‘If we had not helped…’: What Shashi Tharoor said on Sheikh Hasina?

Prominent Congress leader and MP Shashi Tharoor complimented the Indian government for giving refuge to Sheikh Hasina in the midst of violent protests in Bangladesh, which led her to resign and flee to India.

He believes that the major power shift in the neighbouring country is not troublesome for India and he said, “Our fundamental interest lies in close and friendly relations with Bangladesh; our basic commitment is to the well-being of Bangladeshi people; the state comes second, and any individual leader comes third.”

In an interview with NDTV, he emphasised that it is in India’s strategic interest to have good relations with neighbours, in particular that the people of Bangladesh should be given priority over any other consideration. He pointed to India’s consistent support to Bangladesh since the liberation in 1971 and the capacity of both countries to sustain a partnership even in periods when the political leadership of the two countries was not very friendly.

According to Tharoor, the present government in Bangladesh, led by Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus, is not considered a threat by India. Yunus, personally known to Tharoor, was depicted as a man of considerable importance who is closer to Washington than to Jamaat-e-Islami, or Pakistan’s ISI. As for the composition of the interim government, it seems that there is no reason for India to feel any worry regarding countries that are unfriendly to India putting their stamp on this interim government.

But Tharoor agreed that India’s main worry is whether Pakistan and China will use the opportunity to increase their sphere of influence in the region. It is still unclear whether the Pakistani ISI provoked violence during the protests and whether China could use the situation in Bangladesh to advance its goals there—these are the aspects that concern India.

On how long the former prime minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, will be residing in India, he said, “How long she wishes to remain is not for us. You don't call someone to your house and ask them when you are leaving. My view is that we wait and see how long she feels she can stay before she moves on. There are practical considerations before moving to any other country; there are visa considerations and other issues. For now, she is with us, and we should be proud of the fact that we have stood by a friend when her personal safety was in danger.”

On the issue of the increasing attacks on minorities in Bangladesh, Tharoor said that while it is true that there are such incidents, there are other progressive aspects. He said the reports show that Muslim Bangladeshis are safeguarding Hindu houses and temples during the turmoil, implying that a situation of both empathy and hostility is possible.

He also echoed hope after Muhammad Yunus’s speech when the latter took charge of the interim government of Bangladesh. Tharoor mentioned that Yunus has remained quite cautious in his comments in recent weeks as the tension started to build up and has said, “Any continuing violence will be instigated by those elements in Bangladesh's society who have traditionally been anti-Indian and anti-Hindu and will do whatever it takes to create the conditions of disorder that may allow them to fish in troubled waters. But for now, I don't believe there is any one authority who wants

Sheikh Hasina, who had to resign after protests against her government, has been in India for almost a week. During her visit, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar held a meeting with all political parties to discuss the situation; the opposition vowed to stand with the central government to resolve the crisis.