Mohammad Zainal Abedin writes from USA

Indian media terms the so-called ‘Moitree Train’ as ‘Friendship Bridge,’ that started plying between Dhaka and Kolkata on Pahela Boishak, February 14, 2008 between India and Bangladesh. But for obvious reasons Indian media did not explain how India is a friend of Bangladesh. Those who claim or preach that a friendly relation between India and Bangladesh prevails, they only lie and bury the
truth.

Neither India nor its Bangladeshi paid agents that include
politicians, intellectuals, academicians, journalists, cultural
activists, bureaucrats, etc., will ever be able to cite even an example justifying that India is a friend of Bangladesh. They frequently refer to Indian assistance to our war of liberation in 1971. But India’s plunder after December 16 and subsequent behaviour and anti-Bangladesh policies and designs marred and buried India’s that contribution. On the other hand, it is now an established truth that India helped us for India’s sake to dismember and weaken powerful Muslim country -- Pakistan and dominate, if possible occupy, its segregated portion what is now
known as Bangladesh. India’s overt and covert designs and anti-Bangladesh policies prove that it helped us not to allow our country remain as an independent sovereign strong country.

Historically India cannot be a trusted friend of Bangladesh, as it does not believe in the existence of Bangladesh. India is determined to revive so-called ‘Awkhand Bharat’ wiping out the maps of Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, even Afghanistan. To implement that dream India considers Bangladesh as a soft target, as it is surrounded by India almost from all sides.

Besides, most of its freedom fighters, politicians, intellectuals, academicians, journalists, cultural activists, bureaucrats, etc. are easily purchasable. India has already purchased many of them who serve and will serve as its ‘most obedient slaves’, whose blind support for India makes India encouraged and desperate to purchase
more tentacles. Using these stooges India eats up Bangladesh from inside. If India were a real friend and honest and unharmed neighbour, it would never have undertaken so many overt and covert anti-Bangladesh policies.

Besides, India’s blockade of water and determination to deprive Bangladesh of the legitimate share of waters of the international rivers, border aggression, pushing its nationals to Bangladesh territory, occupation of Bangladeshi territories, subversive activities inside Bangladesh , smuggling and monopoly business,
anti-Bangladesh propaganda, prove that it is not a friend of Bangladesh.

The most awesome design that India tries to implement is to disintegrate Bangladesh. It instigated, sheltered, financed, trained and armed the Chakma terrorists of Chittagong Hill Tracts to wage a pro-longed guerrilla war to segregate the region from Bangladesh. The effort is still in existence though Bangladesh signed a peace treaty favouring the Chakma terrorists.

The most recent threat and challenge that India threw to Bangladesh are the demand and declaration made by the Indian citizens, under the banner of ‘Nikhil Banga Nagarik Sangha’ to create a so-called ‘Naya Bangla’ a Hinduland, inside Bangladesh. These agents brought out a procession in Kolkata, marched along the streets of the city chanting anti-Bangladesh slogans demanding the creation of a Hinduland inside Bangladesh comprising its one-forth territory.

Indian police arrested neither of them. These terrorists even on April 14 detained the so-called ‘Moitree Train’ from Kolkata for hours near Gedha station. This time also police remained mum. The activists of ‘Nagarik Sangha’ blockading the train chanted anti-Bangladesh slogans. How a friendly country, if India were really so, could allow its citizens to hold such anti-Bangladesh demonstration and rally? These Indian nationals couldn’t have done
all these, if they don’t have enjoed Indian government’s blessing and support. How the orgnaisers of such anti-Bangladesh demonstration and rally remained unarrested and unpunished?

To deprive Bangladesh of economic benefits India does not provide transit facilities to landlocked Nepal and Bhutan to ease their international business through Bangladeshi ports. But India puts relentless pressure on Bangladesh to provide corridor to India to connect its northeastern States through Bangladesh though India got
the facilities in 1947 through Silighuri chicken-neck.

India cannot prove that it is a friend of Bangladesh. Those who claim and propagate that India and Bangladesh are friendly countries, they simply lie and burry the truth and reality and they do so to cover the ugly face of India. So how the train or trains, which started plying between Kolkata and Dhaka, could be branded as ‘Moitree Train’ or ‘Friendship Bridge’? This train will be used to squeeze and weaken Bangladesh further. India has already demanded to provide her Kolkata-Agartala, Birol-Parbateepur,
Akhaura-Gwauhati-Akayra, Agartala- via-Chittagong rail transit and even Chittgong port. So this train service will one day prove poisonous and suicidal for Bangladesh. This train service will one be used as an excuse to deploy Indian army in Bangladesh who will never be withdrawn.

Our policymakers should have got lesson from Dhaka-Kolkata bus service, how that service was extended upto Agartala and how the Indian got road transit from Kolkata to Agartala without signing any transit treaty. But what we got from it, virtually nothing.

This is the way how India befools our policymakers. Our
policymakers, mainly for their immediate personal interest, sell out our strategic keys one after another to India that will ultimately make Bangladesh an Indian colony or its territory. The present government if by providing concessions makes our independence and sovereignty weak and fragile future governments will not be able to protect its territory when India will come forward with its expansionist paw uncovering its real face.*
(Mohammad Zainal Abedin is a Bangladeshi researcher & journalist.)