Hindu minority needs protection

Paush Krushnapaksha 4, Kaliyug Varsha 5115

Representational image (Courtesy : BBC)

Das is a resident of Saskatoon.

Bangladesh currently has a population of 160 million, of whom close to 90 per cent are Muslims, with Hindus, Buddhists, Christians and indigenous people comprising the rest.

However, the Hindus were about 28 per cent of the population in 1941. Their persecution and historic down-trend in Bangladesh is a sad tale. I want to highlight some the historic events and causes for the persecution of Hindus, as well as ongoing violence against them.

The two nation theory that divided the Indian subcontinent into current India and Pakistan (composed of East and West Pakistan) in 1947 was based on religion, with India for Hindus and Pakistan for Muslims. Although Hindus consisted more than 28 per cent in Pakistan, they became the victims of the communal riots, with vicious killing, looting, raping etc., that erupted quickly in the post-divide period. Muslims in India experienced a similar fate.

That was the beginning of persecutions of Hindus in Pakistan, which saw many of them flee to India, leaving behind their properties and wealth.

The Pakistani government in 1965 installed the Enemy Property Act, which shook the Hindu community again. According to Abul Barkat of Dhaka University, the two-nation theory was further institutionalized during Indo-Pakistani war, and the act allowed the seizing of property left by the Hindus. This has resulted in further migration, disposition of lands and other property, breaking family ties, and so on.

Then in 1971 occurred a historic genocide. It was one of the most tragic sagas for Hindus in Pakistan, during the liberation movement of Bangladesh, which was East Pakistan.

Although Bangladesh got independence in 1971, the decline of the Hindus continued despite the rhetoric of all the political parties and the "human conscience" of the country, for the following reasons: The broken promises of 1972 were a blow to Hindus in Bangladesh. The country's first independent government neither returned the symbolic holy land in Dhaka city to the Hindus nor did it revoke the Enemy Property Act (which remained virtually unchanged although it was renamed the Vested Property Act). Hindus felt neglected and insecure, and consequently more fled the country. Their number continued to decline – from 16 per cent in 1971 to 11 per cent in 1991, and to less than nine per cent today.

In 2001, a pro-Islamic and right-wing electoral victory resulted in vicious attacks on Hindus again. Raping looting, vandalizing of temples, and killings created a bleak future for Hindus. However, no one took any action to stop such persecution.

Then came the controversial war crimes tribunal of 2013. This tribunal in Bangladesh tried several people who it accused of having collaborated with the Pakistani army in the genocide of 1971. The guilty verdicts led to ruthless attacks on Hindus, terrorizing them.

The 10th general election that took place in Bangladesh a few days ago once again saw Hindus terrorized, with their properties looted and vandalized, and women raped and killed, even though this religious minority has almost nothing to do with the outcome of the election.

Many believe that the current persecution and heinous acts against Hindus have nothing to do with politics but are tactics to get them to flee Bangladesh and take advantage of the flawed Vested Property Act. That, in turn, tells a lot about Bangladesh.

The country of 160 million people is only 147,570 square kilometres, or about onefifth the size of Saskatchewan. This means there is very little land per person. If the number of Hindus continues decline from less than nine per cent today to a negligible number, approximately 14,000 square kilometres of land will become available, with businesses and other assets worth billions as well.

This trends needs to be ended. It's not the 150 million Muslims en masse who are persecuting the Hindu minority but intolerant religious miscreants, many from political parties, that are involved. The Hindus are caught in the political rivalries and religious cleansing.

Human right groups, international organizations such as United Nations and even the people of Bangladesh must act together to stop these atrocities by governments formed by those political parties that are directly or indirectly involved in the violence.

Source : The Star Phoenix