As reports of violent attacks against Hindus in Bangladesh continue to surface, noted economist Sanjeev Sanyal has raised questions about the silence of “intellectuals” in West Bengal. In a strongly-worded tweet, Sanyal criticised the inaction and silence of Bengali intellectuals, calling it “both disgusting and unsurprising.” His comments come in the wake of widespread social media outcry over the atrocities being committed against Hindus in Bangladesh following the sudden flight of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Sanjeev Sanyal, an economist and author of the book Revolutionaries: The Other Story of How India Won Its Freedom, took to Twitter today to express his disappointment with the Bengali intellectual class. He accused them of having an opinion on every issue except those that require courage and a moral stance. “They justified their treachery of Netaji; they reduced Sri Aurobindo to a ‘sadhu’; they murdered Kolkata,” Sanyal wrote, condemning what he perceives as a legacy of intellectual dishonesty and cowardice.
Reports of attacks on Hindus across Bangladesh have flooded social media, painting a grim picture of the situation. Following Sheikh Hasina’s sudden departure from Dhaka, Islamist forces have reportedly unleashed violence across 27 districts in Bangladesh. Temples, including several ISKCON centers, have been vandalised, and Hindu-owned businesses have been targeted. Among the victims is eminent Bangladeshi Hindu singer Rahul Ananda, whose 140-year-old ancestral home in Dhaka’s Dhanmondi was attacked by a mob.
The silence of West Bengal’s Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, leaders of the Trinamool Congress (TMC), Bengali film actors, and other intellectuals has not gone unnoticed. Social media users have pointed out the irony in Mamata Banerjee’s quick offer to shelter Bangladeshis during protests, contrasting it with her silence on the attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh. One user lamented that these intellectuals often shed tears for obscure causes far from India but remain mute when Hindus in Bangladesh are under siege.
Supreme Court advocate J Sai Deepak also voiced concern, sharing appeals he received from Hindus in Bangladesh who are desperate to escape the violence. In one particularly disturbing post, a social media user claimed that 73 Bangladeshi Hindus lost their lives in a single day because they were denied treatment in hospitals due to their religion. The user alleged that 52 hospitals, including government-run institutions, refused to treat these Hindus.
Senior advisor to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Kanchan Gupta, criticised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his silence on the issue. Gupta accused Gandhi of displaying “Hindumisia” by ignoring the plight of Hindus in Bangladesh while vocally supporting the Palestinian cause. He contrasted this with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s immediate emphasis on the safety and protection of Hindus and other minority communities in Bangladesh after Muhammad Yunus assumed leadership.
Jagadguru Shankaracharya Swami Shri Pragyanand Saraswati also weighed in on the situation, expressing deep concern over the ongoing violence. He described the attacks as a “matter of great concern” and a “shameful” event for humanity. He emphasized that the issue transcends religious boundaries, calling it a tragedy for all of humanity.
Some commentators have pointed out that the intellectual class in Bengal, much like certain sections of the Punjabi community, are often descendants of those who collaborated with colonial powers rather than those who fought against them. The Khalistani movement, for instance, is not rooted in the legacy of the Ghadarites, who fought against British rule, but rather in the descendants of collaborators. This historical context, they argue, may explain the lack of empathy and action from these groups in the face of current atrocities.
