India helped in our liberation war for India’s interest

[BanglaBhoot]

I do make a lot of assumptions,but usually do make right ones.

If you say so.

Look at your first line.Bangladesh was never an issue during or after war??? I now got that what kinds of freedom fighters were there in your family.May be pro-Pakistani freedom fighters?

Bangladesh was never an issue???? Where did I write that? Are you literate?

My take on Zainal Abedin was that he was a fake freedom fighter until proven otherwise.He is simply a right wing fundoo.Used to write in monthly 'Muslim Jahan'...a nonentity fundamentalist mouthpiece.He was also involved with 'Inqilab'...Razakar(BD Collaborator with Pak Army in 1971) Moulana Mannan's newspaper.His mentor was Moulana Mohiuddin khan.There are still lot of species in BD like Zainal Abedin

.It's all Sheikh Mujib's fault.He pardoned most of razakars as none of his family member died in '71.How would he know the pain?

If Zainal is a right wind fundoo then you must be a Bharatiyo Dalal (Indian broker).

Fortunately,Bangladesh is going to take care of Pakistani collaborators' war crime soon with help of UN.

If you belive that then you are really naive. They will have to bring in Sheikh Hasina's daughters father-in-law as he is a listed Razaker.

Mr.Munshi,i do understand you don't know or understand the spirit of '71 war poster that says 'Bengal's Hindu,Christian,Buddist or Muslims..our identity is that we are all Bengalis'.The whole world knows that Bangladesh is product of economico-linguistic movement,but maybe u think it was a religious movement...simply funny.Sheikh Mujib's participation in OIC was a bare balancing act.Also,as we needed recognition of muslim countries,it can be termed very practical step from his side.

The posters and propaganda were financed by RAW but did not reflect the sentiments of the vast majority of Bangladehis and many freedom fighters.

Mr. Munshi,i know about ur book.I do appreciate that effort as a few things depicted there seem to be right.A good effort.Need to be more informative though.

It is not enough to know the contents of my book you have to refute with as much evidence as I have produced. No one has succeeded in contesting my findings in 3 years.

 

[Bull]

No India just took it. They unscrewed everything put it in a truck and left. Since then they have put up trade barriers and tariffs so business is all one way and this reduces our foreign exchange. Then there is the cost in life with BSF shooting and killing our nationals.

Whats this tariffs and one way business ?

 

[BanglaBhoot]

Whats this tariffs and one way business ?

There are very few Bangladeshi goods that can reach India without restriction. Indian good on the other hand come into Bangladesh without hindrance. If Bangladesh tries to raise its tariffs or set up trade barriers to India then that countries press starts talking about Islamist terrorists taking over in Dhaka.

 

[Bull]

There are very few Bangladeshi goods that can reach India without restriction. Indian good on the other hand come into Bangladesh without hindrance. If Bangladesh tries to raise its tariffs or set up trade barriers to India then that countries press starts talking about Islamist terrorists taking over in Dhaka.

And then your govt decided not to raise tariffs. You have a wonderfull system in place. Scared to act on its own interest. Get over the slave mentality.

 

[BanglaBhoot]

And then your govt decided not to raise tariffs. You have a wonderfull system in place. Scared to act on its own interest. Get over the slave mentality.

Quite right. BD should kick India where it hurts. I am for the first time in agreement with you.

 

[salman nedian]

The MB was armed by India (dont u guys give us some credit atleast, or do you wanna feel all proud saying a bunch of Guerrillas defeated the Pakistani Army??? It wont be even possible in the Wettest of your dreams to defeat the Pakistani army stationed in East Pakistan by blowing up a few sailboats! Had not the Indians bombed the Airfields the PAF could have rained down bomb on your cities and MB hideouts and then finally none of the so called great MB (which according to u guys defeated the Pak Army/Navy/Airforce) would be alive lol!

One more thing, Finally- Would the MB be able to even kill a single Pak Army personnel if it werent for the Arms provided by India and the Funding??

This is the confession of promoting cross border terrorism.

Now who started that bro?????????

 

[Bull]

Quite right. BD should kick India where it hurts. I am for the first time in agreement with you.

Why havnt you done so still? Were you waiting for an agreement?

 

[iamunique]

Munshi, in the political context I fully agree with the negative political ramifications of
Indo-Bangla relationship which has been mentioned in the article. In another thread I've
previously expressed my disgust at the way India treats many of it's small neighbours. I
feel this arrogant attitude of the Indian Government needs to change and India needs to
engage more positively & constructively with these countries. And also, if Pak & BD can
have a mutually constructive AND non anti-india relationship, why not?

In the military context there are lot of common accusations made against India's action in 1971 (highlighted in bold) to which I've tried to respond:

1)India used the 1971 Bangladesh situation to humiliate Pak and avenge the humiliation we suffered from Pak in the 1965 war: Yes sir we did so. The Pakistanis took advantage of India in 1965 didn't they? India in 1965 was weak & was just recovering from the Chinese humiliation of '62. So what the Pakistanis did to us in '65 we did to them in '71 - "EENT KA JAWAAB PATTHAR". Pretty fair & square I feel.

2)India wanted to cut-off EP from WP: Yes sir we wanted to. If you think about it, EP was a strategic, military & political anomaly - imagine a country with one part seperated from the other by thousands of miles of a hostile country's territory? A lot of pakistanis have cribbed that in '71 they lost the fight in EP because EP was logistically disconnected from the mainland (WP), that they were overwhelmingly outnumbered by the Indian forces in the East etc-etc. Well... that is what warfare is all about isn't it? - overwhelming your enemy and crushing him by whatever means necessary. Also... didn't anyone in Pakistan think about the military ramifications of having such a far-flung piece of real estate when Pakistan was being formed? Were they all smoking weed during their discussions with the Brits in 1947 I wonder?!!

EP was a thorn in India's side from day one and I'm surprised (even shocked!) that the
Indian political & military leadership had the commonsense & foresight to deal with that
problem conclusively. Had India allowed EP to exist even today, it would have been one
big terrorist training camp! BD is STILL strategically important to India in the sense that
we don't want it to turn into a thorn once again and sadly, that could be one of the
reasons why India wants BD to remain poor & weak. But that is where I feel BD needs to show that it can have fruitful relationships with Pak & China without necessarily being anti or Pro India. Such a policy by BD will definitely change India's security perception about BD.

 

[chindit]

Why havnt you done so still? Were you waiting for an agreement?

because those are all wet dreams

 

[chindit]

Many in my family were freedom fighters but they did not fight to become subservient to India.

I have read extensively and intensively on 1971 since I have also written a book called The India Doctrine (1947-2007).

and I found a very nice review here

Islam Watch - "Bangladesh: The Intellectual Blueprint of Islamist Traitors" by Sohail Taj

Bangladesh: The Intellectual Blueprint of Islamist Traitors
by Sohail Taj

25 Aug, 2008

Over the last few months I have been observing the increasingly monotonous promotion of the book 'The India Doctrine' by the infamous Barrister MBI Munshi. His supporters and the books promoters are easily identified and include Isha Khan, Zoglul Hossain Zainal Abedin and Moin Ansari (a Pakistani national residing in New York). These are all well-known anti-Indians, who, at every opportunity, spout venom at our big neighbour; and try to create a hostile and militant attitude towards New Delhi.

If the opinions of these few individuals were kept within this small coterie, there would not be much concern. But the ideas and perspectives found in The India Doctrine appear to be spreading. If one reads the recent write-ups and speeches of such public intellectuals like Farhad Mazar, Mahmudur Rahman, Prof. Mahbubullah, Prof. Ataur Rahman, Prof. Razia Banu, Shah Abdul Hannan and the anti-Indian stance of the BNP-Jamaat neo-Razakars you will see the adoption of the ideas contained in The India Doctrine. Several newspapers, magazines and journals such as the Naya Diganta, Sangram, Dinkal, New Age, Bangladesh Defence Journal, The Financial Express, PROBE, The Bangladesh Today and The New Nation have also been sponsoring or highlighting this new anti-Indian agenda initiated by The India Doctrine.

Having noticed incessant publicity of this book in the media, I decided to purchase a copy from a bookstore in Dhaka. For those, who support the ideals of the Liberation War and the sacrifices made by the people of Bangladesh, can only be repulsed by its contents. The book does not even leave Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman untouched by its scurrilous and repulsive innuendoes and second-rate theorizing about a supposed and fantastic Akhand Bharat [undivided India] being allegedly pursued by Indian policy-makers since the partition in 1947. What Barrister MBI Munshi does not discuss is the sacrifices that were made by India for the independence of Bangladesh. Barrister Munshi manages to disingenuously twist history to make India appear as the villain and not the murderous Pakistan army that raped and killed unarmed civilians in the erstwhile East Pakistan.


What is particularly surprising is that none of the so-called defenders of our freedoms and secular ideals has come forward to counter the objectives and ideas of the book. This is extremely dangerous as the anti-Indian tilt now appearing in Bangladesh could have very unfortunate consequences for the country. If New Delhi views its small neighbour as becoming hostile to its friendly overtures it could turn the screws and make things difficult for Bangladesh. Already many in India view Bangladesh as ungrateful. The secular intellectuals of Bangladesh must come forward and warn of the dangers of following the ideas contained in The India Doctrine.


The book essentially promotes an intellectual blueprint for an instability and reversal of the secular gains made in 1971, which ultimately trashed the concept of the Two Nation Theory—still oddly propounded in Pakistan. After 1971, Pakistanis should have come to realize that the misguided ideals of the Two Nation Theory, along religious lines, are no longer relevant—the creation of Bangladesh proved that point. Unfortunately, the neo-Razakars [traitor] in Bangladesh still passionately hold to this concept of the Two Nation Theory in the hope of reuniting Bangladesh and Pakistan. The India Doctrine superficially provides them with an argument, albeit based a weak foundation.

The dream of India's disintegration (an implication made in the book) is just a dream. Instead, we are seeing Pakistan on the verge of political collapse and Bangladesh with an uncertain future. It is without doubt India that will emerge as the regional superpower and elites in Pakistan and Bangladesh better come to recognize that reality; or both the countries will suffer consequences. Both Pakistan and Bangladesh are too weak and internally divided to pose a threat to India's rise. So, why entertain dreams based on an ill-conceived religious division, which has done us more harm than good.

and one more

Daily Online Alochona: [vinnomot] Re: [khabor.com] Re: Barrister M.B.I. Munshi got caught with his hand in the cookie jar !

Barrister MBI Munshi has said that "I am now under the
impression that Mr. Azad and others are working at the
behest of a foreign nation to undermine the credibility
of Bangladesh and its present interim government."
This is very much the result of his dellusional thinking
and tribal attitude problems. He has worked too long on his
book "India Doctrine" [Only Allah the Allmighty knows
if he was working at the behest of the foreign nation
Pakistan]. Now, everything is yellow to his jundiced eyes:
he sees in all others who do not agree with him on his position
on present interim government and Moeen-Fakhar regime
as "working at the behest of a foreign nation to undermine
Bangladesh."

 

[BanglaBhoot]

Had India allowed EP to exist even today, it would have been one big terrorist training camp! BD is STILL strategically important to India in the sense that we don't want it to turn into a thorn once again and sadly, that could be one of the reasons why India wants BD to remain poor & weak. But that is where I feel BD needs to show that it can have fruitful relationships with Pak & China without necessarily being anti or Pro India. Such a policy by BD will definitely change India's security perception about BD.

I must commend you on your thoughtful and indepth post. Rarely have I come across such a post from an Indian on this forum and it certainly deserves a reply. I agree with most of what you say and there were strategic imperatives which dictated Indian policy to EP. That much has been admitted and from an Indian perspective I think that is fair enough. Now that EP is Bangladesh what are the barriers preventing greater understanding between India and Bangladesh. As you suggest it is one of perception. India does not want BD to pose the same threat to its security as EP evidently did. At the same time BD desires a fruitful relationship with Pak and China which is not anti-Indian from India's point of view. It could of course hardly be perceived as pro-Indian unless India made up another corner of this alliance making it a quartet which seems extremely unlikely. We therefore face a serious dilemma and conundrum.

Your analysis has presented the Indian perspective admirably but on the other side BD perceives India as the over bearing power that needs to be restrained for its own survival. BD requires then to supplement its security arrangement so it desires a closer relationship with Pak and China. So we again come back to the previous problem since this alliance will naturally be viewed adversely by India.

How does one bridge the gap of distrust between BD and India then? I could suggest several possibilities.

1. Reassess the building of dams and barrages on the Indian side of the border and proceed only after consultation with BD.

2. Remove trade barriers and tariffs on BD goods.

3. Proceed along with BD on the delimitation of maritime boundaries.

4. Stop propaganda against Bangladesh by your press and media.

5. Restraint the BSF and stop shooting of civilians.

6. Allow transit to Nepal, Bhutan and China.

On these points Bangladesh will do the same and I am sure an understanding will develop between the countries. I am sure Bangladesh will do its part with enthusiasm but will India?

 

[Bull]

I must commend you on your thoughtful and indepth post. Rarely have I come across such a post from an Indian on this forum and it certainly deserves a reply. I agree with most of what you say and there were strategic imperatives which dictated Indian policy to EP. That much has been admitted and from an Indian perspective I think that is fair enough. Now that EP is Bangladesh what are the barriers preventing greater understanding between India and Bangladesh. As you suggest it is one of perception. India does not want BD to pose the same threat to its security as EP evidently did. At the same time BD desires a fruitful relationship with Pak and China which is not anti-Indian from India's point of view. It could of course hardly be perceived as pro-Indian unless India made up another corner of this alliance making it a quartet which seems extremely unlikely. We therefore face a serious dilemma and conundrum.

Your analysis has presented the Indian perspective admirably but on the other side BD perceives India as the over bearing power that needs to be restrained for its own survival. BD requires then to supplement its security arrangement so it desires a closer relationship with Pak and China. So we again come back to the previous problem since this alliance will naturally be viewed adversely by India.

How does one bridge the gap of distrust between BD and India then? I could suggest several possibilities.

1. Reassess the building of dams and barrages on the Indian side of the border and proceed only after consultation with BD.

2. Remove trade barriers and tariffs on BD goods.

3. Proceed along with BD on the delimitation of maritime boundaries.

4. Stop propaganda against Bangladesh by your press and media.

5. Restraint the BSF and stop shooting of civilians.

6. Allow transit to Nepal, Bhutan and China.

On these points Bangladesh will do the same and I am sure an understanding will develop between the countries. I am sure Bangladesh will do its part with enthusiasm but will India?

The animosity shown against you neednt be considered as one against BD. No one has a problem with BD, yes infact we are worried about rising extemism in BD. And we are unhappy with ourselves in not building a good relationship with BD. If there is any country with which we should share a brotherhood, then its BD.

 

[BanglaBhoot]

The animosity shown against you neednt be considered as one against BD. No one has a problem with BD, yes infact we are worried about rising extemism in BD. And we are unhappy with ourselves in not building a good relationship with BD. If there is any country with which we should share a brotherhood, then its BD.

A lame pathetic response. Shows that Indians not sincere.

That Indians are showing me animosity is taken as a compliment. The more animosity towards me just increases my credibility.

 

[Bull]

A lame pathetic response. Shows that Indians not sincere.

That Indians are showing me animosity is taken as a compliment. The more animosity towards me just increases my credibility.

Lol, i dont care how you take it, thats how much I care.

Indians are not sincere about what?

 

[leonblack08]

And then your govt decided not to raise tariffs. You have a wonderfull system in place. Scared to act on its own interest. Get over the slave mentality.

India and Bangladesh both signs trade agreements,promising no tariff barriers and

But when it comes to honoring them,India always backs out from it.If India allows us to do so,then Bangladeshis would do a good business as Bangladeshi products,especially packaged food products have a very good demand in Tripura and othe NE Indian states.

That's why many economists here in Bangladesh argue that Bangladesh signing these agreements are useless as they don't bear any fruit.