Author: Editorial
Publication: The Times of India
Date: May 28, 2002
URL: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow.asp?art_id=11206399
For a country that won its political
spurs by renouncing religion as the basis of nationhood, Bangladesh has
come full circle. Nearly. Proudly secular at birth, the Bangla polity,
under Begum Khaleda Zia, is headed inexorably towards a theocracy. Succumbing
to pressures from the Jamaat-e-Islami — a key coalition partner in her
government — Begum Zia has embarked on a dangerous course of ‘Islamisation’.
Having already changed the constitution by replacing the principle of secularism
with the “sovereignty of Allah”, the government is now contemplating the
imposition of strict sharia laws. It recently announced a ban — since revoked
— on a number of satellite and pay channels on TV on the ground that they
propagate “anti-Islamic” values. The role of the Jamaat in Talibanising
Bangladesh is doubly ironic. One, because it was historically opposed to
the creation of Bangladesh. And two, because its ideological influence
is wholly disproportionate to its political standing. This is of a piece
with a general subcontinental trend where ideological extremism, while
not being politically powerful, is increasingly setting the terms of public
discourse. Of immediate concern in the present context, however, is the
terrible impact that this is having on the lives of Bangla minorities.
International human rights groups
have extensively documented the rising tide of anti-minority violence in
Bangladesh, ranging from rape and killings to desecration and destruction
of places of worship. Last December, an Amnesty report pointed to the large-
scale involvement of cadres, both from the Jamaat and Begum Zia’s own Bangla
National Party, in the perpetration of these hate crimes. Among the targeted
minorities are not just Hindus but also Christians and Buddhists. This
deserves condemnation in the strongest possible language. No religion or
political ideology in the modern world can justify the denial of certain
minimum rights to minorities. Among them, the right to life, property,
equality and religious belief. The persecution of Hindus in Bangladesh
is thus not an argument, as many from the sangh parivar have suggested,
for the persecution of Muslims in this country. Equally, those in this
country who routinely accuse human rights groups of a pro- minority bias
should note that the same groups are as solicitous about the fate of minorities
elsewhere. Finally, in today’s globalised world, national sovereignty can
no longer be regarded as inviolable. As in the case of Modi’s Gujarat,
therefore, the global community must do all it can to reverse Begum Zia’s
retrograde agenda.
