Hindi English Translation || Editorial || The spirit of 1971: On India-Bangladesh relations

The spirit of 1971: On India-Bangladesh relations

India and Bangladesh must focus on future cooperation (सहयोग, संबंध, सहोद्योग) based on past partnership

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s ongoing state visit to India and meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi have resulted in positive outcomes (नतीजा, परिणाम) and seven agreements, which include the conclusion of the first water sharing agreement in 26 years, the launch of free trade agreement talks, and infrastructure projects particularly in the railways sector. The water sharing agreement on the Kushiyara, which was preceded (पूर्व में होना,बेहतर होना) by the first Joint River Commission meeting in 12 years, is a particularly hopeful sign on resolving water management, and a very contentious (विवादास्पद) issue, of 54 trans-boundary rivers. While there has been a smaller agreement on the withdrawal of 1.82 cusecs from the Feni in the interim (अन्तरिम) period, the Kushiyara agreement is the first time the Centre has been able to bring on board Assam and other north-eastern States, for the agreement since the 1996 Ganga water treaty. However, the Teesta agreement, of 2011, held up by West Bengal, remains elusive (मायावी, निवारणकर्ता), a point Ms. Hasina made several times. Clearly, the Teesta river agreement will require more efforts by the Modi government, and flexibility from the Mamata Banerjee-led State government, if the deal is to be sealed soon. The timeline grows more important for Ms. Hasina, who is due to hold elections at the end of next year, after three terms in office. Much of her focus was also on attracting investment by Indian industry, which now constitutes a small fraction of Bangladesh’s FDI inflows. Ms. Hasina made particular mention of two dedicated Special Economic Zones for Indian companies, coming up at Mongla and Mirsarai.

Ms. Hasina’s visit, which follows her previous state visit in 2017, and Mr. Modi’s visit to Bangladesh in 2021, have set India-Bangladesh ties on a firmer footing, and on course for closer engagement in trade, connectivity and people-to-people ties. However, the positive trend in ties goes further back, to Ms. Hasina’s advent to power in 2009, her unilateral (एक तरफा, एकांगी) moves to shut down terror training camps, and to hand over more than 20 wanted criminals and terror suspects to India. It is incumbent (निर्भर, सहारा लिये हुए) on New Delhi, which has benefited from such outcomes and the turnaround (Change of policy) in relations with what used to be an inimical (शत्रुतापूर्ण) neighbour, to be equally sensitive to Dhaka’s concerns, particularly when it comes to comments made by ruling party leaders on deporting Rohingya refugees, comparing undocumented migrants to “termites”, the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, and more recent references to annexing (उपभवन) Bangladesh for “Akhand Bharat”. While cross-border sensitivities in South Asia often run high over such political rhetoric (भाषण कला, वाक्पटुता), it is necessary that New Delhi and Dhaka remain focused on their future cooperation, built on their past partnership, and what is referred to as the “Spirit (To take someone out of somewhere secretly and mysteriously) of 1971”.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.Cooperation (Noun)

Hindi Meaning - सहयोग, संबंध, सहोद्योग
English Meaning - An act or instance of working or acting together.

2.Outcome (Noun)

Hindi Meaning - नतीजा, परिणाम
English Meaning - The situation that exists at the end of a process or an activity.

3.Precede (Verb)

Hindi Meaning - पूर्व में होना,बेहतर होना
English Meaning - To be earlier than someone or something.

4.Contentious (Adjective)

Hindi Meaning - विवादास्पद
English Meaning - Causing or likely to cause an argument.

5.Interim (Noun)

Hindi Meaning - अन्तरिम
English Meaning - An intervening time.

6.Elusive (Adjective)

Hindi Meaning - मायावी, निवारणकर्ता
English Meaning - Hard to define.

7.Unilateral (Adjective)

Hindi Meaning - एक तरफा, एकांगी
English Meaning - Relating to only one side.

8.Incumbent (Adjective)

Hindi Meaning - निर्भर, सहारा लिये हुए
English Meaning - Necessary for (someone) as a duty or responsibility.

9.Annex (Noun)

Hindi Meaning - उपभवन
English Meaning - In a way that is unable to be disentangled or separated.

10.Rhetoric (Noun)

Hindi Meaning - भाषण कला, वाक्पटुता
English Meaning - The art or ability to use language effectively.

11.Inimical (Adjective)

Hindi Meaning - शत्रुतापूर्ण
English Meaning - Tending to obstruct or harm.

12.Spirit (Verb)

English Meaning - To take someone out of somewhere secretly and mysteriously.

13.Turnaround (Noun)

English Meaning - Change of policy.