India must mediate with Bangladesh to prevent anti-Hindu activities: PPFA

by Bhupen Goswami

GUWAHATI : Expressing grave concerns over the relentless attacks on temples and Hindu villagers inside Bangladesh, a northeast India based nationalist citizen’s forum urged the Union government in New Delhi to deal with the Bangla government in Dhaka strongly. Patriotic People’s Front Assam (PPFA), in a statement issued on 9 August, reminded that every patriotic citizen of Bangladesh fought for its independence against the colonial British regime and later the brutal Pakistani forces. They also suffered a lot for their hard-earned independence. Hence, all Bangladeshi nationals, irrespective of their religious believes, have rights to live a dignified life and the Sheikh Hasina led Awami League government in Dhaka must ensure safety and security to every minority citizen in the south-Asian nation, asserted the forum. In a latest disturbing incident, a group of miscreants vandalized six temples, defaced several idols, ransacked shops and houses belonged to Hindu families at Shiali village under Rupsha Upazila of Khulna locality on Saturday. It started with a religious procession of female devotees from Purba Para temple to Shiali Mahasmashan temple. As the Hindu ladies crossed a mosque chanting the Kirtan, a form of devotional songs, the local preacher of a mosque on their way had objected to the procession. It led to a heated arguments between the Hindu devotees and the Islamist cleric. Later a group of Islamists arrived in Shiali village at night hours and desecrated the temples along with Hindu idols. Other personal properties were also damaged by the vandals. “Bangladesh must not forget the contributions of Indian armed forces during their freedom movement against the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. After independence, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman assured equal opportunities to every Bengali national irrespective of their religion and ethnicities. That principle should not be diluted in fear of the radicals,” opined PPFA. It also added, when Bangladesh was born in 1971 every citizen of the Muslim dominated country identified as a Bengali speaking national. But the recent incidents prove that the exclusive linguistic identity has also failed to give essential social securities to the religious minorities in the country, observed the PPFA statement.