“It would be fatal for the Scheduled Castes, whether in Pakistan or in Hyderabad, to put their faith in the Muslims or the Muslim League. It has become a habit with the Scheduled Castes to look upon the Muslims. This is a mistaken view. The Muslims wanted the support of the Scheduled Castes but they never gave their support to the Scheduled Castes,” said Dr Ambedkar, the then Law Minister on November 27, 1947.
Witnessing Persecution
Many decades ago, Dr BR Ambedkar was among few politicians who foresaw the persecution of Hindus in Islamic Pakistan (Pakistan and Bangladesh). He was so right that the victims of ongoing onslaught against Hindus in both Bangladesh and Pakistan are Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
Silent Spectators
The fact of the matter is that in today’s Bharat, those who project themselves as messiahs of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Hindus have maintained a studied silence on the persecution of ongoing onslaught against Dalit Hindus in Bangladesh, who make up about 75 per cent of the total Hindu population in Bangladesh. There are very few Dalit leaders like Bahujan Samaj Party President Mayawati, who have raised the issue of Hindu persecution.
“After the coup in Bangladesh, the violence and atrocities being committed by the new Government, especially against Hindu minorities, and the deteriorating situation there due to this are very sad and worrying. The Government of India should make a statement in Parliament on this and also take appropriate steps,” said BSP leader Mayawati on December 3.
Recounting Painful Ordeals
The fact of the matter is that even during Partition in 1947 and the 1971 wars, Dalit Hindus were primarily targeted by Islamists in Bangladesh.
While speaking to Organiser on the condition of anonymity, Keya, 48 (name changed), from Narinda Mathor Patti, Old Dhaka, who belongs to the Hindu Harijan community, said, “The Government is trying to build a market here by demolishing our houses. Meanwhile, local BNP leaders have attacked many times. They looted our homes, and several girls have been raped. We are terrified.”
Ratan, 52 (name changed), from Narinda Mathor Patti, Old Dhaka, said, “We are facing multiple challenges. While we don’t have any place in society for being Harijan, some Muslim youths are regularly visiting us, offering security and cash in exchange for becoming Muslims. What can we do? Who will save us?”
Feeling betrayed by the Muhammad Yunus-led interim Government, which had promised to protect Hindus in front of the media, Nomita, 23 (name changed), from Bongshal, Old Dhaka, said, “The way attacks and threats against Hindus are on the rise, we always live in fear. Although we are citizens of this country, now we are treated as refugees. As if we have no rights. What shall we do? Where shall we go? They want us to leave Bangladesh and migrate to India. Dalals visit Hindu homes offering ‘safe migration’ to India by crossing the Comilla-Agartala border. They want us to sell our ancestral properties at throwaway prices and leave Bangladesh.”
Monica Chakraborty, 41, who lives in Laxmi Bazar, Old Dhaka, said, “I have not seen the War of Independence, but what I heard from my elders—now it seems we are in a similar situation. School and college-going Hindu girls face severe harassment on the roads. Even we are not spared. Some so-called students hurl abusive words or make inappropriate gestures. As if we are sacrificial lambs. There is a fear of being abducted and raped.”
Narrating the tragic assault on Hindus, Babul Valmiki said, “On the night of November 28, we witnessed a tragic assault on our shared humanity. The sacred Mukunda Dutta Dham temple in Patiya was desecrated, and the flames that engulfed the Harijan slum in the Chittagong court area burned not just homes but also the spirit of a marginalized community. These acts of violence are wounds on our collective conscience.”
These are only a few stories. We still don’t know what is happening to Hindus living in rural parts of Bangladesh. The fact remains that Dalit Hindus have been persecuted by Islamists in Bangladesh for decades.
Alarming Statistics
According to a recent study, 28.5 per cent of SC Hindu children remain unenrolled in Bangladesh. About 68 per cent of Dalit children drop out due to poor economic status and caste-based discrimination. Twenty-six per cent of these children face obstacles in getting admission to educational institutions despite qualifying. About 30 per cent of children and youth in different institutions and at different stages face negligence or hateful behaviour from classmates, staff, and others. One study shows that more than 21 per cent of Dalit Hindus face discrimination in receiving medical care from hospitals.
Having said this, looking at the situation in Bangladesh, it is high time that the Hindu community (Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs) stands together to fight these radical forces on every platform by showing unity. The world does not care when the Taliban destroys Afghanistan’s ancient Buddha statues or when the last Sikhs are forced to move to Bharat from Afghanistan, carrying Guru Granth Sahib. Bangladesh is another wake-up call for the Hindu community globally.
