The Hindus of Bangladesh are a tormented lot. They are targets of atrocities committed by extremist Muslims. Hindus are murdered  , their wives and daughters raped and killed , their children butchered and their properties seized. The Hindus have long been the shining beacon of Bengali intelligentsia and today, their plight is extremely disturbing. The world knows about it but chooses to remain mum.

The Sikhs, during Mughal rule , faced a scenario very similar to the Hindus of Bangladesh. They were mercilessly tortured, killed and harassed by Mughal soldiers. They had two options; either to sit   back and watch the annihilation of their race or to fight back. They chose the latter. Under Guru Gobind Singh, they transformed into a martial race. And history is witness to the success of the Sikhs. They are less than 2% of India’s population but are influential in every field. India is today ruled by a Sikh.

Bangladeshi Hindus must take inspiration from Sikhs. It is the need of the hour; Hindus must , in the midst of oppression, turn into a martial race. Not in the sense that they pick up weapons and fight   people but rather using weapons provided by civil society and democracy. So, every time someone is killed for being a Hindu, call a ‘Bandh’ ; whenever our women are molested, ‘gherao’  the police station and civic buildings, jam the roads, block rail tracks and when our properties are seized, do not hesitate to pour black paint on government buildings. In such non-violent actions, the aim must not be to create fear in the minds of non-Hindus but rather to emphasize that Hindus will not take injustice lying down.

Hindus must consolidate. Various Hindu organizations of Bangladesh must come under a common umbrella organization. The plight of Hindus has long been talked and much has been written about it. But the world is not listening. It is time for answers, it is time for solutions. And these must come from within the community. This is our struggle and we must take it to the end alone

Tags: Bangladesh, Hinduism, Politics, solution