The Issue of FARAKKA:
An Introduction
VII. Meaningless, pre-1971 negotiations and the Fait Accompli
In 1971 Bangladesh became recognized as an independent country at the table of the nations of the world. However, the word "independent" may have more than one connotation as Bangladesh also emerged and evolved as an "IN-Dependent" (INdia-Dependent) country.
Before we delve into the post-1971 part, it is worthwhile to have a feel for all the "negotiations" that took place during pre-1971 period between Pakistan and India.
Since 1951, when Pakistan was informed about India's plan about the Farakka barrage and Pakistan's communication begun with India, so many proposals have changed hand, meetings have taken place and negotiations/exchanges have gone through. "This nine-year long 'letter-exchanging negotiation' at last came to an end in 1960 when the first meeting of experts was held, which marked the of exchange of voluminous 'data'. Between June 1960 and January 1962 there were four meetings of water resource experts of the two countries. In the first of these series of meetings, India provided only some information about the plan of it Teesta Barrage Project. In late 1960, in the second meeting the project report on Farakka was provided. Thus, WHILE THE EXPERT'S MEETING WAS IN PROGRESS, the leader of the Indian experts informed their Pakistani counterpart by a letter dated 30th January 1961 that THE CONSTRUCTION WORK OF THE FARAKKA BARRAGE HAD STARTED. ...
The only important event, so far as the progress of settling the Farakka dispute of this period was concerned, was a fruitless meeting between President Ayub and Prime Minister Nehru. More important was that the meeting WAS NOT MEANT FOR FARAKKA. ... From then onwards Pakistan always opted for a political meeting but unfortunately no such meeting could be held because of India's demand for more and more data and further information which at no stage could be considered adequate by her to be adequate or conclusive." [Begum, pp. 91-92]
The desired expert-level meeting did not take place for years due to the Indo-Pakistan war in 1965. In 1967 India denied a Pakistani request to have a High Commissioner's meeting. Through all these delays and diversions, Farakka Barrage construction continued. By 1970 India has been shifting the issue away from the construction of the Barrage to the sharing of water, maintaining all along that East Bengal's needs would be kept in view. "The main outcome of these consultations was that in spite of the greater need of Calcutta Port, East Bengal's reasonable requirements of water were kept fully in view in designing the Farakka Barrage project. There was, however, no discussion on sharing of the Ganga Waters." [Begum, p. 92 citing Indian government documents.]
"It is evident ... that India's demand of data and information was only to keep Pakistan busy in supplying data and information on the one hand and to get the construction of the Farakka Barrage complete on the other. It is to be taken into account that during this period the construction of the Barrage had been undertaken in 1961 and ws completed in 1971 (except the feeder canal). It was an intentional prolongation of the talks with the determination of going ahead with the project." [Begum, p. 93]
In Lok Shobha, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of External Affairs of India was asked "if the work on the project would go on, what purpose was served by continuing the negotiations". He replied, "It is good to talk things over IN A GENERAL WAY." [Begum, p. 93, citing Lok Shobha Debates.] Of course, this was merely an echo of what Pandit Nehru has iterated several years earler in regard to Pakistan's objection to the project: "We have not allowed it (the project) to be stopped or suspended and WE DO NOT INTEND TO STOP IT IN ANYWAY." [Begum, p. 93, citing Lok Shobha Debates]
"So negotiations continued with a precondition on the part of India that India would not take into account Pakistan's opinion or views on its Farakka project. As a result, Pakistan's objections, demands or requests were deflected.
In June 1968, Pakistani experts were allowed to visit the project. In the July session of the Lok Shobha the opposition raised the question why Pakistani experts were allowed. Dr. K.L. Rao answered that they were allowed to see that the two-thirds of the project has been done and 'the project can be treated as a complete project.' He told: 'After seeing the project they are convinced THAT IT IS OVER." [Begum, p. 94, citing Lok Shobha Debates]
Thus, the next phase of the Indian strategy was to shift the focus from the issue of building the barrage to the reality that it is a fait accompli and then to deal with how to make use of the barrage. Soon, Farakka was not to be Pakistan's headache any more. In the process, ruling authority of Pakistan would be the primary culprit in providing the reasons for the break up of Pakistan, and at the climax of the heroic liberation struggle of Bangladeshi people India would play a noble role of midwifery to deliver IN-Dependent Bangladesh, where Bangladesh would hesitate to deal with the Farakka issue except in a meek, friendly way.
Go to Part VIII: Ganges, the INDIAN River.
Go to the Farakka Index
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