Sir — West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee received a warm welcome from Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. However, it is doubtful if Ms Banerjee’s heart is in the right place. She has always been under the strict watch of a Bengali-speaking Muslim Minister, whose interests lie in placating the sentiments of the Urdu-speaking Muslims who form a substantial section of his electorate.
From the start, Ms Banerjee has been eager to maintain a separate political identity. This is why she did not want to accompany Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Bangladesh. But the streets of Dhaka were decorated with festoons of Mr Modi, Ms Hasina and Ms Banerjee which nullified her attempts to keep aloof.
Now what will she doIJ If she gives a green signal to the Teesta water-sharing agreement, she will please Bangladesh and the Bengali-speaking Muslim community of West Bengal. The Urdu-speaking Muslims of West Bengal will not be pleased. In her heart, she probably wants to reciprocate the warmth of Ms Hasina but her head is hesitant.