Definitely, the visit has achieved things that offer good omen for further promoting the bilateral ties. However, issues like the Teesta accord and the land boundary that are very important for Bangladesh. With the first Bengalee Indian president known for his soft corner for Bangladesh and nitty-gritty knowledge on Dhaka-New Delhi matters, an external affairs minister, seen as favouring good ties especially with small neighbours and a high commissioner in Dhaka, who is well-versed with relevant issues and an old friend of Bangladesh, things that appear to be somewhat intractable – should find easier solutions for the sake of truly cordial friendship.

Source: Financial Express