Turmoil Over Water Diversion - The Ganga: Water Use in the Indian Subcontinent - page 140

diversion of water through the feeder canal to resuscitate the Calcutta port. He
was killed within 3 months of the commissioning of the Farakka Barrage. There
were other grounds for such apprehension. Immediately after the assassination,
there was a military coup in Bangladesh and the country was in utter turmoil
for several months. There were killings and arsons of people, sympathetic to
Mujibar's regime and changes occurred in the government too. B. M. Abbas wrote
that the Mujib era turned out to be one of an uneasy truce between Bangladesh
and India.
Bangladesh remained unstable after 15th August, 1975 and false propaganda,
malafide and false statements by Bangladesh media against India continued.
Even there was an attempt to kidnap Indian's High Commissioner in Dhaka on
26th November 1975. Moulana Abdul Hamid Bhashani, the veteran trade union
leader, threatened to destroy the barrage by bringing thousands of Bangladeshis
to Farakka across the border. He arranged a long march on 16th May 1976 from
Rajsahi but it stopped for unknown reasons a little ahead of the international bor-
der. The tension between the two countries mounted to its zenith in 1976, and the
relation between the two countries fell to all-time low.
The test-running of the feeder canal ended on 31st May 1975, as per temporary
accord. It has adjusted, by this time, to carry larger discharge. The Ganga water
started rising with gradual increase in discharge. No accord beyond May 1975
existed but the canal could not remain empty once it received discharge. There
was sufficient water available in the Ganga in monsoon months and beyond, up to
February. After the assassination of Mujibur Rahman, there was no sincere attempt
by the new Bangladesh govt. to reach further understanding with India regard-
ing diversion of water. Therefore, India diverted water into the canal to its design
capacity of 40,000 cusecs from end of June 1975. Stray protests were made by
Bangladesh, alleging unilateral withdrawal of the Ganga water at Farakka. India
offered to discuss it with Bangladesh before the lean season of 1976, but Bangladesh
turned it down, demanding that India should stop withdrawal of water before any
discussion could take place.
In 1976, Bangladesh began to seek sympathy for its cause from countries abroad.
B. M. Abbas was deputed to the UN and to the USA from 19th February to
5th March. He raised the issue in the UN in a conference on development of the
Ganga-Brahmaputra river basin, where Dr. K. L. Rao represented India. Mr. Abbas
discussed the Farakka issue with the World Bank President, Robert Mac Namara
and the member of the International Law Association, Prof. Richard Baxter of
Harvard Law School. Both suggested long-term solution on the basis of long-term
development of eastern rivers. Mr. Abbas gave a number of press statements in
the UK and the USA in support of Bangladesh's claim on the Ganga water and
condemning India's unilateral withdrawal at Farakka. Thus, instead of agreeing to
India's proposal of discussion on the issue, Bangladesh tried to get foreign involve-
ment seeking sympathy on the issue from abroad which was against the spirit of
Joint Declaration. Thus, India was left with the no alternative except the so-called
unilateral withdrawal of water during the whole of 1976. Moreover, India sent