Bangladesh and India's hospitality

Hasina with Modi (File grab from narendramodi.in)

Raju Korti
It requires an extraordinary piece of luck and fortune to be saddled with a neighbour like People's Republic of Bangladesh. Having presided over its birth and extended its most gracious hospitality to its refugees after its liberation in 1971, India has had a roller-coaster relationship with this fractured and bandaged part of what once was East Pakistan.
With its proven track record of political and economic instability, it makes for an interesting case study at least as far as India is concerned. The Atlas says Bangladesh abuts India on three sides, sharing a 2500 km long border. Nepal, Bhutan and China are also located close to it but do not share a border. India's sworn motto of Atithi Devo Bhava (guest is god) has gone down well with Bangladesh which makes a healthy contribution to India's burgeoning population. Only that these guests are uninvited and unsolicited! Bangladesh's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wajed, whose father Sheikh Mujibur Rehman died fighting Pakistan's hegemony, is in India and is believed to have signed more than 22 defence and civilian pacts. The amusing part of such pacts is one doesn't get to know much about them because the media finds it too boring and officialese to report them. In any case, such pacts have only cosmetic value and one knows about them only when they are breached. While you wrack your brains on how India and Bangladesh must cooperate in defence matters, the real issue of illegal immigration remains buried. With the border along Bangladesh and Nepal the most porous, hordes sneak into India in search of a better life. The Indian administration has been ill-equipped to deal with such elements, many of whom have valid documents like the ration card and Aadhar card. That makes them as genuine citizens of this country as you and me. Now that this munificence has become institutionalised, India must officially give these to the visiting Bangla Prime Minister. That will be an official admission that India does have an open policy towards is neighbour -- policy of open arms.
I find it hugely amusing that India has a security pact with its mercurial neighbour while an unspecified influx keeps pouring unabated from the latter. The fact that Bangladesh happens to be the eighth most populous country in the world makes it even more alarming. It has already changed the demographic pattern in the north-eastern states. So India is secure with Bangladesh but not with its fleeing citizens and chooses to fight its own natives in the process. There is a running joke that an illegal Bangladeshi immigrant is more likely to be possessing an Indian identity document than an Indian Bengali who may take his/her Indian citizenship for granted. This Indian generosity was in evidence even when its neighbour was grappling with military coups -- a bad habit picked up from its fallen out brother Pakistan.
On the other hand, one got to give it to Bangladesh. It accepts frigates and missiles from China and signs a defence pact with India. That calls for some diplomacy. This is what Prime Minister Narendra Modi was quoted as saying the other day: "India has always stood for the prosperity of Bangladesh and its people. We are long-standing and trusted development partner of Bangladesh. India and Bangladesh are also determined that the fruits of our cooperation must benefit the people."
That is unintended humour for you.