The Issue of FARAKKA:
An Introduction
VI. Pakistan's handling: "The Smell of Fried Fish" Approach
For this part, I found a small segment of the book, Tension Over The Farakka Barrage, very relevant. Also, my access to resources for this part is rather scanty. I am reproducing below the relevant segment, followed by my brief comments."In the history of Pakistan, throughout the entire period of 1947-71, Pakistan exploited East Bengal for the development and progress of West Pakistan. The cause of East Bengal and its interests were neglected by the Pakistani ruling authorities. It appears that the sphere of water resource development of East Bengal was also a neglected issue.
A Flood Control Organization was set up in 1955, EIGHT years after independence. In 1956 the Krug Mission (a United Nations Technical Mission) was appointed by the Government of Pakistan to study the flood control and water development problems of East Pakistan. In 1959, on recommendation of this body the Government of East Pakistan promulgated an ordinance setting up the East Pakistan Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) for the
unified and coordinate development of the water and power resources of the province. In 1964, 'SEVENTEEN years after the birth of Pakistan, an international firm of consulting engineers was consulted for water development in East Pakistan, a region dependent on agriculture, and where
drought, floods, cyclones etc. are chronic problems which damage its agricultural economy on a massive scale every year and where navigation is the widely used means of transport and communication. The firm presented a 'Master Plan.' 'The prime objective of the Master Plan for water was to realize the full agriculatural potential of the province in order to meet the food requirements of an undernourished and expanding population.
During Pakistan era, the only two important projects undertaken, were the Karnaphuli hydro-electric project of Chittagong and the Ganga-Kobadak irrigation project for southern part of East Pakistan. On the other hand, in the western wing of Pakistan ... several water development projects were undertaken. In addition, there are 'the great new irrigation barrages in the West Wing ... the biggest of which, the so-called Lloyd Barrage, is at Sukkur.'
It is quite evident from this account that the water resource potential of East Bengal was not duly considered and its significance to national economy was not realized in matters of plans and policies of Pakistan. Surprisingly, although Pakistan did not give due importance to the development of water resources in the Eastern Wing, they did take note of the Farakka Barrage
project. The simple reason of this patronage WAS NOT the ruling authority's concern for the economy of East Bengal but that there was a 'smell of fried fish' in this issue. Whoever has got some idea of India-Pakistan relation since the partition of the subcontinent in 1947, could easily realize that the Farakka issue attracted the attention of the Pakistani rulers primarily because it showed thta India has chalked out a line of action in respect of the Ganga water, which was injurious to East Bengal. Therefore, a direct evidence of 'Indian design' got due value at the Centre to divert the attention of the East Bengal. In February 1971, at a crucial stage of autonomy movement, water Investigation Directorate under the East Pakistan Water and Power Development Authority, Dacca, published a booklet, 'India's Farakka Barrage and its adverse effects of East Pakistan' and the East Pakistan, WAPDA also published 'Water Resource And Flood Control in East Pakistan.'
The Farakka Barrage project of India was taken up by the ruling authorities, in fact, in support of their own interests. This issue, they believed, might play the role of Kashmir in East Bengal. But it was not a matter of Kashmir issue's significance to the ruling coterie." [Begum, pp. 101-102]The long excerpt above aptly sums up Pakistan's handling of the pertinent issues. Their way was the usual way - as defined by the antagonistic India-Pakistan relationship since the partition. Regardless, 1971 Farakka was no more a headache for "Pakistan" as East Pakistan fought and parted its way with its western counterpart. Unfortunately, while the country became recognized as an independent nation, and the world slowly recognized the country as a new entity, it seems that our destiny as a nation had another twist. We became IN-Dependent: that is, India-Dependent in our policy and approach. A part of it was unavoidable, a part of it was our own folly, and a good part was volitional.
Go to Part VII: Meaningless, pre-1971 negotiations and the Fait Accompli .
Go to the Farakka Index
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