Former and serving diplomats have expressed displeasure over the remarks of Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, who had asked Delhi’s envoy in Dhaka to call on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and express her country’s ‘grave concern’ over the safety of the Hindus in Bangladesh.
Describing her comments as uncalled for, they said that protecting the Hindus along with others is the responsibility of the government of Bangladesh and the government is dealing with the situation. The diplomats also criticised the selection of her words in the remarks, saying that those words are ‘undiplomatic’. They pointed out that when there are attacks on Muslims in India, Bangladesh does not say anything about those incidents. If minister Swaraj thought she had to raise this issue with Bangladesh, she could have done it discreetly without taking the shelter of a public forum given the warm relationship between Dhaka and Delhi, they added. “I have asked Indian High Commissioner in Dhaka to call
on the Prime Minister and express our grave concern about the safety and wellbeing of the Hindus in Bangladesh,” she tweeted on Sunday while responding to a tweet of another individual. “There is large scale violence against Hindus in Bangladesh. Their houses and temples are being destroyed. Please do something,” tweeted someone with the name of ‘templetree’.
Her public comments on the social media came against the backdrop of attacks on Hindus in Nasirnagar of Brahmanbaria district.
“It depends on the strength of the person who is saying this. Strong people say while weak ones keep quiet. What the Indian External Affairs Minister can say, our Foreign Minister cannot. This is the reality,” former Foreign Secretary Touhid Hossain told The Independent yesterday.
“It was unfortunate. She should not have said what she had said. We don’t say anything when Muslims are attacked in India,” he said.
“Her language was also not diplomatic. She cannot ask the Indian envoy to call on the Prime Minister, rather she can ask the envoy to meet the Foreign Secretary,” he added.
The former top diplomat also noted that the objective of her remarks might have been intended to score ‘political point’ in her own country.
“Perhaps, she is trying to show Hindus in India that the administration is trying to do something for the Hindus in Bangladesh,” he said.
“I was really surprised as well as disappointed. This is our matter. We are concerned too. We are dealing with it. What does she have to with it?” former Ambassador and Secretary of the Foreign Minister Ashfaqur Rahman told The Independent.
“So many things happen to Muslims in India. We don’t say anything,” he said.
Criticising her language, the former senior diplomat said, “As a friend, if she thinks she should talk to Bangladeshis authorities, it could have been done without going public. She could have simply spoken to her Bangladeshi counterpart.”
He also said that the Indian internal politics may have to do something with her remarks.
Like the former diplomats, the serving diplomats are also disappointed over the Indian Minister’s remarks.
While talking to the Independent yesterday, several diplomats expressed their displeasure, saying that the development does not reflect a relationship based on equality.
At the moment, the foreign ministry will, perhaps, not react due to the upcoming visit of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to India next month.
Of course, they admitted that in the past when the Indians said similar things, the Foreign Ministry did not react, at least publicly. “It is not done. Given the present state of relationship, we don’t deserve it from the Indian side,” said a senior official. Another senior official said, “From now on, we will have to start speaking when there will be attacks on Muslims in India.” Of course, he hastened to add, “I have nothing to do in this regard. It’s top to down affair,” There are two dimensions of the remarks of the Indian Minister, said another official. “Number one; Apart from the Hindus, there are other people belonging to minorities like Kadiani, Bahai and Shia who, unfortunately’ get attacked occasionally. You are not talking about them. You are only talking about the safety and wellbeing of the Hindus which is sending a wrong signal,” he said. “Number two; India took it for granted that they have earned the right to speak about the internal affairs of Bangladesh,” he added.