by the Editor: Siddharth Sehgal
Bangladesh has recently seen some gruesome attacks on its minority Hindu community. Even though it’s our ally but how it chooses to treat its minorities will define our relationship going ahead.
Those who are not in the know, recently during the Durga Puja festival in Bangladesh, there were coordinated attacks on Hindu temples and community members participating in festivities resulting in several deaths and destruction of Hindu religious places and homes, the reason was a rumor that Hindus has committed blasphemy by disrespecting the Holy Quran. It’s not the first time that there have been attacks on Hindus but the scale and ferocity of attacks were what surprised everyone.
It is true that Bangladesh is an allied country and we enjoy very warm diplomatic and cultural relationships with them and to give credit where due many Bangladeshi citizens have come forward in condemning these attacks on the Hindu community but many believe that their government should do more in regards to the safety and security of Bangladesh’s minorities. We too in India have incidents where our minorities particularly Muslims have faced persecution and mob lynching but we have also seen strong condemnation from all sections of Indian society against such incidents.
When people from the majority Muslim community in Bangladesh would show support and solidarity with their Hindu citizens it will make a strong case of communal harmony in the region and would pressure other governments in the region to act against Islamophobic extremist elements in their communities.
A few days ago a man was lynched at the Singhu border for blasphemy of Sikh Holy scriptures, before the matter could be investigated and the man could have a trial, he was killed by an angry mob. When we decide to take matters into our own hands-on hearsay and gossip, we turn ourselves into a senseless crowd that is far removed from the teachings of religion that we claim to protect. Blasphemy has become a convenient excuse to settle personal scores and the onus is on our governments in South Asia to establish the rule of law and act against communal violence. Bangladesh should not walk the path of Pakistan or Afghanistan, it should live up to its founding principles.
Violence in the name of religion should not be tolerated anywhere whether the victims are Hindus in Bangladesh or Muslims in India or Myanmar.