Thousands of Hindus take it to the street in Chhattisgarh’s capital, Raipur raising concern over the ongoing atrocities against the Hindu community in Bangladesh since the ouster of democratically elected prime minister, Sheikh Hasina on August 5.
Around 10000 people of the Hindu community under the banner of “Sarv Sanatan Hindu Panchayat” gathered in the capital city of Raipur to participate in the “Aakrosh Rally”, demanding immediate measures to ensure safety of minority Hindu community in the violence ridden Bangladesh.
In the gathering held on Tuesday, August 13, the leaders of the community emphasised that the Hindu society across the globe should unite to save its religion and culture. The community will not tolerate attacks on its culture and society anymore.
हिंदू समाज ने रायपुर में दिखाई अपनी अद्वितीय शक्ति—10,000 से अधिक लोगों ने किया आक्रोश रैली में शिरकत https://t.co/aNYbzqU1MQ
राज्यपाल ने दिया राष्ट्रपति, प्रधानमंत्री और गृह मंत्री से चर्चा का भरोसा#StopBangladeshiHinduMassacre @RatanSharda55 pic.twitter.com/9X7qhQ5rA7
— Dr Kuldip Solanki (@DrKuldipSolanki) August 14, 2024
Following the rally, a delegation of the leaders of the community submitted a memorandum to the newly appointed Chhattisgarh’s governor, Raman Deka who assured that he will do everything in his capacity to put this before the Union Home Minister and the Prime Minister.
Prominent demands made in the memorandum: –
- In the memorandum submitted the community leaders have demanded security for the refugees approaching the Indian border to escape persecution by radicals.
- The leaders of the community have also asked the government to take immediate step to drive out the illegal Bangladeshi and Rohingiya infiltrators.
- The memorandum further read that the union government should aggressively raise the issue of atrocities on Hindus in United Nation, European Union and other relevant international forums.
- A war room should be established immediately to closely monitor the situation in Bangladesh and ensuring safety of the Hindus
- Financial sanctions should be imposed on Bangladesh to pressurise them in stopping of the violence against the Hindu community.
Violence against the Hindu community in Bangladesh
Notably, the country led by Sheikh Hasina till recent has been witnessing a string of attacks on its minority Hindu population since the fall of the Awami league government.
The attacks on the Hindu community which escalated dramatically since August 4 after the alleged student protest against Sheikh Hasina took a communal turn leading to vandalism of religious shrines, properties, shops belonging to the Hindus across dozens of districts.
The deadly communal campaign soon resorted to brutal killings of government servants, political workers belonging to Hindu community along with incidents of rapes, arson, loot and extortion reminiscent to independence struggle of Bangladesh where lakhs of people from the Hindu community were butchered while their women were subjected to systematic rapes.
The continuation of violence for days triggered a massive protest from the Hindu community across Bangladesh who took it to the streets demanding justice and safety against religious persecution.
Outrage against religious persecution of Hindus
The brutal display of religious persecution leading to widespread violence against the Hindus in Bangladesh received heavy criticism from the Hindu community across the globe with protest demanding immediate halt of violence were organised in dozens of cities across Bharat.
In this sequence protest rallies were held in over 30 districts of Chhattisgarh alone this include impressive gatherings in Bastar, Surajpur, Gariyaband, Bilaspur and Durg districts where thousands of members of the community took it to the street echoing similar sentiments.
आज बांग्लादेश में हो रहे हिंदू समाज पर अत्याचार हत्याओं पर विश्व हिंदू परिषद ज़िला गरियाबंद के देवभोग प्रखंड में आक्रोश रैली निकाल कर प्रदर्शन किया गया एवं राष्ट्रपति महोदया के नाम ज्ञापन सौंपा गया।@VHPDigital @BajrangDalOrg @VHPSocialMedia @SSRajputVHP @digeshverma997 pic.twitter.com/abxfL3XMum
— Vishva Hindu Parishad – Chhattisgarh (@VHPchhattisgarh) August 13, 2024
In Bilaspur the community members organised a massive “Mashaal rally” (torch procession) expressing solidarity with the Bangladeshi Hindus. The slogans raised in the rally were “Jaat Paat ki Karo Vidai, Hindu-Hindu Bhai-Bhai”.
A number of such demonstrations were also held across Telangana, Jharkhand, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and national capital Delhi where Hindus in a show of unity gathered in large numbers and protested against the ongoing violence in Bangladesh.
Other than Bharat, protests echoing similar sentiments were also organised in separate countries across the globe including the United Kingdom, Malaysia, United States and others by the Indian diaspora.
Committee formed to ensure safety of Hindus
Significantly, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also expressed concern over the safety of minorities and Hindus in his independence day address from the rampant of red fort.
Earlier the union government has also announced that it has formed a committee headed by Additional Director General, Border Security Force (BSF), Eastern Command to work towards ensuring safety for minorities Hindus and Bharatiya national stranded in violence-hit Bangladesh.
Notably, security has been enhanced across the 4096-kilometre-long and porous border separating the two nations with view of halting mass displacement of people from Bangladesh who in a bid to escape religious persecution could enter Bharat.
