Address by Mrs. Veena Sikri, High Commissioner of India on June 29, 2004, In commemoration of the establishment of the Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra
Her Excellency Indian High Commissioner, Mrs. Veena Sikri

Mr.Asfaqur Rahman Khan, Mr.Kamal Lohani, Dr.Zahid Hossain Prodhan,
Founder Members of Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra,
Your Excellency Ambassador of the Russian Federation,
Mr.Oleg S. Malginov,
Your Excellency Ambassador of the Kingdom of Bhutan,
Mr.Dasho Jigme Tshultim,
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen

I am deeply honored and privileged to be here today, amongst the Illustrious representatives of Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra - the first radio Station of independent Bangladesh. I wish to particularly express my appreciation to the organizers for taking this initiative to commemorate the establishment, 33 years ago, of the Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra.

On this occasion, we must equally remember and commemorate those countless men and women from Bangladesh and India who laid down their lives in the cause of freedom. It was their courage and sacrifice that enables the people of Bangladesh today to lead their lives in freedom, unfettered from oppression and domination.

It is significant that today’s meeting brings together with all of you the distinguished representative of Russia, Bhutan and India –the first three countries to acknowledge and give recognition to the freedom struggle and subsequently to the birth of the new nation of Bangladesh.

Ladies and Gentlemen,
Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra immediately after it was set up in March, 1971, became the most recognized voice of the new nation, the voice of truth ,rising up against all oppression, the voice that most effectively symbolized the indomitable courage and of the spirit of freedom of the people of Bangladesh. During its short existence of just ten months, the Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra broadcasting station grew from a modest 1 Kw radio station on March 26th 1971 to a 50 Kw station by December 16th 1971.

Our gathering today takes place amidst the reality of the onset of the “knowledge Millenium”and the “Information Revolution”, driven by the Internet. These are developments which will shape the twenty-first century. At this juncture, it is particularly important to remind ourselves of the pioneering role that the Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra played-this radio station represented a unique instance where information technology was put to the most effective use in the cause of independence in our subcontinent. It was through the innovative use of the airwaves, unrestrained by distance as well as numerous other obstacles that the founders of the Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra broadcast their message of freedom and reached out to the people, exhorting them to join in the struggle. Without Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra, would it have been possible, in such a short period of time to reach out to every citizen of Bangladesh so effectively? Frankly, I do not think so.

It was from the most modest facilities, located first at Kalurghat, that this radio station became famous across the world for the bold and stirring proclamation of independence made by Major Ziaur Rahman, speaking on behalf of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. The then Major Ziaur Rahman, who later became president of Bangladesh declared that “we have already framed a sovereign, legal Government under Sheikh Mujibur Rahman which pledges to function as per law and the Constitution”.

Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra, operating against all odds, thus became a beacon of freedom at the darkest moment of your nation’s history. It played an important role in your liberation struggle, rallying the people, giving them guidance and hope. It was a source of inspiration and support, of motivation and encouragement for the valiant freedom fighters and it became the symbol of resurgence of an entire country.

Friends, on this occasion, I recall some of the stirring speeches made by the leaders of India’s freedom struggle on All India Radio. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, in his historic broadcast in September 1946, declared “We believe that peace and freedom are indivisible and the denial of freedom anywhere must endanger freedom elsewhere and lead to conflict and war”. It is this guiding spirit that inspired countless men and women in India to join our struggle for freedom, just as the broadcasts by the Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra stirred the people of Bangladesh in their struggle for freedom from oppression.

In India, we are no strangers to the freedom struggle, having ourselves fought long and hard to win our freedom. The non-violent nature of our freedom struggle, the conviction of our founding fathers in making democracy and secularism the fundamental starting points of our national reconstruction effort in post- independent India, and our historical aversion to any form of colonialism, dominance or hegemonistic or expansionist tendencies formed the foundation of an independent India.

Significantly, these were the same principles that guided your founding fathers in drafting the Constitution of Bangladesh.

These guiding principles equally motivated the people of India to wholeheartedly and selflessly extend their unstinting support to the people of Bangladesh in your Liberation War. In 1971, all of us, including the poorest of the poor in India, willingly came forward with whatever help we could give to the people of Bangladesh. As the late Prime Minister of India, Shrimati Indira Gandhi declared at a public rally here in Dhaka on March 17th 1972, “If India has helped you, it is because we could not sit idly by after hearing your voice and after knowing of the sorrow and suffering that you have undergone. If we have helped you, it is in order to be true to ourselves, and to the principles to which we have adhered for years”. And she added, most significantly, “I trust that, in the coming years, friendship between our two countries will be built not on the basis of the assistance that we might have given to you now but on the basis of the full equality and mutual benefit of two free and sovereign nations.”

Our freedom today is built on the sacrifices of our freedom fighters. But freedom in itself is not an end but merely a beginning. We in India have learnt it takes enormous fortitude to preserve freedom. The courageous acts of our leaders inspires the people to join the struggle. Yet, freedom itself can be preserved only through the efforts of an entire nation, requiring steadfast adherence to sacrifice, unity and discipline in order to maintain and build up on this freedom by ushering in development, social justice and equality for all.

And just as the founders of the Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra had to struggle hard to overcome enormous odds to freely broadcast their message, all of us today are faced with a similar challenge –one of not merely preserving our institutions but to constantly work to strengthen them. And among the institutions that make up the sinews of democracy, the media most certainly occupies pride of place.

Today, information is the driving force behind much of the process of globalization. Giant strides in science and technology have broken down barriers and made possible the conquest of new frontiers. The reality is that the flow of information can no longer be restricted or confined within national boundaries. Modern communication technologies have made it an imperative for governments to deal with issues openly. Consequently, relations between nations are no longer the domain of a few specialists but are increasingly subject to public analyses and debate.

As a result, the relationship between governments and the media is changing –governments are increasingly required to factor in greater scrutiny of their policies –be it domestic policy or international relations. Under these circumstances, my own belief is that the role of the media is not merely to inform but to encourage debate, not to prejudge but to generate discussion, not to foster dogmatism and paranoia but to persuade all, including governments themselves to embrace openness and flexibility in the search for solutions that are mutually beneficial.

It is therefore of utmost importance that we need to look at the media through the prism of partnership rather than confrontation and enlist their support in fostering closer relations in our region, viz., South Asia. We need to work towards overcoming decades of suspicion and doubts that have marked our relations. True, overcoming the complex legacies of suspicion and mistrust will not be an easy task. Nonetheless, our own and future generations should be encouraged to look for pragmatic solutions which first recognize our historical commonalities and second, are ready to build upon the opportunities of the present, rather than continue with myths, misperceptions and artificially created mind-sets. This is where the role of an independent and free media is vital – in fostering debate, in helping to analyze ourselves not just from our own perception of ourselves but equally on the objective understanding of how others perceive us.

Today, to meet the challenges of Globalization, strengthening our regional identity and cooperation in South Asia has become an imperative necessity. Therefore, relations with our neighbors assume great primacy and importance. This has been reiterated by successive governments in India. Our relation with Bangladesh are no exception and are today among our highest priorities. It is only through creating understanding and goodwill that complex issues in our bilateral relations can be resolved. It is by reviving the spirit and ethos that characterized the Liberation War of 1971 that we can help strengthen Bangladesh-India relations in the years to come. It is only in this spirit that we will be able to come together to jointly address all issues, be they complex or simple. In this, let all of us work together, no matter whether we are from the media, the Government, from academia, the security forces or from civil society.

In conclusion I would like to end with the prescient observation made by former Prime Minister, Smt. Indira Gandhi in her address in Dhaka in 1972.

“Our ideals are similar, but your path has to be your own. Just as India’s path is India’s own, the path of Bangladesh has to be Bangladesh’s own, designed to meet the needs and aspirations of your people.”

Thank you.