Indian Foreign Minister comes calling

The new Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi chose neighbouring Bhutan for his first foreign trip (June 15-16). And his external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj has chosen Bangladesh as the first destination of her bilateral visit. She arrives in Dhaka today on a three-day visit - from June 25-27. The visits by the prime minister and the external affairs minister to immediate neighbouring countries clearly reflect the desire of the Modi government to engage with the nations of geographical proximity.
Sushma Swaraj's visit to Bangladesh is expected to create a rapport between the new Indian government and the authority in Dhaka while the contentious bilateral issues may still be a hard nut to crack.  The present Indian government is apparently attaching great importance to improving relations with the regional countries. The presence of the SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) leaders at Modi's oath-taking ceremony on May 26 was a "diplomatic coup" by the new government. The presence of SAARC leaders at the event enhanced the image of the new prime minister in one hand and, on the other, created a kind of image of India that may help shed its "big brotherly" image in certain quarters. Never before regional leaders attended the swearing-in ceremony of the Indian premier or for that matter in any other country of the region. Modi has done it whatever be the future shape of things in matters of relations with the neighbours. The development may create a pressure on India's neighbours to maintain good ties with New Delhi. The new Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Indian government may justifiably claim that it has shown unprecedented cordiality to the regional countries.
The 2014 Indian elections were bitterly fought mostly on national issues, but ties with neighbours, including Bangladesh, also figured in the campaign. Bangladesh had often been mentioned in some Indian states that have geographical closeness with this country. Issues like the sharing of Teesta waters, Land Boundary Agreement (LBA) of 1974, situation along the borders, so-called "illegal infiltration" from Bangladesh across the border came up in the campaign.
Narendra Modi, during the campaign, said that his government would follow the foreign policy of Vajpayee government and sought to allay fears in some quarters that the BJP government could be harsh with some neighbours and also with the Indian minorities. He said at several public meetings that Muslims would have nothing to fear from his government.
Addressing election rallies in Paschimbanga and Assam,  Modi talked about "Bangladeshis" in all these areas and tried to make a distinction between the "Bangladeshis" on religious line, saying the "Hindus" would be treated with care by his government while the Muslims must leave India. Later, he avoided making distinction on religious lines. Many saw such comments as election rhetoric.
Paschimbanga Chief Minister Mamata Baneerjee blows hot and cold on the issues of Teesta and LBA. Of late she dropped hints of being lenient on the LBA but remains tough on the issue of sharing of waters of the Teesta. She claims to be keen to promote ties with Bangladesh, but is known to be unwilling to do it, what she says, "at the cost of water or land". In matters with Dhaka, Mamata is undoubtedly a big factor. Needless to say, Indo-Bangladesh matters are now being closely monitored by the analysts as a BJP-led government is at the helm in New Delhi. Sushma Swaraj's visit to Dhaka has aroused enormous interest in Bangladesh and it remains to be seen how the visit goes off as regards to shaping up the parameters of future bilateral ties.
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