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 Theorystill 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 relevantthe 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.
