While India-Afghanistan Bonhomie is ON Bangladesh should be Borne in Mind: Lalit K Kaul

While India-Afghanistan Bonhomie is ON Bangladesh should be Borne in Mind

Lalit K Kaul

A leopard doesn’t change its spots and a chameleon changes its colours. Combining the characteristics of both the leopard and chameleon and applying that template to Islamic/Muslim Nations, it unfolds their unique strategy that advocates getting along with the secular and pluralistic world-order (chameleon changing colours) for as long as economic and military empowerment is attained without losing sight of the ultimate aim (leopard not changing its spots) of homogenizing the entire human world by forcibly imposing Sharia Law through unprecedented barbaric means. Barbaric means to subjugate Nations across the Globe have been the apparatus of all Caliphs and Caliphates like those of Colonial powers!

The Vision 2030 of the Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman (MBS) of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) aims at developing its economy that wouldn’t be over excessively dependant on crude oil exports and, therefore, for diversifying its economic base, it chose to become a player/partner in the world economy that’s based on rules framed by immortals and not by Allah. The Crown Prince questioned Hadith; relaxed restrictions on females in the KSA; allowed temples to be built; tried to institutionalize the principle of co-existence in its society that’s and has been essentially heterogeneous because of the immigrant labour and other work force. But, for all his “reforms”, he maintains that Al Quran is his Constitution! So it remains a matter of time before he invokes all such “Articles” in his Constitution “Al Quran” in which Allah dictates the believers to annihilate “dis-believers” if they choose not to accept Allah as the One and the Only God and Muhammad as His Messenger! When shall that time come? When the KSA would have empowered itself economically and militarily.

And there is a precedence for it. When crude oil dictated world economy the KSA overflowing with US dollars was busy funding mercenaries of Islam to sensitize Muslims in different countries of the world for spreading the message of Allah. The KSA played a very significant role in training Kashmiri Muslims in Wahhabism and funding their insurgency against the Indian State. It offered scholarships for acquiring doctorate in Islamic Studies with emphasis on thorough learning of Islam’s Ideology which preaches intolerance towards non-Muslims.

What’s true for the KSA is also true for Qatar UAE Kuwait etcetera. During the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, it was reported to have used the event as a platform to introduce and promote Islamic values to visitors and was described by media as an “Islamization” of the event. Zakir Naik was invited to Qatar and reportedly gave religious lectures and posed for pictures with other Islamist missionaries. There were efforts to educate fans about Islam through various displays. This included an information booth where visitors could learn about Islam and acquire religious materials. While restrictions were imposed on non-Muslims which included not providing for public Jewish prayer services. The whole attempt was dubbed as a form of state-sponsored proselytization. Qatar could afford to do it because it has natural gas reserves of about 843 trillion cubic feet ( ranking third globally). What it clarifies beyond any doubt is the fact that an Arab/Muslim Nation shall try all possible ways to thrust Islam on the world, if it has the wherewithal to do so.

India’s Bangladesh Experiment:

Bangladesh which was born because Bengali Nation refused to accept homogenizing dictates and practices of Islam; because Bengali, though Muslims for a few centuries, were/are a proud people who love their language and its literature including culture going back to thousands of years. They may have been forced to accept Islam by the tyrant “Sufis”, yet a mere change of religion didn’t make them renounce their language. The Punjabi Pakistani Elite tried to impose Urdu on them and they rose in rebellion against the State of Pakistan. The net outcome was the birth of a new Nation State and in which India had played her role due to geo-political reasons. For India, her Eastern border had become enemy free and Bengalis separated from W Bengal during British rule had got their own geographical boundaries wherein they would be socially, economically and politically empowered. If this nascent Nation State was to survive and become empowered to look after its needs then India had to play a major and significant role in Bengali’s Nation building. And that’s what India did all along beginning 1972 and up to until Islamists annihilated the voices of reason and their civilizational roots. Here is in brief listed the contribution of India in Bangladesh’s economic and political empowerment.

The Indian Contribution:

India has provided multiple Lines of Credit (LoCs) exceeding $7 billion since 2010 for projects in transport, energy, and other sectors. The third LoC, signed in March 2017, was for $4.5 billion, the largest single LoC India has extended to any country.

Railways: India and Bangladesh have jointly worked on several railway projects to improve connectivity, including the Akhaura-Agartala rail link, inaugurated in 2023, which connects Bangladesh to India’s Northeast region and provides access to the Chattogram and Mongla ports.

Energy: India has supported Bangladesh’s energy sector through the India-Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline to reduce diesel costs. Assistance in building Bangladesh’s first nuclear power station at Rooppur. A joint venture to construct the Maitree Thermal Power Plant. The export of electricity from India to Bangladesh since 2013.

Ports: India’s support for the Khulna-Mongla Port rail line aimed to improve access to Bangladesh’s ports for trade. And many other agreements were on the table.

Bangladesh had left Pakistan far behind. It wasn’t a failed State unlike Pakistan. It was on its way to compete with India on GDP.

Resurrection of Islam’s Ideology in Bangladesh:

The seed that had remained sown for many decades, never allowed to grow due to civilized policies of the political party in power which promoted co-existence-the anathema to Islam- suddenly found ground so fertile as to burst open into a Banyan Tree that was to devour/stifle/annihilate all that was civilized because it blocked the Rays of Light (Knowledge). India became the ostracized one because it had been supporting a “Kafir” regime which had allowed non-Muslims to live freely by their profession, religion and culture.

The Indian-Afghan Bonhomie:

No matter how much the Afghan leadership lays emphasis on the “cultural” bonds between the two Nations, Indian leadership shouldn’t lose sight of the History- the Afghan rule in Kashmir and other parts of Indian Subcontinent, breaking of Buddhas of Bamiyan; religious persecution of Hindus and Sikhs in Afghanistan and the role of Afghans in the insurgency against Indian State in Kashmir.

For all the dubious past of the present Afghan leadership, India has been adopting a policy of people-friendliness with Afghans and has been engaged in various development projects in Afghanistan since the year 2002.

Past Economic Development

Infrastructure: India has invested in major projects, including the Salma Dam, the Delaram-Zaranj road, and the construction of a power transmission line from Pul-e-Khumri to Kabul.

Healthcare: Projects include the construction of the Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health in Kabul and the setting up of a diagnostic centre there, as well as running a team of Indian doctors and paramedics.

Education: India has provided numerous scholarships for Afghan students to study in India and has funded the construction of schools and vocational training centres.

Humanitarian Aid: India has supplied food aid, including wheat and fortified biscuits, to Afghanistan.

Community Development: Through the High Impact Community Development Projects (HICDP) program, India has supported numerous small-scale projects across Afghanistan in areas like agriculture, water management, health, and education.

The new government in Afghanistan plans to initiate such development and growth-related projects that would, in the years to come, lead to economic empowerment of its people and which in turn shall lead to political stability as economic empowerment would lead to consolidation of political power for the leadership. Further cooperation is being worked out which may enable goods manufacturing in Afghanistan and in due time manufacture of arms and ammunitions.

India too has her own geo-political interests which can be catered to through this Afghan-Indian cooperation. Afghanistan provides an opening to Central Asia including Russia and Europe. Chabahar port helps bypassing Pakistan and Afghan government has agreed to invest in the port. All this looks good.

A Note of Caution:

But what has to be guarded against is the Truth that Afghanistan like any other Arab Nation is inspired by the teachings of Allah in Al Quran. Be it the KSA, UAE, Qatar or Afghanistan, all are engaged in economic empowerment of their people and therefore have kept some “Articles” of their Constitution “Al Quran” in abeyance. There is no guarantee that Allah’s commands won’t be invoked once economic and military empowerment has been achieved. Because at the end of the day, every “believer” is concerned about “Aakhirat”. And who wouldn’t like to be in Jannah! And for that destination it’s the duty of every “believer” to strive in the “Cause of Allah” to serve Islam; in short- annihilate “dis-believers”.