For those of you living in the USA, I am sure you are well aware of the "broken border" daily rants coined by CNN's Lou Dobbs. This of course is in reference to the border between American South Western states and Mexico. I can't help but think that the same applies to India except this infraction is way more serious and needs a lot more attention. Here's why: 1. Mexicans come over illegally to the USA in search of a better life and employment opportunity. They however usurp expensive social systems like medical care and education, an expensive endeavor paid for tax payers like me. The medical costs are also absorbed by institutions like the one I am training at and oodles of man hours put in by over worked and underpaid medical students and residents... I fit the bill to all of these... get the drift?
Then there are severe problems with south american drug cartels running multi billion dollar drug trade, human trafficing and god alone knows what else. This I admit is a lot more serious than anything I have to personally deal with and also results in a lot of destruction within american society.
There are undoubtedly some similarities here. Many Bangladeshis too seek a better life and employment in India (I see this every time I go to my ancestral home in Bombay). And here too they are being a burden upon the minority tax payers and the city on a whole. I am sure there are chump medical residents and students out there taking care of their health needs too (which believe it or not, isn't free). But then there are other more grave issues here that makes this equation way more serious. For one, ever since the global eye has landed on Pakistan after 9/11, it's infamous place as the logistical capital of global Sunni Islamist terror has been brought to light. As a countermeasure, the ISI (most likely at the direction of the central government) has slowly outsourced and relocated these duties to Bangladesh. Now, not only is India taking on the burden of supporting citizens of another nation who refuse to contribute anything to Indian society itself; but it has also become a playing field and conduit for terrorists who wish harm to anyone and everyone. This of course is unacceptable. Unfortunately, India has to take partial blame for this. India as the regional superpower has to learn the art of responsible diplomacy to institute stability in the region and proliferate some of its industrial know how so that these nations do not have to pander to malevolent organizations like the ISI and militant Islamism. The BSF also needs to be infused with more support and funding so as to completely seal off all our borders. As much as I hate to say this, "shoot at sight orders" may be neccessary. Nonetheless, India has to realize that this is a grave problem that requires a multi-pronged approach. Radicalization in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka has to be stopped or else it will be millions of Indian citizens that will have to pay the price.
