War has never solved any problem, rather it has sown seeds for future conflicts because conflict only brings misery on people of warring nations. So, actually there is no winner in a war, because the victory also comes at a cost. Huge number of lives are lost and property destroyed. Economy is shattered and families broken.
This is relevant in the context of current war mongering that is going on in the Indian and Bangladeshi media and political sphere. Since this current situation of frosty relations has been caused by the Bangladesh government by attacking the Hindus and making anti-India statements, the onus is on them to soothe the nerves.
They seem to have forgotten the might of Indian armed forces. Exactly 53 years ago, India decimated Pakistan in two weeks and liberated Bangladesh on December 16, 1971. More than 90,000 East Pakistan troops surrendered before the Indian army and a new nation was born, but at the cost of nearly 4,000 Indian soldiers’ lives and 3 million East Pakistani citizens.
If India, which was far weaker economically and militarily back then, could carve out a separate nation out of a country which had the support of the likes of USA and other European countries, it won’t be a big deal for it to break up Bangladesh and create a Hindu majority country out of it within 72 hours!
Despite knowing this fact, and being dependent on India for all its needs since its birth, it is surprising that the Bangladeshi establishment is making provocative statements. In fact, some of the veteran Bangladeshi soldiers are making audacious statements like calling for capturing Kolkata and Assam.
To irk India, the present Bangladesh Government is inviting both Pakistan and China into their country for commercial and military purposes. The ungrateful Bangladeshi government’s memory is so short that it has forgotten the atrocities unleashed by Pakistani President Yahya Khan on March 25 1971, by launching ‘Operation Search Light’. The army was directed to eliminate top leadership of Awami League and Bengali intelligentsia to crush dissent.
In the ensuing nine months, the Pakistan army killed around 3 million East Pakistanis and raped about 3 lakh women. It was the Indian Government under Indira Gandhi’s leadership which took a stand to save these refugees teeming into India in huge numbers. She toured the world, specially, Europe, US and West Asian countries to plead the case on the situation in East Pakistan, but in vain.
The Indian army started training the freedom fighters of East Pakistan for their quest to form Bangladesh. On December 3, Yahya Khan launched a pre-emptive air attack, thus declaring war against India. In retaliation, India launched her counter offensive into East Pakistan and Dhaka was captured on December 16, 1971.
India is too large a country for Bangladesh in all respects to engage in a conflict. It can choke Bangladesh of all her necessities. India is the fourth most powerful nation in the world, capable of breaking up Bangladesh and carving out a Hindu majority State if Bangladeshi radicals decide to launch strikes against India.
Just like India armed and trained Mukti Bahini, it can easily do the same with a new resistance group, made of Bangladeshi Hindus. Those indulging in anti-India rhetoric in Bangladesh should know that history has a tendency to repeat itself and hence shouldn’t let history of 1971 repeat itself, because if it does, then the cost would be enormous as Bangladesh can’t afford a war with India.
It is unlikely that the common Bangladeshi is supporting such acts of atrocities against the Hindus by Muhammad Yunus' government. Present unrest is creating as much economic and administrative insecurity to the common Muslim population as much as Hindus.
The unnecessary whipping up of emotions and provoking a war is not needed. The politicians and arm chair journalists firing from television studios don’t have any idea how it feels when a speeding bullet pierces through the flesh and shatters the bone. One is either dead or maimed for life.
War mongering sounds good for TRPs, for vote-bank politics. But in reality, it only brings sorrow.
Muhammad Yunus won a Nobel Peace Prize for spreading the concept of microcredit — small loans to help poor people start businesses — via his Grameen Bank. As the head of State today, he should rather work towards alleviating the lives of the downtrodden in his country, instead of squabbling with India. There’s a lot at stake for India’s eastern neighbour. It shouldn’t lose its sight from the pressing matters in hand.