Author: Abhijit Bhattacharyya
Publication: The Pioneer
Date: February 2003
Introduction: Where is our sense
of outrage at the rape of the minorities in Bangladesh
Islamic Bangladesh of Bengali language
and Bengali culture is back at its favourite game of smashing the Hindu
minority and raping their women and maiming them for life. Lest this is
perceived as fabrication by an Indian, the above piece of information has
been lifted from the report of a Bangladesh daily of October 11, 2001.
It goes thus: "Subjugated and defamed Hindu minorities of seven districts
are leaving the country. Mayhem in Bangladesh: Gopalganj's Ramshil village
is now a refugee camp."
The Hindu-populated village of Ramshil
under Kutalipara Upazila of Gopalganj has turned overnight into a refugee
camp. Post-election violence in three districts of Bangladesh has displaced
more than 15,000 minority families who have taken refuge in the various
schools, colleges and open fields of Ramshil. According to eye witnesses,
torture, looting, gang raping and other atrocities have outdone the barbarism
of 1971.
"Barbarism of 1971?" Those were
the words heard during a barbaric civil war, when the then West Pakistani
Punjabi Muslims raped their own country's East Pakistani Bengali Muslim
women. Thirty years have gone past. But Bangladesh's religious lunatics
have not learnt anything.
Initially founded on the basis of
linguistic chauvinism and identity of Bengali culture, Bangladesh has shown
the way, turning its colour from language to religion; from dictatorship
to democracy; from secularism to fundamentalism; from friendship to hostility;
from political stability to internecine strife; from self-respect to despicable
indignity to its Hindu minority; and, from being anti-Punjabi Pakistan
to pro-ISI.
The advent of Bangladesh National
Party with its fundamentalist ally, the Jamaat, is a definite security
threat to India. Bangladeshi nationals, with their uncharted and uncontrolled
population growth, supplemented by the religious leaders' clarion call
against non-believers, are bound to adopt an "India Bharo" policy and action.
There are innumerable documents,
reports and papers on the illegal entry of Bangladeshi Muslims into India,
who constitute not only a potential liability but also a threat starting
from theft to cheating, from dacoity to sabotage and destruction of Indian
institutions. What Afghanistan is to the US, is what Bangladesh could well
become to India in the near future, especially with the fundamentalists
gaining the upper hand in that country.
As is well known, Islamic countries
the world over have their own way of non-democratic governance. Barring
Indonesia, Malaysia, Egypt and Turkey of Kamal Ataturk, virtually no other
country from the Atlantic Ocean to the Arabian Sea follows open democracy.
It is either a kingdom or a dictatorship; a military junta or an emirate.
In countries like Pakistan and the former East Pakistan, however, it is
a rotation between military rule and democracy. The democratic interregnum
in Bangladesh is still theoretically on. However, if one goes by the media
reports from Bangladesh, the situation as it exists today is more demonic
than democratic.
Ajker Kagoj of October 11, 2001,
says it all: "The unaided and defamed (sic) thousands of minorities are
from Gourandi of Agaizara under Barishal, Mullahat of Bitalmari under Bagherhat
and Najirpur of Firozpur. In the district of Barishal, numerous women were
gang-raped and repressed inhumanly. According to Chhatra League Secretary
Rasel and Bipul, BNP and Jamat allies went on a barbaric rampage in Chandshi,
Bahadurpur, Barthi, Pingolkati, Ashukati, Agailzara and numerous other
places of minorities for their support to Awami League. The barbaric laughter
of the miscreants will subjugate any other barbaric incident in the world.
They criminally assaulted women publicly, removed the eyes of the victims
and slaughtered any one coming in their way.
"The barbaric rape of two teens
near Dhanduba under Gournadi Upazila by these psychopaths will shame humanity.
They have even poisoned the ponds so that the minority is denied water.
Same rampages are reported from Rajshahi, Chapainababganj, Pabna, Atgoria,
Kashinathpur and other northern districts of Bangladesh. Hindu minorities
from Dinajpur, Thakurgaon, Gopalpur, Sirajganj, Ullapara, Gaibandha and
Shahajadpur are already leaving country." Most of the victims said that
it was like a country without a government.
Compare this devastating democracy
of Bangladesh with that of India, and one will get a clearer idea. No Muslim
worth his salt has ever raised his voice of protest against a Hindu bashing
in the neighbourhood. Of course, it would be wrong to single out a Muslim
in the present scenario, since there does not exist a single pseudo intellectual
Hindu (of and) in India to protest against the barbaric persecution of
Hindu minority in a Muslim Bangladesh. Their argument is simple, and logical:
"Why should we bother about the happenings in our neighbour's bedroom?
That is not our business! We should mind our own business to ensure that
we remain `democratic, socialist, secular republic' in accordance with
the preamble of the Constitution of India." Noble words, indeed. But with
an ignoble intention of subjective analysis and interpretation of the objective
reality.
What is the objective reality? The
reality is the policy of consistent hypocrisy of our pseudo intellectuals
in turning a blind eye to atrocities in the neighbourhood. When it comes
to bashing of Hindus, it's better for our fake secularists to dig in their
heads like an ostrich. However, they start crying like a bunch of wily
foxes if even one stray case of rape of a nun takes place in a remote village
by a criminal. Let the pseudo intellectuals start broadcasting that on
their TV networks as "Flash" and "Breaking News". Let us make no mistake
about the stupidity and myopic attitude of some of our own pseudo intellectuals
and friends for whom earning a dollar and running down the Indian Hindus
are paramount. These pseuds are themselves Hindus. Rather "secular Hindus"
whose secularism goes to absurd levels of one upmanship, show off, and
one-way traffic of Hindu bashing.
Bangladesh is far away from New
Delhi. But illegal Bangladeshi Muslims are the natural voters of India
and are potential "law makers" and "keepers" of the future. Their increasing
numbers ensure their religious fraternity, communal identity and the common
goal of obtaining lebensraum in India in the near future. Who cares if
the six border districts of West Bengal have already become an extension
of Bangladesh?
Today's Bangladesh has a lady as
ruler. Yesterday too there was a lady in power. These ladies come from
the higher strata of an "Islamic" society with education but without burqa.
Fortunately, therefore, they have never faced the ignominy of a helpless
minority Hindu woman in the midst of mindless rapists of the majority community.
They have nevertheless experienced the agony of murderous assault of their
husband, father, mother, brother and sister by their co-religionists. However,
they still do not seem to have learnt the lessons of religious fanaticism.
Clearly, Bangladesh needs to douse the fire of anti-Hinduism. Those who
burn the houses of others may soon be victims of their own action. Take
action Begum Zia. Don't make Bangladesh an Afghanistan overrun by a Bengali
speaking Taliban and ISI agents. That would be the ultimate humiliation
on "Sonar Bangla's" language and culture.
(The author is an alumnus of the
National Defence College of India and the views expressed are personal)