By Rudi Warjri
The life size statue of the legendary folk hero Tirot Sing was unveiled at the Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre , Dhaka , Bangladesh on February 16, 2024. Why Dhaka? Because Tirot Sing died a political prisoner in Dhaka on July 17, 1835. Tirot Sing was actually the Chieftain of one of the then Khasi States, the Nongkhlaw Syiemship in West Khasi Hills. His exemplary act of defiance and valour against the colonial depredation by the British grew up to historically inscribe Tirot Sing as the eponymous hero Chieftain of the entire Khasi Hills . His name evokes the collective emotions and pathos of the Khasi community even after nearly 200 years after his death. The famous lines attributed to Tirot Sing by Victor Bareh, “better die an independent King than reign as a vassal” have become timeless, comparable to poignant extracts from the Greek or Shakespearian tragedy literature.
One saw on social media the warrior’s impressive looking sculpture created by local Khasi sculptor Raphael Warjri. The vivacious and colourful art and cultural programme that filled up the occasion with Shillong’s leading music band Summersalt on the stage with all the traditional regalia , attire and musical instruments was a treat to watch. It makes one wish that one were part of the function. Also got a glimpse of the extent to which the next of kin of the Jaintia kingdom had spread its royal presence and writ in much closer Sylhet posted by a creative and dynamic bureaucrat. It may be also recalled that one Wickcliffe Syiem, Deputy Chieftain of the then Hima Nongstoin had refused to sign the Instrument of Accession in 1947 and chose to go to and settle in Sylhet, Bangladesh till he died .
According to media reports the unveiling of the statue was made possible because of the interest taken by the Meghalaya Government with the support of the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India and the High Commission of India in Dhaka. It would have also been in the fitness of things if the inauguration had been done jointly by a Minister from the Government of India and the Government of Bangladesh .
Now is the time to build up on the historical and emotional ties between the shared ancestry of Meghalaya and Bangladesh. The installation of the monumental Tirot Sing statue should not end up only as a culmination of historical emotions and panegyrize or live in the past. It should also serve as a reminder of the vision that Tirot Sing dreamed for his people, which is to be free not only politically but also willing to negotiate and open doors for relations with the British. In the current context, it means an economic opportunity for a democratic Meghalaya to look south towards Bangladesh. Exploring more opportunities for trade and commerce, investment , tourism more land and waterways connectivity etc .
We can start with implementing the Border Haats which are already in the pipeline like Kalaichar in Garo Hills and work with the concerned authorities in the Government of India, not only for more Border Haats but even Border Points, thereby exhausting all possibilities to restore the bilateral border economy to pre-partition days. The India Bangladesh Joint Statement issued during the visit of Prime Minister Hasina to India in 2022 had included a land connectivity project between Hili in West Bengal via Bangladesh to Mahendraganj in Garo Hills. Then exploiting the natural waterways. Umngot or Dawki river becomes Goyain river in Bangladesh which then joins the bigger Surma river and finally enters into the Bay of Bengal. A joint tourism activity could be created where tourists visiting either side could enjoy the boat rides, the human activities especially fishing and angling, the flora and fauna, the biodiversity etc. The people to people relationship can spin off into other larger projects like railways , power export , etc .
Changing the mindset of the majority tribal population in Meghalaya vis a vis . Bangladesh is however fundamental. Bangladesh came into being in 1971. Yes, any new country which has suffered colonialism inexorably inherited widespread poverty like India was in 1947. Bangladesh suffered double colonialism first, under the British and then under Pakistan. The prevailing sense of condescension over people of Bangladesh should go. More significantly, data is proof about the transformation taking place in Bangladesh that is better off than Meghalaya and even India itself .
The latest Hunger index of India out of 125 countries is 111 whereas Bangladesh is at 81. Bangladesh has maintained an average annual GDP growth of 6.4% between 2016 and 2021 better than even India’s. Its GDP per capita was $2,800 in 2022—already higher than India’s besides other improved indicators like infant mortality rate, maternal mortality rate and women empowerment .
According to the London Based Centre for Economics and Business Research the key factors shaping investments in Bangladesh are its investor friendly policies and a strong domestic market. Bangladesh’s young demographic turning professionals is boosting their spending capacity and creating a strong consumer base for attracting foreign companies. Consumer spending is further augmented by an expanding digital economy. The start-ups landscape has attracted over $880 million in funding over the last decade, with about 90% of these investments being external and has created more than 1.5 million jobs. Bangladeshi firms are also using their positive global rankings to leverage equity capital from overseas investors and Venture Capitals. All this convergence adds to an ecosystem building like other ventures around the world leading to a stable supply chain of suppliers, customers, technology partners, bankers, among others. These are concepts which are still alien to Meghalaya .
Moreover, looking south for Meghalaya is also the only choice. The much touted Act East Policy land connectivity with Thailand , Malaysia , Singapore and other South East Asian countries has come to a dead end . The signs and realities with regards to the situation that prevails currently in Manipur as well as its immediate border country Myanmar portrays an irredeemable scenario for the near future. Flagship Government of India projects like the Trilateral highway via Moreh in Manipur have stopped. The Kaladan multi-modal project connecting Kolkata via the Bay of Bengal and Sittwe port in Myanmar to Mizoram has been taken over by the rebel Arakan Army in Myanmar. This means that the Government of India will now have to explore ways of connecting with Mizoram via Bangladesh. Tripura is the only State from Northeast so far which has been able to cut across through Bangladesh by road, railways and waterways connecting with West Bengal and other parts of India bypassing the much longer chicken neck via Siliguri thereby saving on transport cost and distance dramatically. Assam should be doing the same but as a former High Commissioner of India in Bangladesh told me that the kind of pejorative narrative emerging out of Assam vis a vis Bangladesh was not helpful at all in building relations.
So Meghalaya should take courage from Tirot Sing. Look south, learn from and partner with Bangladesh to generate employment , growth and prosperity !
(The writer is former diplomat)