By Zain-ul-Abideen

None of the Indian neighbor countries has remained safe from Indian atrocities. Bangladesh is another name in the list of victimized countries. India had been planning to construct a Tipaimukh Dam in Barak River (known as Surma, Kushiara in Bangladesh) for last four decades, which is located on just 1 km north of Bangladesh’s north-eastern border. It was planned to construct the dam for the purpose of producing electricity without the concern and discussion of Bangladesh. Bangladeshi people of the surrounded villages had the risk of their lives and they have come up for protests against India. Despite the huge protests from Bangladesh, India had been hiking her struggles for hydroelectric project since 2012. Bangladesh is a lower riparian country for Barak River. It borders with Mizoram on Indian side and it affects the whole north eastern Bangladesh’s districts Sylhet, Sunamganj, Moulavibazar, Habiganj, Brahmanbaria, Kishoreganj, Netrokona, Norshingdi and Narayanganj. Bangladesh has always opposed India to safe her border villages but India’s response was always shirking while constructing the dam. Hasina Wajid talked to her then Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh many times but in vain.

Once the dam will be completed, being a lower state, Bangladesh will have to pay its consequences because the huge dam will stop the water towards Bangladesh. Due to which, the agriculture lands of Bangladesh will get effected and farmers of the bordered districts will come to their knees. It will also affect fisheries, vegetation and greenery including local flora and fauna. A big number of people and livestock will displace themselves from these border areas. The uncontrollable immense natural disasters will take place. India wants to make specific part of Bangladesh a desert area. Millions of people depend upon the fresh water of the Meghna for their survivals. Bangladesh is already facing huge troubles due to climate change led to water shortages. A 286.20 sq. km Land area would come under water forever. The Barak waterfalls and Zeilad Lake, which are connected with the history of the Zeliangrong people, would forever be underwater. More than 40,000 people would be rendered landless. Eight villages situated at the Barak Valley would be completely underwater. More than 90 villages, mostly in the Tamenglong district, would be badly affected. About 27,242 hectares of cultivable land would be vanished.

Two important rivers of Bnagladesh, Surma and Kushiara will dry up because they directly get the water from Barak River. India will stop water in Barak River, these Surma and Kushiara rivers will be finished up of water then India will open the spillways from Barak River in off seasons. The sudden flow of water will bring flood in Bangladesh’s river areas.

People of both countries will be getting affected and they are much wise people because they are aware of Indian intentions of building a big dam on the trans-border territory. Not only Bangladesh government has been protesting against the Indian project, but the common people of both countries are protesting against Indian government, because people of these border villages will suffer the consequences of this large dam. They are raising voices on social media; they have raised multiple slogans against Indian government and this project. One of their common slogans is that “Tipaimukh Dam is death to Sylhet and Bangladesh, it must be closed.” The people of both Bangladesh and India have launched a strong green progress against the Dam. The movement has taken various shapes; it had been started from streets to indoor protests. It took place in seminars and discussion meetings to virtual protests through Twitter, blogs, and other online web pages. The movement had gone to the stage of submission of petition UNO. This has become a very serious issue in which India is using different kind of Hippocratic techniques to bring Bangladesh closer in this regard.

India is completely thinking of its own interest in making the dam. It does not have any concern if the people of border areas and all of the population linked with the rivers die with hunger or drown in the flood. India always keeps the hegemonic policy towards its neighbors; same it has done with Pakistan. India has constructed number of dams on Indus Rivers by violating Indus water treaty with Pakistan. It only wants dominancy in the region because it is seeking the role of a lord in the Indo-pacific trade. India is trying to increase its influencing role inside of countries which are bordered with it. Regional countries have to recognize her as a black sheep and India should stop her hegemonic position and policies regarding its neighbors.