Violence against minorities, particularly Hindus, who constitute 8 per cent of Bangladesh’s population and their resilient protests to be allowed to live with human rights and dignity continue simultaneously in the country, even a week after the sudden regime change. But the way the International press has covered it, it seems “celebratory, in most parts”, about the regime change in Bangladesh while being indifferent to the plight of Hindus, said noted economist and writer Sanjeev Sanyal in his interview with News18.
Citing examples of the New York Times where it called the attack on Hindus “revenge” before correcting it, Sanyal said, that had it not been the social media, these ongoing attacks on religious minorities in Bangladesh would have gone unnoticed like the genocide of 1971 when the estimated number of casualties was 3,000,000, much of whom were Hindus.
Sanyal believes the horrific to gory images going viral on social media from Bangladesh should “force some shame on the international community”, much of whom have been either muted in their response if one draws a parallel to how they reacted to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza Strip.
The Rhodes Scholar told News18 he is in touch with many Hindu families on the other side of the border who are “under extreme threat of violence, rape and murder”. Hailing their courage to come out and protest in large numbers in different parts of Bangladesh, Sanyal urged the interim government, now led by Prof Muhammad Yunus to bring law and order under control.
The author of The Indian Renaissance said the muted response from Bollywood A-listers on the issue perturbs him less than the stoic silence of Bengali intellectuals. ‘Budhhhijibi’ as they are called in Bengali, are known to express strong opinions on “everything under the sun” but the prevailing trauma of Bengali Hindus in Bangladesh. However, he called it “not at all surprising”.
Here are edited excerpts of the interview with Sanjeev Sanyal:
Q: How has the ongoing situation in Bangladesh affected you? Does it sound similar to the stories you may have grown up listening to?
Sanjeev Sanyal: I am really sad to see what is being done to my fellow Bengali Hindus across the border. My mother’s family is originally from Kushtia, now Bangladesh. Before independence, the Chakravarti family used to own one of Asia’s largest textile mills – Mohini Mills Ltd. (Rabindranath Tagore was one of its shareholders and a member of its board). Like many Bengali Hindus, the family tried to stay on after Partition but eventually, my mother’s branch of the family moved to India in the late 1950s when the Pakistani government made it impossible for Hindus to live there with dignity. Another branch stayed on and would pay for it during the atrocities of 1971.
Q: You have tweeted a photo of your father Jayanta Sanyal from August 1970 showing Indira Gandhi refugee settlements. What is the context of the photograph?
Sanjeev Sanyal: On the day I was born in August 1970, there was heavy rain and devastating floods in Bengal. My mother had no idea about the whereabouts of my father, then a young officer, who was in the field. Communications had broken down. It turns out that he was showing Prime Minister Indira Gandhi around a refugee camp for Hindus escaping persecution in East Pakistan. There were tens of thousands of refugees in muddy, desperate conditions and the 29-year-old officer was somehow expected to manage it. The picture of my father with the then Prime Minister appeared the next day on the front page of the Ananda Bazar Patrika. That is how my mother found out that her husband was alright.
Q: On the international sphere, from Israeli influencers to Canadian leaders of Opposition – we have seen a welcome shift in condemning the violence against minorities of Bangladesh. What has changed?
Sanjeev Sanyal: There has been some international condemnation of the violence against Bangladeshi Hindus, but simply not enough. Indeed, the international media seemed celebratory for the most part. The New York Times headline almost suggested that the Hindus somehow deserved what they were getting (they later edited it). Perhaps the only thing that has changed is that we have social media that allows access to images and information that is not censored by mainstream media. After all, the East Pakistan genocide of 1971 and the deliberately induced Great Bengal Famine of 1943 are rarely brought up in global conversations. Note that these are the same people who were targeted in the recent violence. Hopefully, the images on social media will force some shame on the international community.
Q: Do you know anyone on the other side of the border who is scared of his or her life right now because of his or her faith? Without naming, can you give details of his or her apprehensions?
Sanjeev Sanyal: Yes, I am in touch with several Hindus in Dhaka and other parts of Bangladesh. They are under extreme threat of violence, rape and murder. Despite the threat to their lives, large numbers of them came out on the streets to protest in Dhaka and other towns. Hopefully, this show of unity will force the authorities in Bangladesh to quickly enforce law and order.
Q: Does the contrast of Bollywood’s reaction to Gaza and Bangladesh worry you as a citizen?
Sanjeev Sanyal: Not just Bollywood, but a large section of India’s media, political class and other celebrities have been conspicuously silent about the persecution of Bangladeshi Hindus. Why blame Bollywood when prominent Bengali intellectuals of Kolkata have remained silent? Otherwise, these people tend to express strong opinions on everything under the sun. This is sad but not at all surprising.
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