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We are ‘friends’ and friends we shall remain!

Foreign Relations

You see what is important is friendship and one ought to learn how to sacrifice everything for friendship. What if one Felani is hanging from the barbed wire, we can afford hundreds of Felanis to hang from the barbed wires to the full view of the world and still prove it’s a friendship built on rocks not on silt that is washed away by the mighty rivers criss-crossing this country.

“Why barbed wires if we are friends?” 
“You see it helps. Haven’t you read Robert Frost who defined good neighbours. Good fences make good neighbours. And additionally it helps in punishing the smugglers who are enemies to us both. We kill them like birds and hang them in medieval fashion” 
“Why do you welcome the hilsha smugglers and give them a red carpet reception?”
“You see we in northern India don’t eat fish, full of bones. It is the Babus in Kolkata who have not been able to forget the old habit of their forefathers who had their estates in your muddy country. 

And do you know what, they have it with mustard – Ugh! It’s hot and it burns. It is for their sake we take a lenient view of the fish smugglers. There is no demand for hilsa in UP and other northern states.”
“Why do you allow truck loads of phensidyl to enter Bangladesh?”
“Why do your border guards allow them entry? Besides, it is a good medicine for cold. Good for cooling your brain. Sends you to sleep and dream. Try them, it is really good for your youngsters who will remain cool and not agitate against our friends. Some of our friends in your country have million dollar business with the industry here.”

“You call yourself our friends. O.K. Why don’t cancel licence of these industries along the border producing Phensidyl?”
“We sure are your friends. But I told you it is good for your health and good for our friends in dealing with the new generation – it gives them dreams and stops their sense of politics and agitation. Moreover, it a million dollar business, I told you it is.”

“Tell me one thing – your leaders come here and tell us that there will be no killing on the border?”

“O come on! Don’t speak like a kid. They speak many things under the spotlight. But it is we who guard the border - preserve the sovereignty of the country at the cost of our lives. Don’t you remember the Chinese who killed us like birds in 1962 and we could not even return their fire. Did the Chinese Premier know how many Indians the soldiers killed? The ground realities are always different.”
“Why did the Indian court acquit the Havildar?”
“Simple man – he fired in self-defense”
“But in olden times, you much less reckless when BDR was there.”
“Forget those days. Don’t you see how you had to pay for their excesses and are still paying for them”
“Tell me how your men come here and get lucrative jobs without work permit?’
“Simple, friendship!”
“How can your Bollywood icons come here and get paid in undisclosed amount of dollars”
“Friendship”
“How can our imported furnace oil get across your border?’
“Friendship”.
“They say the Marwaris looted the sharemarket twice in twelve years? How could they get away with so much cash?
“Elementary, ‘Watson’ – friendship”
“Will there be more Felanis hanging from barbed wire in future?”
“Scores, scores – now that the court backs us up – we will not allow a sparrow to cross the border. After all, we are patriotic Indians.”
“But have not you heard of the melody of two Bengals – apar Bangla opar Bangla – trying to cement friendship.”
“Have not you heard of what Didi says about Teesta water?”
“Yes I have.”
“So much for apar opar, my friend, don’t forget they proudly call themselves Indians”
“But they say they are our kins, our friends.”
“Who says they are not?”
“We in South Block are your friends too.”

24219 views 0 comments Bangladesh India Felani controversy 

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