A Brief Colonial History Of Ceylon(SriLanka)
Sri Lanka: One Island Two Nations
A Brief Colonial History Of Ceylon(SriLanka)
Sri Lanka: One Island Two Nations
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Thiranjala Weerasinghe sj.- One Island Two Nations
?????????????????????????????????????????????????Saturday, May 2, 2020
Corona Pandemic: Health Issue Of Bangladesh And North-East India
Bangladesh and India are maintaining lockdown for more than one month to contain the spread of COVID-19. During this lockdown, new eyes have opened as we realize, the centralized healthcare system is not effective in the periphery area.
Before the corona pandemic, we had thought about many issues between
Bangladesh and North-East India. Over the last eleven years, the
governments of Bangladesh and India have been trying settling some
issues, and they have come up with many issues between Bangladesh and
North-East India. At the beginning of Sheikh Hasina’s second term regime
in 2009, both the governments have emphasized the internal security in
the North-East border belt of Bangladesh and the whole seven sisters. By
the iron hand of Sheikh Hasina within very short, the outlaw groups of
North-East India displaced their hiding shelter from Bangladesh to India
and eventually got bound to surrender to the Indian government. So, a
peaceful North-East India is a gift to India from Sheikh Hasina, said by
the common people of India.
After settling the security issue, obviously economic and infrastructure
issues came ahead. The businessmen of the two countries have started
their survey on how they can go forward. In the meantime, many of the
industrialist houses of Bangladesh already have entered in the
North-East market with their agro-based and construction commodities and
they are enjoying good business too. Meanwhile, Bangladesh and India
have settled their long time land boundary dispute. It was also
enthusiastic for the people of North-East India and their neighbor
Bangladeshi border belt people.
The peaceful settlement of the land
boundary dispute also helped to open up the border belt economy
peacefully. The country which enjoys such a long land border in the
world must have to maintain the border economy for stopping smuggling.
The land border of Bangladesh and India is the fifth-longest border in
the world. So, like Mexico and American border, Kazakhstan and Russia,
Chile and Argentina, Bangladesh and Indian land border is also the route
of smuggling goods for the two neighboring countries’ smugglers. It is
proven that only the border economy can be a remedy against the border
smuggling. On this point, two countries have started to open up many
land routes for legal business in the border areas, even granted a
program for opening border market. It is, no doubt, a good initiative.
Besides, both the countries are gradually advancing to open up many big
windows, like opening railway service, highway, natural resource-related
industries, hydraulic power plant, and gas-based power plant in
joint-venture. Many of the economists in India, Bangladesh and other
economic organizations of the world also expressed their views that if
Bangladesh and North-East India become successful to open up this big
window, the region will be one of the game-changers in the South Asian
economy.
Therefore, we can sum up, both the governments have made this area
peaceful first and settled some long pending issues. Then, they are
gradually advancing for opening a new economic zone which will be a
unique economic zone and easily connected with Eastern Asia. Precisely,
it is one kind of economic gateway for Bangladesh and India for
maintaining the connection with Eastern Asia. This future economy
certainly is one of the main goals of India and Bangladesh regarding
North-East Indian soil.
On the contrary, corona pandemic has changed the mode of development
thinking in this area in the meantime. Bangladesh and India are
maintaining lockdown for more than one month to contain the spread of
COVID-19. During this lockdown, new eyes have opened as we realize, the
centralized healthcare system is not effective in the periphery area.
Beside that these eyes also say, the healthcare system of North-East
India and the North-East border of Bangladesh is not only insufficient
but also highly poor. With this, it can be said, two countries have
thought about many economic game-changer balls in the last eleven years,
but they never thought about health issues. It is a matter of fact that
comparing the size of the economy and military power, the overall
healthcare system is negligible in both of the countries. In these two
countries, India is manufacturing fighter jet, fighter ships, missiles
even atomic bombs. Simultaneously, another country Bangladesh is
purchasing fighter jet Mig-29 and Submarines. On the other hand, in
India and Bangladesh, they have no workable health insurance. Even,
overall healthcare system is absolutely helpless for fighting any
epidemic and pandemic.
However, it is not fair losing time only to criticize the past policies.
Rather, it is better to make a correct future plan, learning from the
current dangerous situation. But truly, it is very early for planning
anything before corona math, for we are now fighting against COVID-19
for saving lives. Now, obviously taking our present infrastructure, we
have to try our best for saving people’s lives. By the way, this black
time will be over but it has taught us a big lesson. We have thought
about the economy and defense of the country for our people but didn’t
think about the healthcare system with that much priority. Corona attack
has taught us that without saving life, there is no value of economic
development and raising defense power.
After this corona math, Bangladesh and India obviously will think about
the healthcare jointly, because, corona lockdown has made us realize
that the centralized healthcare is meaningless at the time of lockdown
and in other crisis periods. So, it is better to decentralize the
healthcare infrastructure. That’s why both the countries should think
jointly regarding the healthcare of the border areas.
Some Bangladeshi districts are more connected with North-East India,
simultaneously, with North-East border belt too. After overcoming corona
attack, India and Bangladesh need to set up good medical education
institutes, medical management institutes, and healthcare institutes in
these border-belt areas. Some institutes could be built up in Bangladesh
and some others in North-East India according to the ease of
communication where both countries’ people can go. We have to keep in
mind, this border belt healthcare is more necessary than the border
economy now.
Swadesh Roy, Senior Journalist, Dhaka, Bangladesh. He is a highest
state award winning journalist and can be reached at
swadeshroy@gmail.com