As I was greeted with familiar scenes when I switched on my evening TV, I went into my usual stupor. This time, the ISIS had struck closer home, which was at a posh neighborhood of Dhaka capital of neighboring Bangladesh. Many questions swirled in my head. Why had they targeted a posh neighborhood of Dhaka? Why not a Mall, or a 5 Star Hotel, Stadium, etc. All favorite places for target practices for terrorists on a suicide mission. Not that I want these messengers of death to target these places. But, thinking out loud.
From the reports emerging, it was clear. The Terrorists were all locals, on an ISIS Mission. Their mission being to target maximum foreign nationals. Where could they achieve this? They had obviously done their homework and zeroed in on an eatery frequented by foreigners. Since, this eatery was obviously off limits for cash strapped Bangladeshis. To ensure that, they again do not target any Bangladeshi Waiters, or helps or employees, they made them all utter a very simple Koranic verse, which was like giving a ‘ABCD’ test to a 10th grader and let them go. If any Bangladeshi could not utter that verse, means he did not deserve to live any way, or, worse still, that he was a Bengali Hindu, and would have met the same fate as others.
The picture was clear. The perpetrators were baying for foreign blood. They were Bengali loyalists brainwashed by the ISIS. And, their special hatred towards Hindus was evident from the torture and murder of a young as a flower 19 year old Indian Hindu Girl, daughter of an Indian Textile Businessman, residing in the same neighborhood.
The complex Indian-Bangladeshi relationship can be no longer viewed from the point of assisting Bangladesh in their liberation from Pakistan in 1972. That good will, which actually should exist as long as Bangladesh exists, has evaporated long long back. Rise of Islamic identity, complex Bangladeshi illegal influx into the Indian entity, and sheer jealousy arising out of a non-existent cricket rivalry now guide the Indian-Bangladeshi relationship.
A perceived Indo-Bangladeshi cricket rivalry from the Bangladeshi point of view seems to be a new catalyst of hate, especially among the Bangali youth. The poster showing the severed head of the Indian Captain MS Dhoni in the hands of the Bangladeshi Captain was stomach churning. I hail from a generation which has witnessed Indian-Pakistani cricket rivalry reach heady heights. But, never did the general population of both sides, especially Pakistan cross their limits and act as a catalyst to this rivalry. Statements by no less than the Bangladeshi Captain that, ‘he could not sleep after the loss to India’, etc reek of a self induced equality, which is non-existent in the 1stplace. I have mentioned this before, and I repeat this again, that, the sooner Bangladesh is shown its place in the cricketing hierarchy by the Indians, the better.
The spate of hate crimes against Hindus which have become an alarming regularity now in Bangladesh and this torture and murder of a young Indian Hindu girl somewhat reflects the trend of hate against Indians (Hindus in particular), and being propagated by the perceived rivalry by the Bangladeshi Cricket team and their fans.
Bangladesh owes its very existence to Hindus. Yes! That’s a very bold statement, it might seem. But, it is bang on target. The Millions which the Pakistani Army killed and raped while withdrawing from erstwhile East Pakistan were not Muslims but Bangladeshi Hindus. Bangladesh got Independence riding on the sacrifice of these Hindu Martyrs of Bangladesh. A blind with hatred Pakistan, knowing that, it had to leave East Pakistan, decided to reduce the percentage of Hindu Population (hovering around 30-35% during the carving of East Pakistan) and redevelop the new Muslim majority Bangladesh at a later date, as it is doing now. The terror attacks in Bangladesh and the continuous attacks on Hindus there are a handiwork of the Jamaat-E-Islami which basically owes its allegiance to Pakistan, and hopes and prays for uniting with Pakistan one day.
The genocide carried out by the withdrawing Pakistani Army on the Hindu Population of East Pakistan is unparalleled in History. It would make the Rwandan & Armenian genocide look like a brawl in a pub. The estimated killing of Tutsis by the Hutus in Rwanda was around 0.50 – 1.00 Million. The estimated killing of Armenians by the Turks in Turkish controlled territory is around 1.50 Million. These are the 2 biggest genocides in the history of mankind. In comparison, the number of Hindus killed by the Pakistani Army was around 3.00 Million. What also marked a difference between this genocide and others was about the sheer magnitude in the women and girls raped. An estimated 400,000 to 0.5 Million Hindu women and girls were raped by the withdrawing Pakistani Army, aided by gangs of the Jamaat.e-Islami and also aided by Urdu speaking Biharis and Razakars.
It would be safe to say that, if Indira Gandhi our then Prime Minister would not have taken action she would have faced a revolt by the largely Hindu Army of India. A decision which she finally made under pressure for direct intervention and for which she and her spawn claim credit till date. A credit which should actually go to the Indian Army for the pressure they mounted on Indira Gandhi, and the Bangali Freedom Fighters group, The Mukti Bahini who were largely Hindu and the active role of the RSS in educating the Indian Public about the happenings on the other side of the Bengali divide. Indira Gandhi could not withstand all this pressure from all sides lest she risked a mutiny on her hands.
But she still had the last laugh, by successfully suppressing the entire gruesome details of the genocide to the International Media, as well as the Indian History text books and nailing Pakistan then and there as a failed State on an International Forum. The Father’s love for that country and that people flowing in her veins as a heritance.
It is difficult to fathom which was a greater mistake against Hindus and India? Or, which was more damaging? Nehru’s refusal to heed to Field Marshal Cariappa’s request to cross the present LOC and conquer Lahore in 1948. Thus, creating a new Azad Kashmir which is basically a Pakistani enclave. Nehru ignoring all warning signals of an impending Chinese invasion in 1962 and gifting enclave to the Chinese. Or, Indira Gandhi not internationalizing the Genocide of Hindus in East Pakistan (Bangladesh) in 1971.
My view, all the three. But, we just talk of the 1st 2 referring to Nehru always. But my view, the 3rd one is more important. Since, we had a chance to build our own enclaves in Bangladesh as well as West Pakistan for the safety of the Hindus residing in these 2 carved out Nations. The brave and great Indian Army had taken 92000 Pakistani Army personnel as prisoners. The entire Pakistani Army at both the borders were at the mercy of the great Indian Army.
The genocide of almost 3 million Hindus in Bangladesh in 1971 and the mass migration of an equal number to India helped in reducing the percentage of Hindus considerably which is around 10-15% now. 3 Million in 1971 makes it around 10 Million now by way of Population growth. Another 3 Million of Hindus lost in migration, which is another 10 Million now.
What is the solution? Solution lies in a trend set elsewhere in the world. Which is precisely Eastern Europe. In this part of the world split into dozens of countries based on religious lines and on different ethnicities though from the same religion, each country has carved out an enclave for people of its own residing in other neighboring countries for their protection. Armenians have got an enclave in Azerbaijan. Russians have got an enclave in Ukraine. Georgia has got enclave in Abkhazia. And so on. It has become so common that, it isn’t even considered as news anymore in that part of the world.
The solution for the complex problem of protecting Hindus in these 2 neighboring countries does not lie in giving citizenship to these fleeing Hindus. The solution lies in creating protective enclaves for the safety of Hindus in these countries touching our borders. And, I think it should start with Bangladesh. The easiest, the most necessary and the most immediate of challenges.
If this is not achieved now, it might not be achieved anytime.