Teesta River Agreement

Mamata’s pullout created a minor dent in Manmohan’s international reputation

Bangladesh is crisscrossed with more than 300 rivers, 54 of which are common to India. The 315-km long Teesta river is one of them. It begins from Tso Lhamo Lake in northern Sikkim, flows past the Sikkim-West Bengal border into Jalpaiguri, and then into Bangladesh, where it merges with the mighty Brahmaputra. The river has now become a source of embarrassment for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. 

In his recent visit to Bangladesh, sharing the Teesta waters was the one agreement that was not signed. For this, credit goes to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

Mamata opted not to join the Prime Minister for the Dhaka visit at the last moment, creating a minor dent in the international reputation of both Singh and India. Singh, who is increasingly being accused within the country of not having anything within his control, might now have developed this reputation in the rest of the world as well, particularly in Bangladesh. 

Mamata was unhappy with the difference in the treaty’s draft and final versions over the quantity of water to be given to Bangladesh. According to her, New Delhi increased Bangladesh’s water share from 25,000 cusecs [cubic feet per second] to 50,000 cusecs in the final version. The interim agreement was to be signed during Singh’s visit. 

Mamata’s party, the Trinamool, subtly publicised the affair as a valiant attempt to prevent West Bengal from being shortchanged, and has thus scored some political points. After Mamata’s pullout, Singh tried to save face by saying that he was keen to intensify efforts to find a ‘viable’ formula to resolve the issue. For the moment, though, he needs to intensify efforts to salvage his own reputation.

About The Author

Arindam Mukherjee