Sanjoy Hazarika is an Indian journalist, creator, filmmaker, and researcher famend for his work on disorders relating to Northeast India and its neighbouring areas.
From 2016 to 2022, he served as the Global Director of the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI), whereas he’s additionally the founder of the Centre for North East Analysis and Coverage Analysis. One of his most crucial books is Rites of Passage: Border Crossings, Imagined Homelands, India’s East and Bangladesh (2000).
Given the capability shifts in the connection between Bangladesh and India due to most modern political adjustments in Bangladesh, as well as ongoing disorders like border killings and flooding, The Industry Popular interviewed Hazarika to search out these severe matters in depth from an Indian’s level of view.
In light of basically the most modern adjustments in the political landscape of Bangladesh, what impact you foresee the device in which forward for the country’s relationship with India?
It depends on how each and each states negotiate, and it additionally depends on what Sheikh Hasina does – whether or no longer she goes in varied locations, leaving India, or no longer. I in fact be pleased heard Dr Muhammad Yunus announcing that India ought to send her lend a hand to Bangladesh to face trial. You know what that methodology.
But whether or no longer or no longer India ought to extradite her, let the downside near up formally first. I reflect India will simplest like to extradite her if there’s an assurance that she might be secure, and she might per chance per chance no longer be subjected to [political] revenge. India might be very reluctant at hand over Hasina in a scenario where she is no longer secure.
Dr Yunus mentioned just a few days ago that if Bangladesh remains unstable, West Bengal, Seven Sisters and Myanmar too will likely be affected. What impact you be pleased about it? Would possibly maybe well the political native weather in Bangladesh impact these areas, especially Northeast India?
If there’s instability in Bangladesh, it’s indeed a topic of downside for all its neighbours. So we hope for steadiness. I do know the steadiness is being restored and that conditions are enhancing.
We would positively no longer like to glance a return to the extinct days. In the earlier BNP regime below Khaleda Zia, there became as soon as beef as much as several underground groups in the Northeast, especially ULFA (United Liberation Entrance of Assam) etc. But Sheikh Hasina had stopped that. The total beef as much as the anti-India forces essentially essentially based mostly in Bangladesh became as soon as stopped.
So, we impact no longer want to glance a return to that. And I’m sure Dr Yunus, who I happen to take hang of somewhat, is deeply desirous about this, and I reflect he will must be pleased intended it in a elevated context.
Will the Indian central government glimpse to defend a friendly relationship with Bangladesh if both the BNP or Jamaat-e-Islami involves energy next?
It depends on the BNP and Jamaat. I’m sure the federal government of India is enormous ample to elongate a helping hand. But when BNP and Jamaat don’t want to play the game, then it is a varied downside.
Attain you be pleased the ongoing violence in Manipur has the capability to escalate into broader unrest, and ought to it additionally be pleased any impact on neighbouring worldwide locations, together with Bangladesh?
Essentially the most fascinating country on which it can be pleased an impact other than the the leisure of Northeast India is Myanmar, because there are shut ethnic links with of us at some level of the border, especially among the many Kukis, the tribal community in the hills, and additionally with the Mizos in the neighbouring disclose of Mizoram. As of now, it has been contained to Manipur.
But I reflect that it’s already been a yr and a half of, and the federal government is having a detect very, very inclined. It’s having a detect as if it is rarely in a position to manage with the scenario, at each and each the central and the disclose ranges. And so, there’s a risk no longer correct to regional security however additionally to national security if these conditions are no longer resolved. You are going to want a scenario of acute ethnic war between two sizable groups in a disclose, and there’s no longer one of these thing as a dialogue as of now.
We want to make certain that dialogue begins. Once dialogue begins, even when there’s confrontation going on, then the scenario can de-escalate, and can turn out to be better. But when there’s no dialog taking build between the combating groups, then it turns into extremely disturbing for the total space because Manipur has borders with Assam and Mizoram, as well as Nagaland.
Closing month, each and each Bangladesh and India experienced severe flooding. The duration in-between government of Bangladesh has accused India of causing the floods by releasing water from a dam in Tripura with out giving prior glimpse. Would possibly maybe well this downside potentially lead to a necessary diplomatic war between the 2 worldwide locations?
First, there ought to be an investigation into the reason for the flooding to resolve whether or no longer it resulted from exclusive or sudden rainfall, native weather change, or disorders linked to the dam. I’m no longer so sure [about the latter] because a style of of us in Tripura themselves were affected, and several other of us died in Tripura.
There must be a particular overview of what exactly went scary and that those findings ought to be made public actual in the course of the distance, in each and each India and Bangladesh.
Don’t you be pleased India don’t be pleased constructed any dam or barrage in the first build in the rivers flowing from India into Bangladesh?
There is an global convention concerning transboundary rivers, however it undoubtedly is simplest a convention and no longer legally binding just like the Law of the Sea.
And it is rarely correct India which is constructing dams. Dams are being in-built Tibet as well. So, you [Bangladeshis] be pleased to content the Chinese language, “please reside constructing the dams in Tibet.” India will listen in on you and discuss over with you, however are the Chinese language going to focus?
They are constructing 23 dams in Tibet or be pleased already constructed a style of. They are also planning one in every of basically the most fascinating dams in the sphere on the Yarlung Tsangpo River, where the sizable bend takes build and where the Brahmaputra River picks up a style of tempo and energy.
So in fact, these are multilateral disorders, no longer correct bilateral. And China has to be additionally suggested by Bangladesh that “your damming the rivers in Tibet is additionally affecting us, and it goes to be pleased an impact on India.”
Border killing is but every other gigantic downside. Even in the ongoing month, two Bangladeshi formative years had been killed alongside the Indo-Bangladesh borders, and the international adviser of our duration in-between government mentioned that this downside is a barrier to factual ties with India. What’s your steal on that? How can border killing be stopped?
There ought to no longer be dwell firing at the border, especially at civilians, whether or no longer it’s from Bangladesh or from India, I reflect that’s the first thing. You might no longer shoot to execute. You might per chance maybe narrate rubber bullets or narrate programs to persuade of us no longer to scary the border illegally.
But that is section of a elevated downside. From Bangladesh, there’s been comparatively a sizable quantity of out-migration. Even your international ministry of us and varied students be pleased acknowledged it. There’s a sizable out-migration of of us from Bangladesh into India, into each and each West Bengal and Northeast India.
So, that is at the guts of the topic. You are going to need fences built by India on many of the borders. If fences are there, there might be forces, and the forces are there to defend what they opinion as the sovereignty of the country they’re representing.
Unless there’s a de-escalation that ensures border security, border forces, and border police on each and each sides refrain from using dwell ammunition against civilians—regardless of whether or no longer they’re concerned with smuggling or varied actions—and as an more than just a few focal level on apprehending or persuading them, this downside will persist.
But there must be a joint decision by the 2 sides, no longer correct by one side, because there’s a style of cattle smuggling as well as varied forms of trafficking. And that does no longer happen correct on story of 1 side. There are involvements from each and each sides in these.
How can the illegal migration from Bangladesh to diverse states of India be stopped?
I’ve written hundreds of articles on this downside. I’ve written about work permits, you know, which might per chance per chance even be performed, which might per chance per chance even be issued to of us to near lend a hand and work legally. The total mission is of business injure and environmental injure on each and each sides. So, of us ought to be pleased the flexibility to head to each and each varied’s worldwide locations at work and return lastly, however they ought to head legally with a enable and work in explicit areas. The scenario is no longer going to recover if we correct steal a inflexible perspective to it.
What about the increasing animosity between the of us of Bangladesh and India?
India is a in fact gigantic country, and I be pleased that’s partly the downside. Americans reflect that it’s dictating varied worldwide locations. But I don’t reflect so. Also, I don’t reflect the of us of Bangladesh and India detest each and each varied. It’s more about discontent with the governments. Let’s no longer combine up the 2 things.
I do know of us in Bangladesh who are first and necessary from Assam. They’ve settled in Bangladesh. There’s one in every of your sizable singers, Maksudul Haq. Before every little thing his household is from Assam. He’s a rock singer in Bangladesh.
Dhaka College became as soon as one in every of the first universities of South Asia. Many folk went and studied there sooner than partition. Americans restful near and trot.
So it is rarely of us who be pleased any hatred. There’s a style of bewilderment on each and each sides on story of social media and additionally on story of water disorders.
Political disorders are there, however water disorders are the first thing. Love Farakka etc. And that’s the reason a in fact extinct legend going lend a hand bigger than 50 years, even sooner than Bangladesh’s initiating.
Social media too creates a style of counterfeit narratives and in most cases governments, political events and varied fervent groups promote those counterfeit narratives. So now we be pleased got to be very careful and impact a style of fact checking.
Is no longer mainstream media additionally to blame to some extent?
On the 2nd, how many of us in fact be pleased news from the mainstream media? Americans are watching YouTube. They’re being attentive to varied of us. The broken-down mainstream media, which essentially caters to metropolitan areas and metropolis dwellers, now no longer has the identical influence it as soon as did.
