Burma Dialogue

Among growing interest and cooperation between the Indian and Burma government's there are still outcries for peace. The Netaji Subhas Foundation presented their first award to a representative of the National League for Democracy, Ramjeet Verma. Watch the video.

B.B. Nandy, who worked for several years on the Burma desk of India's external intelligence agency, Research and Analysis Wing, said honouring Aung San Suu Kyi is welcome but the All India forward Bloc, which is the main sponsor of the Netaji Subhas Foundation, should raise a question on India's policy towards Burma.

"They should raise the question why the government of India is not becoming more pro-Burmese people. And should persue the cause of Aung San Suu Kyi And the cause of the Burmese people [to the government of India]," Nandy told Mizzima.

Subroto Bose, treasurer of the Netaji Subhas Foundation, however, said the Foundation is a non-political body and is not concerned with today's politics.

"We know, as Indians, that the government of India now has diplomatic relations with the government of Burma. But this award has been chosen on an individual basis and the foundation has no political opinion of its own," Bose said.

"It has nothing to do with political affairs and I don't think that should affect Indo-Burmese relationship in anyway," he added.

It seems a politcal statement will accompany this award regardless of it's intent. The question is, will the Netaji Subhas Foundation directly ask Indians to look at the governments relationship with Burma, and the answer to that seems to be, No. Or is it?

Debabrata Biswas, Secretary General of the Netaji Subhas Foundation stated,

"Aung San Suu Kyi is the symbol of the democracy movement and by this award we want to draw the attention of the Indian people about the problems of our Burmese friends,"

For more see Burma Review; India Honours’ Daw Aung San Suu Kyi with Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Deshprem Award 2007!