Author: Pabitra Kumar Ghosh
Publication: Mayer Dak
Date:
The National Puja Association of
Bangladesh ('Puja Udjapan Parishad') protested against the extreme level
of torture and persecution faced by the Hindu minority in that country.
The persecution reached another climax in 1993. The organization took the
decision that there would be no Durga Pratima or deity in any of the Durga
Puja Mandaps in Bangladesh. There would be puja but only 'Ghat Puja'. There
would be no Dhak (puja drums). There would be no festive lighting.
This conclusion was not reached
haphazardly. Since 1947, the Dhaka government and the ruling elite did
not hesitate to convey that the nation belongs only to the Muslims and
the Hindus are not welcome. This attitude forced millions of Hindus to
flee East Bengal (now Bangladesh). This vicious display and continuous
propagation of this attitude have caused the Hindus to suffer from severe
inferiority complex and fear. But, the majority of Hindu East Bengali refugees
and their descendants on this side of the Padma (i.e. in West Bengal, Assam,
etc) have not forgotten that the nation with the Rupsha Meghna Dhaleshwari
rivers (i.e. East Bengal, now Bangladesh) is their Homeland. Even after
50 years of continuous societal and mental persecution. Their feelings
for their motherland remain inextinguishable.
Therein lies the tragedy. The Bangladesh
Government estimates its present Hindu population as 15 million. NGOs place
the figure at above 20 million. Comparatively, Palestine has only a few
hundred thousand residents, mostly Muslims. But there have been major international
movements in support of the Palestinians' human rights. There has been
conferences, wars, treaties, terrorist activities, etc. to restore their
lost rights and liberties. But not even a tear has fallen for the 20 million
Hindus in Bangladesh
It is known with certainty that
Islam is a newcomer to East Bengal. The Muslim community there is only
a few hundred years old. Hindus are there since ancient times. In Bengal
Hinduism has been respected as the Eternal Religion since time immemorial.
The rulers of West Bengal are very
well aware of this harsh cruel reality, but they don't let anyone know
about the gory events in Bangladesh. The grievances and persecutions of
the Bangladeshi Hindu community do not have a place in the West Bengal
media.
Therefore, today the Bengali Mother
is weeping all by herself. Whenever even a minor persecution occurs in
any far-flung nation in the world, the 'brave' intellectuals of West Bengal
generate mass protests. But if a Hindu from Dhaka or Bhola suffers severe
persecution, the 'Progressive Patrons' of Calcutta stay silent on the subject.
This heartless cruel hypocrisy is unmatched anywhere.
Translated from the Bengali newspaper
'Bartaman'.
Mayer Dak is a monthly documentary
newspaper espousing the minority (Hindu, Buddhist, Christian, Tribal, etc)
cause in Bangladesh.
