Sushma Swaraj’s visit reflects India’s resolve
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj's Bangladesh tour is in keeping with the Modi Government's foreign policy emphasis on India's immediate neighbourhood. It is yet another important step by the new regime to contain the loss in strategic space that India had suffered during the past decade of UPA rule. The Bangladesh tour is Ms Swaraj's first solo trip abroad — she had previously accompanied the Prime Minister on his maiden tour to Bhutan — since taking charge at South Block. It is expected to pep up bilateral ties and help prepare the ground for a prime ministerial visit sooner than later. In this context, the land border agreement and the Teesta water pact are of primary importance. Both are low-hanging fruits that haven't materialised because the previous regime in Delhi lacked the political will to reach out to critics and allay their fears. The fracas created by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over the Teesta water-sharing deal on the eve of then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's Bangladesh tour in September 2011 is just one example. Hopefully, the new Government will resolve these outstanding matters in a manner that satisfies domestic stakeholders as well as bolsters ties with a friendly neighbour. In the recent past, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has gone out of her way to flush out of Bangladesh anti-India elements which has helped improve the security situation in the North-East significantly. New Delhi, in its own interest, must uphold its end of the deal.
Two areas of cooperation that have flourished in recent years are commerce and infrastructure development. In the first case, Bangladeshi goods have been allowed easy entry into Indian markets. As a result, bilateral trade has crossed five billion dollars. In the second, both countries have embarked on an ambitious joint hydro-electric project that will deliver power from India to Bangladesh. As Ms Swaraj lands in Dhaka on Wednesday, some worry that the disagreement in New Delhi over easing visa norms for Bangladeshis — not to mention Prime Minister's Modi's strong rhetoric on illegal immigrants during the election campaign — may be an irritant. This is highly unlikely. As is the case in most other world capitals, the leadership in Dhaka too is looking forward to engaging with a determined and driven regime in New Delhi.