Sources privy to the talks said that though the West Bengal CM continued to emphasise that since there was little water in Teesta river, even in April, she agreed that there was a need to look at parallel proposals too.
The charm offensive to woo West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was very much on display as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina held talks at the Hyderabad House in the Capital on Saturday.
Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj gave full indication of this, as she walked in holding hands and wearing the same colour white sari as the West Bengal Chief Minister at the Hyderabad House, just as talks between the two premiers were concluding. The smiling faces of Sushma and Mamata said it all — the PM's diplomatic coup had worked.
Sources privy to the talks said that though the West Bengal CM continued to emphasise that since there was little water in Teesta river, even in April, she agreed that there was a need to look at parallel proposals too. For this, Mamata said other trans-national rivers could be diverted to attend to Bangladesh's water needs. "Your problem is water, not Teesta. I am willing to look at any alternate proposal to address your issues," she was quoting as telling the Bangladeshi PM in the presence of Modi. Mamata later reiterated this proposal at the Rashtrapati Bhawan in the evening. She also mentioned that the River Torsa can be allowed to flow unhindered to Bangladesh.
Mamata was present at many of the functions organised by Modi for the Bangladesh PM. Modi had invited her for lunch on Saturday; she was also present during the joint press interaction of both the premiers, and for the launch of the new train and bus services.
Her presence at all these functions ensured that there would be no repeat of 2011 when she humiliated then PM Manmohan Singh, by pulling out from his delegation to visit to Dhaka over the Teesta water-sharing deal, scuttling the historic agreement.
Sheikh Hasina too was anxious to charm the West Bengal CM. Even before the Bangladeshi PM had set her foot on Indian soil, sources said that she had expressed her desire to meet the West Bengal CM in a quiet corner to exchange pleasantries in their common language — Bengali. And thanks to the PM's diplomatic efforts, Sheikh Hasina got her wish.
The Prime Minister's efforts were unofficially aided by President Pranab Mukherjee. Sources reveal that the Bangladesh PM has a special affinity for the President, who is understood to have mentored her during a long spell when she lived in New Delhi's Pandara Road after the assassination of her father, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1975. Ahead of the banquet, which the President arranged for the visiting dignitary on Sunday, he invited Hasina and Mamata for a quite dinner at Rashtrapati Bhavan, along with selected guests.
The fact that Sheikh Hasina was keen on breaking the ice with the West Bengal CM was evident from the start. Soon after her arrival, at a reception hosted by Bangladesh High Commissioner here on Friday evening, she said that she was very keen to meet Mamata at the President's dinner.
At the bilateral talks, though the two sides succeeded in taking ties to a new level, they could not finalise the long-pending Teesta water- sharing agreement. Though this agreement has been fiercely opposed by Mamata, some analysts feel that her proposal at the sidelines of the official ceremonies could be a way out.
At the joint press conference on Saturday, Modi said the agreement was important for Indo-Bangla ties and expressed hope that the West Bengal Chief Minister would eventually support it. "I am very happy that the Chief Minister of West Bengal is my honoured guest today. I know that her feelings for Bangladesh are as warm as my own. I assure you and the people of Bangladesh of our commitment and continuing efforts (with regard to finalising the treaty)," he said. The PM added he "firmly" believed that an early solution to the issue "can and will" be found.
This charm offensive by the PM did not happen overnight. Earlier, Mamata was also offended that her approval had been taken for granted and Modi has been trying to persuade her to agree to the pact for two years. However, relations between the two leaders have been frosty, and the fact that the BJP has been trying for some time to expand its footprint in the state that could eat into the Trinamool Congress' vote bank did not help matters.
Originating from the Teesta Kangse, a glacial lake in Sikkin, the Teesta river is the most important water source for north Bengal. It later enters Bangladesh.
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