Lessons from Bangladesh and Congress follies

It is time to be vigilant. The repercussions of the influx of a large number of Bangladeshis created troubles for Assam and other northeastern states for the last five decades. I make no big statement when I say the Muslims from Bangladesh have entered Naga courtyards too and agricultural lands and business establishments are also being impacted.

Unknowingly or otherwise many Naga homes have opened doors for immigrants for cheap labour and household chores. In a broader sense, the situation in South Asia is undergoing drastic transitions. Most of the neighbourhood is in turmoil. In another neighbouring country, Myanmar there is one situation with the clashes between democratic forces and military junta creating ground for large numbers of people to enter Mizoram and parts of Manipur.

I was impressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 11th Independence Day speech on August 15th. It was also important because this year his speeches laid down the road map of Modi 3.0.

Left to me, I would say he scored on three fronts. Firstly, he spoke about women's safety and what these days is going on in states such as West Bengal. Even a medico is not safe and look at the selective amnesia of the Congress party. Secondly, Modi ji spoke about the need for a Secular Civil Code and thirdly he made India's position clear on Bangladesh.

The Honourable Prime Minister expressed concern over the safety of Hindus and other religious minorities in that country. These include Christians. Modi ji also said that India will always be supportive of Bangladesh’s growth and development.

We should not forget August 15th comes after August 14th. That was also a day when Pakistan came into being. Bangladesh was once part of the ‘united Pakistan’ only. All these also remind us of India's partition in 1947. Here comes the complicity of the then Congress stalwarts such as Jawaharlal Nehru.

Initially, it was planned that India's independence would be announced by June 1948. But the Britons tried to advance the date and pushed Partition and in the process took the 'cooperation' of Congress leaders.

Certainly, the Congress should seek a national apology for compromising with the Britishers and agreeing to the idea of the Two Nation theory and Partition.

The Congress party has a legacy of making compromises with larger national interests whenever it clashed with their political interests. In northeast Congress leaders were always under attack for being soft towards Muslim vote-bank and their Bangladeshi Muslim visitors. Have Congress leaders in Assam said sorry for that?

In contrast, the BJP and our leadership under visionary statesman Narendra Modi ji believe in 'National Awakening'. Our awakening call is linked to all Indians irrespective of caste and religion and is strictly dedicated to the cause of 'India first'.

The Partition of India also reminds us of the gross failure of the leadership - both civil and military - in Bangladesh to keep their country united. That also proved that Nationhood is something different. Religion alone cannot be a criterion to keep a country united. Hence Bengali Muslims in the then East Pakistan revolted and Bangladesh was born. 

The divisive politics of Congress that started with India's partition and bloodbath stuck even later. In 2023-24, the Congress leaders came out with their sinister plans to play up the Caste Card. But look at the hypocrisy, the moment Rahul Gandhi was quizzed about his own caste -- he and other opposition leaders lost their cool.

The hypocrisy stands exposed because Rahul Gandhi keeps saying that the Caste Census will certainly be done. Is it not like a big joke that a proponent of caste politics and caste census, Rahul Gandhi himself tells the nation -- Do not ask my caste?= History is not only a matter of recollection and writing articles in the media. History should provide us with some lessons. But the lessons must be learnt fast too. India has already delayed that process by 75 years.

The country tolerated and in some places accepted Congress with big hopes. But many such hopes only turned into futile dreams. 

Partition was like an incurable wound. It hurts, and we try to forget the pain but after every two decades or so - we realise what a big blunder it was. 

(M Chuba Ao is BJP National Vice President. Views are personal)