'Social division in Bangladesh will affect India too'

  • Ashraful Islam, Planning Editor, Barta24.com
  • |
  • Font increase
  • Font Decrease

Photo: Vivekananda International Foundation, senior fellow of Delhi-based think tank Professor Dr. Sreeradha Datta

Photo: Vivekananda International Foundation, senior fellow of Delhi-based think tank Professor Dr. Sreeradha Datta

Vivekananda International Foundation, senior fellow of Delhi-based think tank Professor Dr. Sreeradha Datta thinks that social division will have a negative impact on India due to the unprecedented vandalism and large number of casualties in Bangladesh recently surrounding the quota reform movement. She also mentioned that the government needs to pay attention to the people's wishes without inciting this division.

In an exclusive interview given to Barta24.com on Monday evening over telephone Dr. Sri Radha Dutta said this. Planning Editor Ashraful Islam spoke with Dr. Datta.

বিজ্ঞাপন

Barta24.com: How is India seeing the recent events in Bangladesh?

Dr. Sreeradha Datta: Although the official reaction has not yet said anything significant. But I can say that neither Delhi is happy nor Dhaka is happy because of her (West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee) suddenly increasing his words. It is not that those for whom she said it wanted it or were happy. So it is strange. It is not the case that she is assuring the students that there will be no benefit to them.

Barta24.com: The movement has also seen anti-India sentiments. What effect can it have on existing bilateral relations?

Dr. Sreeradha Datta: I think Delhi and Dhaka will try to maintain their strong relationship. But here will catch a break. Because what happened can never be exposed in any way, right? There is no place to hide it. No matter how officially it is said, I think Delhi might not pass it around as an internal matter. But regardless of the government's position, no one should have support in the matter in the long run. Everyone thinks that if India is silent, it means that it is getting support. Government to government is another matter. But if we think about the people, the people of Bangladesh will definitely expect...those with whom we have such a close relationship, they will also stand by us. India will not just stand by the government. There may be a difference here.

Barta24.com: An increase in extremists was also seen this time. Analysts are evaluating that the political weakness has become clear. They feel that this rise is because the political parties have not addressed it properly. How do you evaluate?

Dr. Sreeradha Datta: What we knew or thought - in Bangladesh may not be over, but the place of extremism has reduced a lot. But this time I saw a horrible form. There may be many arguments for this but it is understood that there is this element in Bangladesh from which the country has not yet come out though now the entire narrative is turned on them. The government has forgotten its responsibility and is now talking about extremists. What can I say; this is the line of convenience. I am not bothering about the original problem now...the opposition is doing it along the lines of the anti-government narrative..Everyone is forgetting the real thing. A terrible side appeared. It is not understood who did how much, how much the government’s hand was. I was listening to some debates, the talk about the data center, the students left at 5 o'clock, it happened at 7 o'clock. That means the students had no hand here. Does that mean the government has no intelligence? The government did not know what was happening.

Barta24.com: Logically, the desire for good governance must be in people's minds. But the common enemy of Bangladesh and India is the extremist group, against which the two countries have been fighting together for a long time. How do you see the political weakness of Bangladesh's rulers in not understanding that the group can raise its head again?

Dr. Sreeradha Datta: I think it is an intelligence failure, lack of governance. A fatal incident has occurred. But the real truth is that the security forces could not stop these groups. It is definitely a failure of the governments. It happened despite the presence of government security forces, what does that mean? Surely the effect is coming on everyone.

Barta24.com: A form of social division in Bangladesh has become evident through these student protests. How desirable is this split?

Dr. Sreeradha Datta: From what I understand, what has happened now is that those who claim independence are on one side and the rest are on the other. It's not right. Not everyone is a rascal. These children are not like that at all. Now the meaning of liberation is decreasing, they need jobs. Those who don't know the story of independence, they are rascals - it is very bad to think. Awami League members have developed the matter in this way. Politics is dividing society strangely; it is not right at all.

Barta24.com: Will India give any positive advice to its friendly country?

Dr. Sreeradha Datta: I don't know, haven't seen anything like that yet. Maybe there is talk inside. I must think that those who are so friendly with me in the country next to me, if something like this happens there, it will have an effect on me. As it happened, nothing good happened. Everyone should be aware of that. Assuming that the incident has occurred, what should be done now is that there should be an impact on the neighborhood. I don't know what the government will do, but I will say from the intellectual community, it is very sad to divide the society. Its impact will also fall on India. We have to think about it, think about it. The matter could have been done in a different way than this—perhaps we should have done it.

Barta24.com: Can Bangladesh learn from India to build an inclusive society?

Dr. Sreeradha Datta: Let me give a slightly different example that you look at the farmers in India what happened to the movement... the government had to change its policy. If it is considered without looking at people's lives, then it will have an impact. Since India has a federal system, some problems can be solved by states. Delhi does not see everything. It is an advantage for us. But yours is not there. The state must think and understand; what do the people there want? No one is saying that what the students deed was wrong. We know the consequences of the state's reaction. Government should keep an eye on all sides. It's not one-sided anymore, is it? How long can a position are held with energy? Some days can be drawn. But no one can survive without public support.