At a time when India and Bangladesh is fast warming up their ties, the relaxed visa norms for Bangla citizens of ages above 65 and below 13 years may create fresh tensions particularly in the states of North East and in West Bengal. Way back in 2014, the External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had announced the relaxed visa norms in Dhaka and till date, it has not been implemented.
Now the Home Ministry is examining the pros and cons of the proposal and it seems, in the light of the positive bilateral developments with Bangladesh, India may agree to go ahead. Indeed, it is a landmark development in the history of India’s foreign policy that for the first time the bilateral relationship has been elevated to a new high wherein both sides have agreed to settle some of the vexed issues. Precisely, the optimists in Dhaka and Delhi believe that the Modi Government is capable of completing what the previous Manmohan Singh Government just started. Indeed, nowhere was the gap between diplomatic ambition and political weakness more evident than in the Manmohan Singh’s UPA Government’s engagement with Bangladesh.
The historic land Boundary Agreement was finally brought to reality by Prime Minister Modi though it all started by Manmohan Singh. Besides, lowering of tariff barriers for major Bangladeshi exports to India and an ever greater expansion of both road and sea link to the neighbor had heralded a new age in our bilateral relationship. Obviously, all the NE States are reaping the benefits of this renewed ties between the two nations.
On the backdrop of the improved ties with Bangladesh, it is to be seen how the Modi Government will address the concerns raised by Assam and West Bengal about the flow of Bangladeshis to the eastern part of the country. How the BJP-led Government in Assam, having coalition partners like that of the Asom Gana Parishad and the Bodoland Peoples Front which are in principle against the wave of Bangladeshis migrants to the state, will convince the locals about the Union Governments decisionIJ It is a precarious balance that the Modi Government has to maintain both with the Sheikh Hasina Government and its own Government in Assam.