New Delhi (India), August 12 (ANI): A leading group of writers, academics and eminent civil society representatives have expressed deep concern over the violence against Hindus in Bangladesh in an open letter and urged the Indian Parliament to pass a unanimous resolution condemning “this wave of communal violence”.
The signatories, who include authors Amish Tripathi, Ashwin Sanghi, Abhishekh Banerjee, Rajeev Mantri and Smita Barooah, and SC lawyer J Sai Deepak, said they were deeply concerned about reports of escalating violence against the Hindu community in Bangladesh.
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“In recent days, we have observed deeply disturbing events, including the burning of an ISKCON center in Meherpur, the destruction of several Hindu temples across the country, and the circulation of videos showing rioters celebrating the lynching of Hindus. Tragically, these acts of violence are neither isolated nor without precedent,” the letter said.
“The Hindu population in Bangladesh has endured repeated waves of persecution in the past, which often worsens in times of political instability. There has been a sustained and systematic pogrom against Hindus since 1971, when 2.5 million Hindus were murdered by the Pakistani regime before the creation of Bangladesh. According to reports, there have been over 3,600 attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh since 2013,” it added.
The letter said that current developments in Bangladesh had further destabilized the situation and “led to an increase in attacks on minorities.”
She called on the population to bring the matter to the attention of their elected representatives.
“We respectfully request that you take immediate action and bring this matter to the attention of your elected representatives. We urge you to raise this issue at the highest level of government,” the letter said.
“We, the undersigned, call on the Indian Parliament to pass a unanimous resolution acknowledging the ongoing violence against Hindus in Bangladesh and condemning this wave of communal violence. Work with international organizations such as the United Nations to urge the Bangladeshi authorities to take concrete steps to protect their Hindu minority and hold perpetrators to account. Work to provide humanitarian assistance and asylum opportunities to Hindus fleeing persecution in Bangladesh,” it added.
Bangladesh is facing a volatile political situation after Sheikh Hasina resigned as prime minister on August 5 amid growing protests. A caretaker government led by Professor Mohd. Younus has since taken power in Dhaka.
The letter said it was imperative to take immediate action to prevent further atrocities and protect the basic human rights of the Hindu community in Bangladesh.
According to reports, large groups of the Hindu community in Bangladesh had already staged protests in certain cities on Sunday, demanding security for their lives and places of worship. Hindu groups also staged protests in cities such as London and Toronto against the violence against their community members in Bangladesh.
On August 8, Prime Minister Narendra Modi conveyed his best wishes to Prof. Muhammad Yunus while calling for “safety and protection” of Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh.
“My best wishes to Professor Muhammad Yunus on assuming his new responsibilities. We hope for an early return to normalcy and to ensure the safety and protection of Hindus and all other minority communities. India remains committed to working with Bangladesh to fulfil the common aspirations of our two peoples for peace, security and development,” Prime Minister Modi said in a post on X.
Hindus make up about 8 percent of Bangladesh’s 170 million people and thousands of Bangladeshi Hindus have tried to flee the violence into neighboring India. (ANI)
This report is auto-generated by ANI news service. ThePrint takes no responsibility for its content.
