That India has had waves of newcomers is historical.  And now the original inhabitants of the country comprise only five percent of the population.

Known as Adivasis, they inhabit mostly parts of Central India as well as the northeast to which they were taken by the British for agricultural work.  They also, particularly the women, harvest tea carefully picking the suitable leaves until they have met their daily quotas.  Powerless people are frequently abused as are they.

Owners of the tea gardens hire out the harvesting and pay little attention to the working conditions or wages of the tea pickers.  Minimum wage laws are flouted so much so that the workers often resort to their hunter/gatherer origins, picking roots, mushrooms and wild-edible plants to supplement their diet and fill their bellies.

Among the very early waves of migration to India, steppe farmers left their mark.  In waves they came to Iran then to India bringing herding and farming to the native peoples.  They introduced wheat to the northwest, a particularly nourishing crop though not ideally suited to the rest of India.  Known for their Indus Valley Civilization, they thrived for millennia from 3300 to 1300 BC.  Over this extended period naturally there was mixing with the extant Indian populations.

Groups fanned out eastward and continued to mix with locals, the aborigine Indians, and formed eventually a homogenized population comprising 25 percent Iranian farmer and 75 percent aboriginal Indian.  Thus the Dravidian people.

This mixture, called “Ancestral South Indian” by scientists, is now found predominantly in peninsular India. 

Next to come were the Indo-Aryans, a Central Asian people who spread west to Europe and the Middle East, and also south towards India; first to Iran and Afghanistan and eventually through the Hindu Kush mountain passes to India.

They are responsible for what became known as the Vedic religion, the ancestor of Hinduism.  They introduced the Indo-Aryan languages and also the division of society into four groups based on occupation, the forerunner of modern castes.  DNA studies have validated their presence.  Thus in the Swat valley, tests on remains prior to 1200 BC do not have steppe ancestry but later ones do — confirming the mixing of the migrants with locals. 

Yet despite the DNA evidence, the ruling BJP party in India has tried to give these people a native Indian origin.

The Muslims were to come later and in the centuries that they ruled India, they became Indian themselves, and their culture, architecture, religion and languages were swallowed up and absorbed.  From the Red Fort in Delhi to the Taj Mahal in Agra and even Rajput palaces, their imprint now defines India.

To marginalize the oldest Indian peoples and the newest is to deny India’s rich heritage.

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Dr. Arshad M. Khan is a former Professor based in the US. Educated at King's College London, OSU and The University of Chicago, he has a multidisciplinary background that has frequently informed his research. Thus he headed the analysis of an innovation survey of Norway, and his work on SMEs published in major journals has been widely cited. He has for several decades also written for the press: These articles and occasional comments have appeared in print media such as The Dallas Morning News, Dawn (Pakistan), The Fort Worth Star Telegram, The Monitor, The Wall Street Journal and others. On the internet, he has written for Antiwar.com, Asia Times, Common Dreams, Counterpunch, Countercurrents, Dissident Voice, Eurasia Review and Modern Diplomacy among many. His work has been quoted in the U.S. Congress and published in its Congressional Record.

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In light of recent global geopolitical commutes, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s impending visit to India will have a highly beneficial impact and usher in a new era of bilateral and regional cooperation.  It has been three years since the last visit of Premier Sheikh Hasina before the Covid 19 Pandemic in 2019. The visit is significant for both Bangladesh and India, and various agreements and MoUs are anticipated to be signed there incorporating connectivity initiatives in land, water, energy, and sub-regional forms. From strengthening political and cultural ties to fostering economically beneficial associations, ‘connectivity’ has become a buzzword in recent years. In the wake of globalization’s second wave, strengthening regional and sub-regional cooperation is widely appreciated and acknowledged at all levels. Thus, connectivity has emerged as a hallmark in Bangladesh-India bilateral relations in recent times. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said, “We need to improve our connectivity. India’s North Eastern provinces – Assam and Tripura – could have access to Chattogram port if the countries’ connectivity is improved”. India and Bangladesh made bold moves to bolster communication via roads, rail, and waterways which would harness the prospects of regional connectivity. The visit is expected to provide a framework for a multimode of connectivity after the two countries resolved major disputes over land and maritime boundaries. Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Vikram Kumar Doraiswami observes that improving trade and transport connectivity between India and Bangladesh, as well as other neighboring countries can be a game-changer not only for the two countries but for the entire region.

Why is Connectivity so Important?

Bangladesh and India have similar historical and cultural roots and a lot of common areas of cooperation which paves the way for a robust strategic partnership. Additional similarities in the bilateral relationships reflect comprehensive cooperation founded on sovereignty, along with equality, trust, and understanding much more than just a neighbor. The implementation of bilateral and sub-regional connectivity projects needs to be accelerated by Dhaka and Delhi as Bangladesh plays a significant role in India’s extensive effort to implement its Look East Policy due to its geographic location and its geographical proximity to India’s northeastern provinces. On the flip side, by boosting its exports to northeastern India and imposing tolls on the vehicles that transport Indian goods across Bangladesh’s land or waters, Bangladesh can also gain significantly. Bangladesh and India share the fifth largest land boundary and 54 joint rivers. Connectivity may offer the routes through which development impulses can be transmitted throughout the region and may increase the dynamism of economic and social advancement in India as well as its neighbors to the east and south. The purpose of the Bangladesh-India connectivity is to resurrect earlier routes that had been in use up until the 1965 India-Pakistan War. Both administrations launched numerous measures to reestablish train connections and other communication ties before 1965. Such advances in India have the prospect of heralding significant changes in its own eastern and northeastern states, including Kolkata.

The expansion of their bilateral connectivity can spill over to the sub-regional level ensuring greater good for the regional countries. India is eager to let Bangladesh use its ports, railways, and other infrastructure, especially for sale to non-Indian nations like Nepal and Bhutan. It is important to look at the greater port, energy, infrastructures, and economic interconnectivity in south Asia.

Domains of Bangladesh-India Bilateral Connectivity Cooperation

At the bilateral, regional, and international levels, Bangladesh and India share heavily prioritized multimodal connectivity plans. An obvious illustration of Bangladesh’s sustained commitment to supporting attempts to increase connectivity and economic integration in the region, notably in the Northeast of India, is the recent opening of the Feni Bridge. On March 9 of last year, Indian Premier Narendra Modi opened the “Maitri Setu” (bridge) over the Feni River to support the port’s connectivity with Chittagong, Bangladesh. Additionally, the recently opened Padma rail-road bridge in Bangladesh may improve the physical ties between the two brotherly countries.

Bangladesh and India share transport connectivity which creates a win-win situation for both countries. To convey Indian commodities to the northeast, Bangladesh has offered India transit and transshipment services. Additionally, it will probably allow the transit problem to benefit from synergies with the recently built Padma Bridge, which connects southwest Bangladesh, including the Mongla Seaport, with the rest of the nation as well as India.

The two South Asian nations enjoyed railway connectivity during the colonial period and even after the partition. Several railway connections between Bangladesh and India are currently in o operational. On December 17, 2020, the freshly rebuilt railway link between Chilahati (Bangladesh) and Haldibari (India) was officially opened by the prime ministers of these two nations. As the COVID-19 pandemic continued, both nations began utilizing side-door container and parcel trains to ensure uninterrupted supply lines. In September 2022, a much-anticipated railway connection between Agartala and Akahura will be completed.  During the upcoming visit, it is anticipated that India will probably propose increasing railway connectivity and restoring three more train services between India and Bangladesh since it views connectivity as

The bilateral connectivity also exists and can be expanded much further, for instance, in the maritime domain.  Bangladesh has expressed interest to be a part of the India-pioneered initiative – Security and Growth for all in the Region (SAGAR). In July 2020, a successful trial run of the transshipment of Indian commodities from Kolkata to Agartala via Chattogram was completed. Tripura will profit immensely from it, especially as it is in the landlocked Northeast. Both the leaders are likely to discuss the opposition Bangladesh has to the establishment of an Integrated Check Post (ICP) as well as other matters about Tripura. Prime Minister’s visit will pave the way for future connectivity as well as the scope for unresolved bilateral connectivity projects both on land, water, and regional. Thus, both countries will be able to unleash their untapped resources and opportunities in terms of bilateral cooperation and connectivity.

Prospects for Regional and Sub-Regional Connectivity

These two nations collaborated to create a wealthy and secure South Asia, placing particular emphasis on regional cooperation. They discussed collaboration and regional institutions on a bilateral basis. For instance, Bangladesh proposed the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), and India helped make it happen. Additionally, Bangladesh and India collaborate closely on regional platforms such as the Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal (BBIN) Initiative, the Indian Ocean Rim Association, and the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC). To strengthen and broaden regional economic cooperation, Asia must now encourage infrastructure connection inside the area. Investment in infrastructure connectivity could increase productivity and competitiveness, hasten economic recovery, and support medium- to long-term balanced, sustainable, and inclusive growth. Additionally, the connection could encourage environmental sustainability by fostering the growth of international green transportation and energy networks.

Several regional connectivity projects are expected to be materialized which need Bangladesh-India cooperation that can bring overall development to South Asia. Asian Highway Network Routes (AH 1 &2) can provide for greater trade and social interactions between Asian countries, including personal contacts, project capitalizations, connections of major container terminals with transportation points, and promotion of tourism via the new roadways. Additionally, through the execution of the Motor Vehicle Agreement between Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, and Nepal (BBIN) and the regional hydroelectricity grid with northeastern India, Nepal, and Bhutan, Bangladesh is also keen on regional connectivity.

India-Myanmar-Thailand (IMT) Trilateral Agreement has possible positive implications in terms of energy development in the region where Bangladesh is aspiring to be a partner. This agreement can increase the capacity of Bangladesh in terms of time and cost and reduce energy dependency on Europe. Bangladesh, China, India, and Myanmar Economic Corridor (BCIM) can provide access to numerous markets in Southeast Asia, improvement of transportation infrastructure, and creation of an industrial zone. Bangladesh-India’s robust friendship and cooperation can be a key factor to make these regional initiatives happen.  

Following the Covid pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war, global and local politics, the two blocs are attempting to sway nations to their respective sides in light of the growing rivalry between the West and Russia, and China. Against such a backdrop, Bangladesh and India should work together to address the existing challenges and focus on peace and stability to promote more robust friendship and cooperation. Therefore, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s recent visit can ameliorate the existing arena of connectivity and at the same time, unleash the area of cooperation which have profound significance both in terms of bilateral cooperation and regional solidarity.

Prime Minister Imran Khan, is neither an institutionalized politician, nor a superstar Ivy leaguer bureaucrat  parachuted as a global personality with some hidden foreign agenda. He is just a simple Pakistani, a champion athlete, a world-class cricketer, a natural born leader on a simple mission to lead the citizenry towards justice but caught on a super complex battlefield, where deception and corruption are regarded as the weapons of mastery.

Right now there is no other person in Pakistan that could ever come close to his grand stature, or his integrity and unique stamina, while he has already carved a powerful historical standing amongst the greatest leaders like Jinnah the founder of Pakistan. The world is watching, now.

Regime changes are random chapters within the Machiavellian novellas of the political historic shelves, where  institutionalized corruption is cited as the ultimate curse by each and every single government and yet openly practiced as a basic right of the national leadership of the period by the same nation.

Imran Khan, also lacks the traditional attire and decorum, the likes of billions of dollars hidden in lush paradises, life of deep indulgences, residencies outside the reach of the home nation’s law,  filing cabinets of  investigative litigations and direct support from foreign deep states, the star chambers, the seek and destroy doctrines, all with complete impunity to historic level crimes, all stolen in the name of public service.  He is not fighting for power or a seat, he is only fighting to uplift the national awareness towards integrity and social justice. He is respected, loved and cherished, something others only dream

Nevertheless, there stands in isolation Imran Khan as a sole warrior. Stands with him, today, just the nation of Pakistan.  The commoners, the citizenry, the women, the youth and the inspired faithful, the alpha dreamers, who believe that there can be a better world after all. As an honest citizen, the Captain of Pakistan, and his team fighting the serpents in the swamps and prolonged fermented crooked-tyranny. In a just-society this is mighty power, but in tyrannies it is not.

In an age, where polling lost its power decades ago, as polls are only surprisingly wrong, always. The right and wrong can only be determined by “national general elections” while the majority of citizenry agrees with him. The most shrewd and screwed business community is not. They are still where the loopholes are fertilized, where corruption is cooked, baked and fermented, where witchcraft takes the Halloween nights into looting bazaars, where only greed flies like vampires and licks anything to survive.  While the leader and his brave PTI teams are on the march, armed with bold narratives in a real life and death game. His life is in extreme danger.

Furthermore, let this be noted, despite all the global exposure and understanding like no other politician, Imran Khan during power was unable to mobilize Pakistani Diaspora, despite so many half-baked attempts the designated teams failed to even decipher what are the methodologies to harness the hidden powers of globally mobilizing millions of super talented Pakistani to reinvest in their homeland not as charity but as a land of far greater opportunities many times tactically strategic from wherever they stood as foreigners. The lack of meritocracy on the national mobilization of SME entrepreneurialism and digitalization of economies is what led Pakistan to economic collapse. It was not how much was stolen by crooks over time but far greater, what strategic opportunism missed by the nation, by the incompetents.

Pakistan, fiercely fighting for survival as a grown nation over 75 years, but despite nuclear power still grossly undeveloped on skills and merits,. The meritocracy here is only a word found in the dictionary, while the best business strategies mostly end up as tax dodging plans, the country needs a serious re-birth and a diaper-change. The time has come to re-invent Pakistan for a next 25 year national mobilization program, so the citizenry would not only understand what it takes to stand up to global-age of competitiveness. 

Do not wait for change, just become the change. A new world is emerging very fast, the world order is old order, the new world order is no order. How fast will the Captain create million smart Pakistani, on digital platforms of up-skilling for building better nation and mobilize them on a 24x7x365 agenda to train another batch of 10 million on critical thinking capable enough to expand the message and create national mobilization of entrepreneurialism via fair and just-society and start building a respectable economy and a nation. Study more on Google, as such deployments are not new funding dependent rather execution hungry.

There are two schools of thought emerging, across the world. Observe the age of The Broken Nations, where constitutionalised corruption makes countries go bankrupt as an accepted lifestyle. Notice the struggles of The United Nation on the other hand may wish to see a different picture where common good becomes a global call of humankind.

Nevertheless, Khan today is the only single global leader with such a clear narrative strong enough to articulate across the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and send clarity on how to mobilize dozens of nations, some already in similar entrapments. If OIC were to allow such a narrative and exchange it would make them stand on the right side and also make him the most powerful visionary to engage such a large number of people in pursuit of common good ever in history.

Times are dangerous, it is imperative for Imran Khan to build a professional and hierarchical PTI organization, based on meritocracy and rule of laws, the world is spinning too fast, where slippages are arranged, now demands a ‘lead, follow or get out of the way’, doctrine, otherwise, historians of the establishments already getting anxious to turn this narrative into a saga for the Machiavellian book-shelf.  No matter how, the citizenry of Pakistan is now fully with the Captain, as a newer Pakistan slowly opens. The general election announcement is mandatory.  The rest is easy.  

Pakistan is the only country, which understands the Afghanistan issue comprehensively. As we are neighbor, shares similar language, culture, religion, history, and traditions. It is natural to develop each other’s understandings in depth. Pakistan is the worst victim of unrest in Afghanistan for almost four decades. Pakistan’s sufferings and sacrifices for Afghanistan are much more than any other country on the earth.

Pakistan has been always promoting the Afghan issue in the international community and advocating for Afghanistan on almost all important platforms. Pakistan has been extending its full support including political, diplomatic, economic, and humanitarian and etc. Pakistan believes in and struggled for an Afghan-owned, Afghan-led, and permanent solution to this issue. Pakistan never intervened in any other country’s internal affairs and imposed its will on others.

Pakistan believes in the comprehensive sovereignty of Afghanistan and respects the people of Afghanistan. Our relations are based on brotherhood, good neighborhoods, and based on equality, and mutual respect.

However the recent statement from Afghan Defense Minister, Mullah Muhammad Yaqoob, in a press conference bluntly accusing Pakistan of allowing its airspace for US drone strikes in Afghanistan, and warning against it, has surprised the whole nation.

Pakistan has noted, with deep concern, the allegation by the Acting Defense Minister of Afghanistan regarding the use of Pakistan’s air space in the U.S. counter-terrorism drone operation in Afghanistan.

In the absence of any evidence, as acknowledged by the Afghan Minister himself, such conjectural allegations are highly regrettable and defy the norms of responsible diplomatic conduct.

Pakistan reaffirms its belief in the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states and condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.

We urge the Afghan interim authorities to ensure the fulfillment of international commitments made by Afghanistan not to allow the use of its territory for terrorism against any country.

It is to be noted that before 2015, Mullah Yaqoob did not even have an official position among the Taliban. However, experts say the prestige of being Mullah Omar’s eldest son elevated his standing among the Taliban’s field commanders and its rank and file. He transpired to be an uninspiring personality, who has failed to appeal to the ranks and file in the new Afghan setup. As a matter of fact, he has resorted to discourses against Pakistan to gain attention and support from the Indian and Western-inspired Afghan circles.

There are several fault lines visible within the Taliban with tensions between Mullah Yaqoob and the Haqqanis controlling Kabul at present. There is friction between Haqqani Taliban and Kandhar faction just as there are differences between the Pashtun and Non-Pashtun tribes.

Mullah Yaqoob wanted to bring military elements into the cabinet rather than political elements being pushed by Mullah Baradar. Mullah Yaqoob, who is also the head of the military commission and deputy leader, has openly said that those living in the luxury of Doha cannot dictate terms to those involved in Askari jihad against the US-led occupation forces. He has been consolidating his power since his father Mullah Omar’s death was revealed in July 2015. His ambition to control the Taliban factions including Haqqani seems to come true in coming years for the following reasons other than his pro-US and Pro-Indian inclination: –

        Mullah Yaqoob is popular among the battlefield commanders and so they are willing to accept his leadership.

        Yaqoob had close ties to commanders in the country’s north, which helped consolidate his military control.

        Yaqoob is known to have links to Saudi Arabia, which supports the peace deal and is believed to be funneling money to him to help him consolidate power (since Mullah Omer’s death became public, Mullah Yaqoob has been controlling the Taliban’s vast income streams).

         Mullah Yaqoob is believed to have ties with the former government of Afghanistan and the intelligence service. Haqqanis are considered to have a soft view of Pakistan, while Yaqoob favors the peace process with the US and rapprochement with India. Yaqoob’s rise, therefore, seems like good news for Washington and India.

        Reportedly, Taliban founder Mullah Mohammad Omar had issues with the Haqqani Group founded by Jalaluddin Haqqani, which gives rise to speculation that Mullah Yaqoob, son of Mullah Omar, disclosed Zawahiri’s location to US authorities during his recent visit to Qatar.

        Yaqoob’s primary responsibility is security, which he described as “100% OK,” though the later revelation that al-Qaida’s leader was living in the center of Kabul cast the statement in a different light.

        There are speculations about the Taliban having trust deficit vis-à-vis Mullah Yaqoob as the leader. There are strong feelings among the Taliban that Mullah Yaqoob provided intelligence information about Al-Zawahiri to the US when he met them in early July this year. The reason quoted behind this is that perhaps Mullah Yaqoob wanted to glorify his status over Haqqanis within TTA and in the eyes of the US and allies.

        The possibility cannot be ruled out that Mullah Yaqoob following his father’s footsteps provided shelter to Al-Zawahiri in a Taliban-secured area and later on belittled Haqqanis and shared information about the Al-Qaeda leader’s whereabouts.    

        Despite his elevated positions, Mullah Yaqoob is not believed to be widely admired among the militant group or its followers.

        Reportedly many Afghan intelligence officials described Mullah Yaqoob as a shrewd young man who is self-centered.

        There are also reservations that someone like Mullah Yaqoob who was raised outside his homeland during the Afghan war can be well conversant with the realities of Afghanistan.

It is believed that his efforts to damage Pakistan-Afghanistan relations will never succeed. His ill designs and evil motives will never be materialized. The brotherhood between the two Muslim neighbors will remain unchanged and ensure the stability and prosperity of the whole region.

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