Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will take part in two key events in her visit to India this week. However, both the programmes have unfortunately been marred by domestic petty politics of India.
These controversies have no direct connection with Bangladesh, but both are strongly related to the conflict between BJP Government at the Centre and the Trinamool Government in West Bengal. It is also well known that Teesta pact could not be materialised till date because of the resistance put up by West Bengal.
The first controversy is centred at Visva Bharati University at Shanti Niketan, where Hasina will officially inaugurate the ‘Bangladesh Bhavan’ on Friday (May 25).
Visva Bharati will host its annual convocation on the same day, where it confers civilian award ‘Deshikottam’ to eminent personalities. ‘Acharya’ Narendra Modi was supposed to hand over the awards.
However, the list for the potential awardees proposed by Visva Bharati did not get the green signal from Delhi. Visva Bharati being a Central University, Centre’s approval is mandatory in such cases.
Visva Bharati proposed author Amitav Ghosh and legendary lyricist Gulzar’s names for the award – both of whom are known BJP-baiters. The list also included Trinamool MP cum painter Jogen Chowdhury and veteran singer Dwijen Mukherjee, who is regarded very close to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
No surprise that BJP Government has scrapped the entire list. As an alternative, it was also contemplated at the last moment whether the award could be conferred to Bangladesh PM Hasina. But later it was discovered way back in 1998, she was awarded ‘Deshikottam’ – so that too, was ruled out.
“I can’t understand how a university fully run by Central Government grants can show such audacity! In fact we have reasons to believe Visva Bharati did this to ridicule Modi Government in front of our foreign guest (Hasina)”, a senior BJP leader cum minister told Bangla Tribune, in condition of anonymity.
Whether Trinamool Congress pulled any string in preparing Visva Bharati list is not clear yet. However, the fact remains for the first time ever there will be no Deshikottam awardee in the university’s convocation. A Deshikottam winner foreign prime minister will be there, but there will be no new recipient!
The second controversy is more direct and dirtier. In the second day (May 2) of her visit, Hasina will be receiving honorary D. Lit from Kazi Nazrul University near Asansol, but local MP and BJP leader Babul Supriyo has not been invited in that programme.
Visva Bharati is dependent on Central aid, but it is the West Bengal Government who says the last word in case of Kazi Nazrul University. So if Modi is dictating terms in the Visva Bharati programme, it’s Mamata Banerjee who’s calling the shots (on behalf of Nazrul University) in the Asansol event.
May be that is the reason Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Governor KN Tripathi or even West Bengal Education Minister Partha Chatterjee – all of them appear at the invitation letter for the programme (where Hasina will be given D Lit), but Asansol MP and Union Minister Babul Supriyo’s name doesn’t figure there.
Babul himself has strongly condemned this ‘lack of political courtesy’. After hue and cries over this issue, Nazrul University authorities later reluctantly said they would invite the BJP MP in the event.
In the meantime, Bollywood legend Sharmila Tagore, who too was supposed to be conferred D. Lit along with Hasina on that day, has pulled out for her other commitments. So for sure, the glamour quotient of the programme won’t be that strong any more.
However, Hasina or Bangladesh government had nothing to do with these controversies. But as both the events are taking place in West Bengal, the conflict between the state Government and the Centre is definitely affecting it.
And in order to pave the way for Teesta pact, needless to say this is not at all a positive signal!