Poll Bound Pulpits, Loose Tongues & Lost Neighbours

 

For a decade now, the oratory from India’s right-wing leadership has been less about neighbourly affection and more about fanning fears, feeding bigotry, and occasionally—just for sport. In today’s hyper-connected world, foreign policy is no longer defined solely by strategic alliances, trade deals, or ceremonial photo opportunities between heads of state. Modern diplomacy now unfolds not just in official channels but also across the vast, unruly terrain of social media.

Among the most affected is our immediate neighbourhood, where we are deeply intertwined through geography, history, and shared cultural ties. Yet, despite these affinities, New Delhi's soft power diplomacy has come under strain, partly due to the unchecked and inflammatory rhetoric proliferating across social and televised media landscapes. Take Bangladesh for example.

Over the last few years, Indian political leaders have made several controversial remarks that have not gone unnoticed across the eastern border. In September 2018, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, while speaking in Rajasthan, referred to undocumented immigrants in Bengal as "termites," declaring that the BJP government would “pick them out one by one and throw them into the Bay of Bengal.” Similarly, in August 2024, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma described certain districts in his state as "mini-Bangladesh" due to demographic shifts, warning about the declining Hindu population (without realising Assam and Bengal were two peas in a pod before independence). During the heated West Bengal Assembly elections in March 2021, BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari cautioned voters, “Don’t give vote to Begum. If you vote for Begum, this will become mini-Pakistan.”

None of this remains confined to India’s raucous rallies. In the age of the internet, a sneeze in Delhi becomes a storm in Dhaka. Across Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, such rhetoric gets dressed up with music, motion graphics, and above all menace—shared, liked, and principally weaponised. While diplomats sip scotch whiskey and speak of civilisational ties or trade deals, the Bangladeshi public sees and hears quite another India: loud, prejudiced, and dangerously bigoted.

This backdrop of rhetorical aggression and public insensitivity became especially consequential during a recent shift in Bangladesh's political landscape. When Sheikh Hasina—India’s old ally and Modi’s comfort blanket—was ousted in 2024, replaced by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus among turmoil and mayhem on the streets. For many his ascent was met with cautious optimism. A celebrated global figure known for his pioneering work in microfinance & poverty alleviation, Yunus was expected to steer the country toward democratic reforms and enhanced regional cooperation.

On New Delhi’s part, instead of welcoming him with open arms and cautious optimism, India offered Yunus the cold shoulder. Why? Because he wasn’t Hasina. Yunus took a sharp turn. Within months of taking office, he aligned himself with Islamist factions and began cultivating ties with Beijing. His administration openly welcomed Chinese investment, including in strategically sensitive areas bordering India’s northeast. He even referred to Bangladesh as the “guardian of the ocean,” positioning the country as a gatekeeper to the Bay of Bengal and signalling a bold regional ambition. For India, these moves represented not only a diplomatic snub but a strategic loss, particularly in the context of growing Chinese influence in South Asia. Making it quickly became clear that Yunus was no Dr. Manmohan Singh—whose quiet intellect and global standing never came at the cost of national pragmatism—nor was he a Sukarno, who managed to balance global diplomacy with a strong domestic political vision.

The roots of this shift lie not merely in Dhaka’s internal politics but also in Delhi’s miscalculations. India’s diplomatic aloofness and tepid engagement created a vacuum—one that China quickly and skilfully filled. New Delhi’s reluctance to proactively build bridges with the Yunus administration, combined with the corrosive rhetoric emanating from its political class, alienated a potential partner and drove him toward India’s primary regional rival.

India’s foreign policy cannot operate in a vacuum, divorced from its domestic political narrative. In a world where perception increasingly defines power, every speech, social media post, and televised debate becomes part of a broader message that transcends borders. Rhetoric that vilifies neighbouring populations, even in the name of domestic politics, undermines India's long-term diplomatic goals.

The relationship with Bangladesh is too important to be left at the mercy of short-term political gains or inflammatory sloganeering. A successful foreign policy demands consistency—not just in official statements but also in tone and narrative. India must recommit to being a responsible regional power: one that leads with maturity, fosters inclusion, and values long-term partnership over populist posturing.

In conclusion Bangladesh is not our backyard; it is our mirror. We share bloodlines, borderlands, and Bengali poets. But all that heritage means little if we treat them as convenient allies or convenient scapegoats. The subcontinent has already seen what happens when arrogance guides policy and prejudice masquerades as patriotism.

https://www.deccanchronicle.com/opinion/columnists/wasbir-hussain-yunus-derails-bdesh-with-anti-india-islamist-line-1882718