Hasina’s political asylum

Ms Sheikh Hasina has been permitted temporary stay in India. Giving  political asylum ,is bound to aggravate the on-going anti-India movement in Bangladesh (BD)besides escalating  atrocities against the Hindus. Massive infiltration of the Hindus is feared which would adversely impact India’s economy. There is another issue for India. For instance, could the BSF be permitted to use coercive means against the infiltrators? Do they have any chance of getting Indian citizenship? Backlash cannot be ruled out in India. Mohammad Yunus , the famous left-leaning economist and a Nobel Laureate, has been appointed as interim chief advisor and later as PM after elections within three months. Favorably inclined towards China, Yunus enjoys the army's support too. Bangladesh is India’s largest trading partner in south Asia. Their trade relations will be badly affected; mutually detrimental to both countries. No wonder, several Bangladesh projects could be hijacked by China causing incalculable harm to India’s economy. The military aspects cannot be ignored. India cannot afford to annoy the US, who would be interested in having air and naval bases in Bangladesh. In case of war with China and Pakistan ,India will be facing war on several fronts, the latest being indo- Bangladesh 4000 km long border. This would require recruitment/deployment of additional armed forces by India. Is India ready for this? Coming back to the asylum issue, there is a suggestion. PM Modi shares personal bonhomie with Sheikh Hasina. But, national interest is above personal friendship. India will have to rise above all this. The question of granting political asylum to Hasina, does not arise. Will it not be appropriate, if PM Modi uses his influence in locating a neutral country like UAE, Finland, Poland, Switzerland etc, any one of which could  grant political asylum to Hasina. The US and the UK have both regretted their inability to oblige the former PM of Bangladesh. Let us wait and watch !

 A K Saxena (A former civil servant)