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Foreign Affairs expert Robinder Sachdev said that the key thing now is to observe how Bangladesh acts after Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri's meeting with Bangladesh Chief Muhammad Yunus.
In conversation with ANI, Sachdev said that after Misri's meeting, if Bangladesh government doesn't act right, it would mean they intentionally don't want to keep good relations with India.
"Secretary Misri's meeting I think was very important today. The key thing is now to look forward to how Bangladesh acts after this meeting. Proof of the pudding lies in the eating right. We have laid our concerns to the government or to the interim government of Bangladesh which is there. Secretary Misri has laid out the entire nine yards. Now we have to see if in the next one month or two months maximum there is any change in the ground situation in Bangladesh, particularly with regards to the issue of minorities and atrocities against Hindus. If there is some change, then it indicates that the intent of the current dispensation in Bangladesh is to work in a mature manner with India. If we do not see any change on the ground after this visit by Secretary Misri, then it means that the powers that be in Bangladesh are intentionally not wanting to normalize or bring relations with India on a normal path. Certainly we absolutely look forward to and that's what we envision- a positive, constructive, contributory relations with Bangladesh. The issue which is happening right now, it seems that the interim government in Bangladesh is either hostage to the extremist elements, anti-India elements or is ineffective or itself does not want to work closely in cooperation with India," he said.
Sachdev said that Bangladesh must respond to the situation with maturity.
"So, whatsoever the fact be, the problem for us right now seems to be from the Bangladesh side that we want them to reciprocate. We are ready to reciprocate. Our secretary went there to Dhaka to discuss all these matters. Now what we want to see is them reciprocating for a relationship which is mature, reciprocal, cooperative and any issues can be discussed over a discussion," he said.
Sachdev said that the impact of Syrian situation in India is the influence of Turkey in the region.
"The impact on India of the situation in Syria on the one hand is not much directly. There will be many factors which will impact us also if there is more instability in Middle East, you know oil and many other things. But I think the one main thing for India to look out in this is the role and influence of Turkey. Whatever is happening in Syria today is heavily influenced by Turkey. The rebel group is aided by Turkey. And secondly now when a new government will be formed in Syria or some arrangement in that arrangement Turkey will play a very important role. What that means is that Turkey will assume a more influential position in the Middle East, Iran is weakened. The other pole is of course Saudi Arabia. Amongst the Islamic world the champions of the leaders, Turkey will increase its influence geopolitically in the Middle East in the world," he said.
Sachdev told ANI that in the past, Turkey's stance on India has not been favourable.
"The issue with respect to India is that Turkey has not been a very friendly nation to us sometimes in the past. Issues of Kashmir, 370 or some such Turkey has raised uncomfortable questions needlessly. So it is not in our interest that Turkey's influence increases even more and more. But we'll have to see maybe India will help support because there will be many models or options of how to resolve the situation in Syria. India will be a part of some of those discussions. In those discussions I think we should look out and see that what can be some alternative solutions in Syria where Turkey does not have a heavy hand," he said.
