India-Bangladesh cultural exchange: Memory, identity and future

The relationship between Bangladesh and India now seems to be standing on a razor’s edge. To me, culture is not just music, dance or theatre, but everything that humans do, build and change upon this landscape. Agriculture is culture, cooking is culture, and therefore even fishing is culture. That is why I do not know whether we should see as cultural exchange the recent incident in which 95 people lost their way into the seas of Bangladesh, were caught by police of the other country, and, as I heard, were returned after being beaten severely. If it is an exchange, surely it is not an example of “lawful” or mutually desired exchange between two countries.

By exchange, what we really mean is the latter. Two countries will exchange goods, knowledge, art, inspiration and goodwill for each other’s stability, benefit and progress, and will assist each other when needed (militarily or otherwise). This is natural, and since the emergence of Bangladesh in 1971, this has mostly happened despite many ups and downs. During the Liberation War, India stood beside emerging Bangladesh both militarily and humanely, gave shelter to ten million refugees, and about 1,600 of its soldiers laid down their lives in that war. Until the August coup, this “exchange” was frequently mentioned in Bangladesh’s public sphere. Later, the Indian military even gave training to the Bangladesh army, I have heard, though I do not know what other kinds of training were given. More recently, 50 Bangladeshi judges were scheduled to come to India for training, but it was reported that the present government of Bangladesh has cancelled it.

However, since the Liberation War, there has been regular exchange of goods between the two countries. Bangladeshis have come in groups to Kolkata, Hyderabad and Chennai for medical treatment, and they have shopped extensively in New Market and Gariahat. They have gone on pilgrimage to Ajmer Sharif and elsewhere. Many descendants of refugees who had once come to West Bengal have rushed eagerly to see the ancestral homes of their forefathers, and have shed tears sitting on abandoned homesteads. In the same way, refugees from this side have gone to visit Bangladesh. The late writer Hasan Azizul Haq rushed to his village in Burdwan, and Professor Anisuzzaman to his homestead in North 24 Parganas or to a rented house in Park Circus. Bangladeshi students came to study in India, and every year at our Rabindra Bharati there was a steady “stream” of Bangladeshi students, as at Visva-Bharati. Other universities were not deprived either. Singers came from that side, and from this side too, theatre troupes travelled, joint art workshops were held in both countries, professors travelled back and forth for various discussions. Even a person like me was invited to the Bangla Academy to edit Bangla grammar jointly with a senior professor there.

Here at Nandan and elsewhere, we have crowded in to watch Bangladeshi films. Only the other day we watched the excellent film on Sheikh Mujib made by the recently deceased Shyam Benegal. It was reportedly jointly produced by the Film Division of India and the Bangladesh Film Development Corporation. The most visible, open and desired participation, however, was Bangladesh’s in the Kolkata Book Fair. For many years, Bangladesh’s pavilion had stood like a palace at the Kolkata Book Fair grounds, and we were used to seeing long queues of curious readers and buyers outside. Those queues were built of trust, expectation and love. Bengalis on this side believe that our kin, sharing the same language on the other side, have made admirable achievements in various fields of knowledge, aesthetics and culture, and that we must learn about them; otherwise, as Bengalis, we remain incomplete. Bengalis on the other side too have shown the same, perhaps even greater, respect and interest in the literature and cultural heritage of this side. I do not know how strong that memory still is in Bangladesh now.

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In that history of exchange, a break, or at least a period of instability, now seems imminent. I have already mentioned the news of 50 Bangladeshi judges not coming to India for training. I do not know whether the earlier government had taken the decision for training and the present government cancelled it; but the decision not to participate in the book fair is undoubtedly that of this government or this regime. Readers know that for many years books from Bangladesh have been present in various ways in Kolkata. The demand was there from the beginning, because in Bangladesh, or earlier in East Pakistan, notable intellectual, discursive and creative literature was being produced, and Bengalis on this side were aware of it. But there was no easy way of obtaining those books. A few booksellers of Kolkata brought a handful, which only increased the thirst for them. This writer, in the early 1970s, was excited to see a vast collection of books and periodicals from Bangladesh at the University of Chicago library, and tried to make the best use of that opportunity in his own writing.

Then came Bangladesh. At universities here, Bangladeshi literature became a special part of the syllabus of Bangla literature, and so the demand for those books grew. A few publishers and booksellers began bringing in books from there, and the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in Kolkata first opened a library with Bangladeshi books. Then from the first decade of this century, Bangladeshi publishers began to participate actively in the Kolkata Book Fair. At the centre of the fair they had a pavilion like a palace, with many publishers setting up stalls inside.

On the other hand, probably from 2001, a completely independent book fair of Bangladeshi books began to be held before Durga Puja, at the West Bengal Bangla Academy grounds or at Mohor Kunja. The Bangladesh Deputy High Commission arranged various learned discussions there. Along with this, some major publishers of Bangladesh also came forward to open branches in the College Street area.

This year that vast pavilion of Bangladesh was absent from the Book Fair. Bengalis of West Bengal are disappointed, and many students and general readers wait all year for such opportunities. I do not know what will happen to the branches of Bangladeshi publishers. If they withdraw their presence under pressure or due to security concerns, it will be very tragic. I have written elsewhere about this. I have heard that in the tense atmosphere, Indian authorities said they could not ensure the security of Bangladeshi publishers, so the publishers became discouraged. If that is true, it is very sad. In general, we cannot imagine such a reaction from the people of West Bengal. As a result, doubts have arisen about whether Bangladesh’s own Book Fair will be held this year; most likely, it will not.

It is true that news of some undesirable attacks and injustices against Hindus in Bangladesh has caused some agitated reactions in this country. For example, some doctors announced that they would not treat Bangladeshi patients (possibly those of a particular community). In an exhibition in Durgapur, Dhakai saris were reportedly burnt. We have condemned such attitudes and said that patients are simply patients, they have no caste or religion; likewise, if Dhakai saris are burnt here, Murshidabadi ones will be burnt there. There is no end to this, and it is no solution to any crisis. Moving towards conflict in this way is neither appropriate nor beneficial for any neighbouring countries. But for some people, creating and sustaining tension is their livelihood, they see it as a way of gaining political power. They do not understand that this is purely harmful for the people of both countries. Hence we are witnessing a competition of spreading absurd and foolish rumours, believing them, and creating more tension. We condemn this effort.

We notice with concern that Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser, Nobel Laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus, his advisers, the political parties and the people of Bangladesh are not speaking in one voice. Nor is Dr Yunus himself speaking consistently in one voice. His views about India, in particular, seem to be changeable like mercury.

We want the relationship of easy exchange between the two countries to be re-established. India should supply what Bangladesh needs. There is no dominance in this, Bangladesh will buy by paying, and India will only gain, not lose. Bangladesh’s products should come to India, as should its patients, buyers, workers, professionals, artists and intellectuals. In both countries, all communities should live with peace and security. The people of Bangladesh should elect a government of their choice; but there should be goodwill between India and Bangladesh, and at the public level, all forms of exchange should resume once again.

Pabitra Sarker: Linguist, writer, theatre critic, educationist and researcher