After Pakistan, it is now the turn of Bangladesh to flex its muscles. Bangladesh’s army chief is seen on TV frequently. This is not surprising: after Asim Munir has become a public hero in Pakistan for allegedly engaging India militarily (which is further from the truth), the Bangladesh army chief is also showcasing his authority by appearing on TV often.
Bangladesh’s President is a Nobel Prize winner who apparently did a lot of good work in bringing down poverty in his country. The Chinese, who are said to be influencing Bangladesh, have hinted that they aim to shape the country into one that owes allegiance to them. Sheikh Hasina Wazed, who came to power in Bangladesh after kowtowing to India, is now largely inactive and staying in India.
The Chinese have now indirectly conveyed to her that, as an Indian protégé, she is not contributing positively to the region’s broader interests. Having previously engaged in a war with India, the Chinese feel restricted by India’s influence in the region. Their goal is to encircle India and they are eager to leverage North East India to further their global ambitions. They have already established a foothold in Sri Lanka. Now, they want Hasina to kowtow to India. Hasina is a hard-core Indian protégé — and it is felt that if she gets back home to Dhaka she might be forced to kowtow to the Chinese. How? By helping China have access to the North East region.
This will benefit China because some of its provinces are close to the region. Historically, the North East is geographically nearer to China, particularly from the Hunan province. In this current skirmish with India, this region was left untouched. Parts of China are far from the oceans—though significant development has occurred in these inland regions.
When Mao led China, he harboured strong resentment towards India for several reasons. This included the overbearing behaviour by Sikh guards who doubled up as moneylenders in China, which was still under imperial rule. The large physical stature of the Sikhs instilled fear in the Chinese. Additionally, there were other factors contributing to the scare. The Indians, unfamiliar with the nature of the Chinese, were influenced by stories highlighting the positive contributions made by Indians in China.
But Mao held negative sentiments not only towards India but also for his own people; he famously punished the last emperor of imperial China by assigning him the role of a gardener. Mao believed that India had collaborated with the colonial authorities of British India and unfairly signed the India-Tibet border agreement in 1914, in which China was also a party.
The situation fuelled Mao’s anger, as he sought to eliminate the institution of the Dalai Lama. He aimed to incorporate Tibet into his domain, but the agreement between British India and the Tibetan Dalai Lama came in the way of his ambitions.
Closer to home, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was well advised to act with prudence. As a result, relations between China and India did not deteriorate. India made a wise move by historically providing refuge to the Dalai Lama, who even received the Nobel Peace Prize after fleeing his country. The Chinese now seek control over future Dalai Lamas and are expected to influence the selection of the next one.
The Dalai Lamas are traditionally chosen through established customs, but India believes the next one may be installed under Chinese influence. He is expected to be groomed as per Chinese expectations. Dealing with China is expected to remain difficult in the current post-Mao era.
Thus, China—not Pakistan—is the real problem for India, and this is a rather complicated issue.
(Kingshuk Nag is a senior journalist who worked for TOI for 25 years in many cities including Delhi Mumbai Ahmedabad, Bangalore & Hyderabad. Known for his for fire brand journalism, he is also a biographer of Narendra Modi (The NaMo Story) and many others.)
