New Delhi, February 2
India today formally communicated to Bangladesh its decision that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh would not be able to attend the February 6 to 7 SAARC summit in Dhaka in view of the security situation in the host country and "recent developments in our neighbourhood".
The Indian decision means that the indefinite postponement of the SAARC summit is now an inevitable formality because the SAARC charter stipulates that the seven-member grouping cannot hold a summit meeting until all members participate.
Sources in the Bangladesh High Commission here said the formal announcement was likely in the next 24 hours, though it was not clear whether it would be done by the outgoing Chairman (Pakistan) or the incoming Chairman (Bangladesh).
The reaction from Dhaka was on the expected lines. The Bangladesh High Commission here said: "We are shocked and dismayed at the unwarranted and unexpected decision of the Government of India not to attend the 13th SAARC summit when all preparations have been completed. The reasons given for this decision (by India) as far as it relates to the security situation in Dhaka are unacceptable and rejected outright.
"All Indian security concerns were fully considered and
accommodated. It is ironic that India undertook to announce the decision when Indian security
assessment team was still present in Dhaka and consulting our security agencies. It is regretted that once again a SAARC Summit has been postponed at the last moment because of a decision by the Government of India."
Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran, in a fast-paced question-answer
session with journalists today, conceded that the Indian government decision was spurred by the law and order situation in Bangladesh and by the fact that King Gyanendra had declared his decision to attend the SAARC Summit.
Analysts said the Indian decision was meant to deprive King Gyanendra from claiming legitimacy to his royal coup by sharing platform with him. The King would also have used the SAARC Summit for gaining legitimacy from the regional powers and could have found support from Pakistan and Bangladesh.
Mr Saran read out a prepared statement as follows:
"We have formally communicated to the Government of Bangladesh that India would not be able to attend the forthcoming SAARC Summit in Dhaka on the scheduled dates. A request has been made for fresh dates to be worked out through consultations among the member States.
"This decision has been taken against the background of recent developments in our neighbourhood, which have caused grave concern. The security situation in Dhaka has deteriorated in recent days following the fatal attack on the former Finance Minister of Bangladesh, Mr SAMS Kibria.
"The Government of India wishes to reiterate its continuing and consistent commitment to the SAARC process, and to increased regional cooperation among member states. It is only in an environment free from political turmoil and violence that a Summit would yield the desired outcome."
Mr Saran spoke to his Bangladesh counterpart and communicated to him the Indian government's decision. External Affairs Minister K. Natwar Singh spoke to the King of Bhutan as well as to the Foreign Minister of Sri Lanka on the same lines. Mr Saran also spoke to the Sri Lanka Foreign Secretary in this regard, but was unable to get through to
the Pakistani Foreign Secretary. He managed to speak to an Additional Secretary in the Foreign Office in Islamabad and communicated the same decision.
Asked by this correspondent if he feared increased bloodshed in Nepal and its fallout on India considering the fact that the Nepalese Army was dominated by Gorkhas and that Maoists comprised mainly non-Gorkhas, the Foreign Secretary said: “Any increase in violence in Nepal will have its fallout in India. It has already had a fallout in India in terms of the very large exodus of ordinary Nepalis escaping violence and economic deprivation from Nepal. So, it stands to reason that if there is intensification of violence in the country it will have its impact on India. We have a completely open border with that country.”
India had yesterday sent a high-level security team there for making an on-the-spot assessment of the ground situation. Though the team is yet to come back, its inputs were taken into consideration.
In the wake of a spate of bomb explosions and attacks on leaders of the Opposition, the Awami League, Bangladesh’s main opposition party, has given a call for a nation-wide strike on February 3, 5 and 6 — the last day coinciding with the commencement of the two-day SAARC summit.
Of a string of bomb blasts in Dhaka since January 31, one took place in Sheraton Hotel where Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was to stay.
