THERE has been a gradual development of anti-India sentiments among the people of Bangladesh since the beginning of 21st century. With the passage of time, these anti-India sentiments have been converted into the “India Out Campaign”. This campaign aims for India to stop interfering into the internal affairs of Bangladesh. Indeed, India was instrumental in the creation of Bangladesh in 1971. Thereafter, India constantly managed domestic and external policies of Bangladesh in its favour despite political resistance from some political forces of the country. As per Bangladeshi media, “The India Out Movement seeks global recognition of Bangladesh’s struggle against external manipulation, emphasizing its historical sentiments and the quest for self-determination”. Although the main opposition party of Bangladesh, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has been the architect of India Out Movement, however, there are new forces with massive participation of the people of the country joining this movement. The movement is gaining impetus and momentum with each passing day in almost all cities and towns of Bangladesh.
The rigged Bangladeshi Elections-2024 has further provoked the people of Bangladesh against the illegal Government of Sheikh Hasina Wajid and its Indian perpetrators. Human Rights Watch, whose representatives have closely monitored and observed the process of elections, has seriously criticized the pre-poll rigging and manipulation of elections on the day of conduct. This independent organization has called for an impartial probe of this election under a neutral Commission. As per Human Rights Watch, the allegations about elections included: (a) repeated attacks and arrests of the members of opposition parties and intimidation of voters, (b) massive rigging of the voting process both pre-poll and on the day of elections, and (c) partisan behaviour by Election Commission officials in the pre-election period and even on the day of election. Brad Adams, Director Human Rights Watch of Asia said, “The pre-election period was characterized by violence and intimidation against the opposition, attacks on opposition campaign events and the misuse of laws to limit free speech,” “Reports of ballot stuffing, intimidation of voters and ruling party control of voting locations on election day mean that an independent and impartial Commission should be formed to determine the extent of the violations.” It is very surprising that the ruling Awami League and its allies, including fared independent candidates who later joined the Ruling Party.
The birth of Bangladesh was marked by the exploitation of anti-Pakistan sentiments orchestrated by India. In a bid to create a new nation, India worked against the very concept of an Islamic state, undermining religious values and fostering ethnic pride. The love for Bengali language and culture was exaggerated, creating an identity crisis as West Bengal remained excluded from the newly formed Bangladesh. The scars of this manipulation continue to linger, sowing the seeds of discontent among the people. Today, as one political party tightens its grip through dictatorship and electoral rigging, the opposition asserts that it is violating the value of democracy. In Bangladesh, Awami League’s pro-India policies are questioned, especially as fellow Muslims face mistreatment, even lynching, at the hands of Hindu mobs in India. The opposition accuses India of never being a true friend to Bangladesh, manipulating its political landscape and elections. BNP has Islamic sentiments for Bangladesh but is facing problems of terrorism as every Muslim party in the world. People of Bangladesh say that India is not a friend of Bangladesh rather a hegemonic state, exploiting the state for its own gain.
Ever since 1947, India made all-out efforts to create its hegemony in South Asia through coercive means. In this regard, India conceived a long-term strategy of re-colonizing the regional states of South Asia through a gradual strategic plan. There were three broad contours of Indian regional hegemonic strategy: (i) creating political instability in the targeted state of South Asia, (ii) creating economic crisis in that state and (iii) creating conflicts, based on ethnicity, sub-nationalism or religion-based clashes. Indeed, as a successor state of British India, the Indian leadership assumed all the roles of former colonial masters. Pakistan is the only country which refused to accept the Indian strategy of overpowering South Asia through its hegemonic designs. The net result was its disintegration in 1971 by provoking ethnic factor and creating hate against the Federation of Pakistan through socio-political unrest in its Eastern Wing (former East Pakistan). Bangladesh faced Indian onslaught, immediately after 1971 and still unable to come out from Indian supremacy, despite a passage of fifty-three years. In these long years, Bangladesh has been an Indian colony, facing multiple constraints in the realization of its sovereignty and territorial integrity. As outlined by writer Kathryn Jacques, India totally dominates over the domestic and foreign policies of Bangladesh right from 1975. Indeed, the ‘turbulent political life and economic woes of Bangladesh’ are part of Indian regional dominance.
In the contemporary scenarios, India Out Movement in Bangladesh is gaining momentum owing to two prominent factors; (a) the rigged elections 2024 and (b) India out model of Maldives, where people elected President Mohamed Muizzu on his anti-India sentiments. The Maldives’ actions against India with a clear deadline for vacating the Island country by the Indian Military (Indian Navy) is rapidly being adopting by Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan and other South Asian and Southeast Asian States. Sovereignty and territorial integrity of Bhutan and Nepal have been constantly undermined by India for decades now. Time has reached where South Asian states must unite against the Indian neo-colonialism.
— The writer is Professor of Politics and IR at International Islamic University, Islamabad.
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views expressed are writer’s own.
