The recent week-long sojourn to India by Khaleda Zia, Bangladesh’s opposition leader and Chair of the Bangladesh National Party (BNP), was significant for a number of reasons.
First, it sent a clear message that the former Bangladesh Prime Minister, who has often been accused of being anti-India, is not averse to a harmonious relationship between Dhaka and New Delhi – something which is in both countries interests. This was clearly evident from her remarks during the course of her meeting with India’s newly appointed External Affairs Minister, Salman Khurshid, on October 30th: "This marks a new beginning. Let’s look forward and not look back in the rear view mirror."
The BNP leader’s approach to the relationship may be significantly different from current incumbent Sheikh Hasina, who has been accused of being unilaterally magnanimous towards India. During the meeting with the Indian Prime Minister on October 29th, for example, Zia took up the issue of Bangladeshi civilians being killed by BSF and the last minute scuttling of the Teesta River water treaty.
Second, the fact that political leadership of all hues engaged with Khaleda Zia also sent a clear message that India is keen to have good relations irrespective of the regime in Dhaka. Apart from meeting the Indian Prime Minister and External Affairs Minister, Zia also met with Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Sushma Swaraj of the BJP and Senior BJP Leader, LK Advani. Interestingly, the Bangladesh Foreign Minister, Dipu Moni, was quick to criticize Zia’s meetings with the BJP leaders as ‘non-significant’.
Three, the visit of Bangladesh’s opposition leader showed that opposition parties in the neighborhood are beginning to take foreign policy issues, especially the relationship with India, seriously and are keen to articulate their stands on important issues. Even on the Pakistani side, PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif has been a votary of better relations with India. Not only has the former Prime Minister repeatedly spoken for greater trade between both countries, but in fact he has also spoken about the need for a more liberal visa regime and greater people to people contact. Unfortunately, the same can not be said of India. The only time one hears the opposition BJP talk about foreign policy is when it has to criticize the government for being soft on Pakistan and China or being excessively servile to the U.S. None of the top rung leaders from the party have ever articulated their views on complex foreign policy issues, such as the relationship with Pakistan.
There is no doubt that parliamentary delegations from India visit other countries, including those in the neighborhood, and recently LK Advani was part of a delegation to the UN. However, none of the New Delhi-based Prime Ministerial hopefuls from the BJP, like Sushma Swaraj or Arun Jaitley, have made any visits to Pakistan, Bangladesh, or any of the neighboring countries in the recent past. Gujarat CM, Narendra Modi--another Prime Ministerial hopeful--has also not visited any country in the immediate neighborhood, though he did visit China last year.
BJP’s languorous approach towards foreign policy issues, apart from the occasional onslaught on the government, is surprising, for it was BJP Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee who played a key role in improving ties with both the U.S. and neighboring Pakistan.
India needs to ensure that while dealing with countries in the neighborhood it does not rely excessively on any one individual but in fact deals with political actors across the board. Giving excessive importance to any one regime does not send the right message to political players or the public at large.
Opposition leaders from India--BJP and non-BJP--should visit neighboring countries more frequently, not only to articulate the views of their respective parties, but also to send a clear message that there is unanimity amongst members of the political class for a better relationship with countries in the neighbourhood. The visits of Bihar Chief Minister, Nitish Kumar, and Indian Deputy Chief Minister, Sukhbir Singh Badal--both part of the BJP led National Democratic Alliance--to Pakistan are encouraging in this context.
Tridivesh Singh Maini is a New Delhi based columnist.
a global affairs media network
India's BJP: Time to Speak Up on Foreign Policy Issues?
November 23, 2012
The recent week-long sojourn to India by Khaleda Zia, Bangladesh’s opposition leader and Chair of the Bangladesh National Party (BNP), was significant for a number of reasons.
First, it sent a clear message that the former Bangladesh Prime Minister, who has often been accused of being anti-India, is not averse to a harmonious relationship between Dhaka and New Delhi – something which is in both countries interests. This was clearly evident from her remarks during the course of her meeting with India’s newly appointed External Affairs Minister, Salman Khurshid, on October 30th: "This marks a new beginning. Let’s look forward and not look back in the rear view mirror."
The BNP leader’s approach to the relationship may be significantly different from current incumbent Sheikh Hasina, who has been accused of being unilaterally magnanimous towards India. During the meeting with the Indian Prime Minister on October 29th, for example, Zia took up the issue of Bangladeshi civilians being killed by BSF and the last minute scuttling of the Teesta River water treaty.
Second, the fact that political leadership of all hues engaged with Khaleda Zia also sent a clear message that India is keen to have good relations irrespective of the regime in Dhaka. Apart from meeting the Indian Prime Minister and External Affairs Minister, Zia also met with Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Sushma Swaraj of the BJP and Senior BJP Leader, LK Advani. Interestingly, the Bangladesh Foreign Minister, Dipu Moni, was quick to criticize Zia’s meetings with the BJP leaders as ‘non-significant’.
Three, the visit of Bangladesh’s opposition leader showed that opposition parties in the neighborhood are beginning to take foreign policy issues, especially the relationship with India, seriously and are keen to articulate their stands on important issues. Even on the Pakistani side, PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif has been a votary of better relations with India. Not only has the former Prime Minister repeatedly spoken for greater trade between both countries, but in fact he has also spoken about the need for a more liberal visa regime and greater people to people contact. Unfortunately, the same can not be said of India. The only time one hears the opposition BJP talk about foreign policy is when it has to criticize the government for being soft on Pakistan and China or being excessively servile to the U.S. None of the top rung leaders from the party have ever articulated their views on complex foreign policy issues, such as the relationship with Pakistan.
There is no doubt that parliamentary delegations from India visit other countries, including those in the neighborhood, and recently LK Advani was part of a delegation to the UN. However, none of the New Delhi-based Prime Ministerial hopefuls from the BJP, like Sushma Swaraj or Arun Jaitley, have made any visits to Pakistan, Bangladesh, or any of the neighboring countries in the recent past. Gujarat CM, Narendra Modi--another Prime Ministerial hopeful--has also not visited any country in the immediate neighborhood, though he did visit China last year.
BJP’s languorous approach towards foreign policy issues, apart from the occasional onslaught on the government, is surprising, for it was BJP Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee who played a key role in improving ties with both the U.S. and neighboring Pakistan.
India needs to ensure that while dealing with countries in the neighborhood it does not rely excessively on any one individual but in fact deals with political actors across the board. Giving excessive importance to any one regime does not send the right message to political players or the public at large.
Opposition leaders from India--BJP and non-BJP--should visit neighboring countries more frequently, not only to articulate the views of their respective parties, but also to send a clear message that there is unanimity amongst members of the political class for a better relationship with countries in the neighbourhood. The visits of Bihar Chief Minister, Nitish Kumar, and Indian Deputy Chief Minister, Sukhbir Singh Badal--both part of the BJP led National Democratic Alliance--to Pakistan are encouraging in this context.
Tridivesh Singh Maini is a New Delhi based columnist.
