Countries must not put religion in the driver’s seat
Insecure minorities would not only dent Bangladesh's international image but the economic and social instability can create Pakistan-like systemic breakdown
The newly formed government in Bangladesh faces a tough challenge next month — the Durga Puja. The world will be keenly watching whether that country will now allow its Hindu citizenry to celebrate the festival with traditional elan.
Bangladesh’s home affairs adviser Lt Gen. (retd) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury has said puja committees have been asked to switch off musical instruments and sound systems during namaz and that they have agreed. The past few weeks have been particularly hard for the Hindus in Bangladesh. They have faced targeted violence since the removal of Sheikh Hasina as prime minister.
According to the Bangladesh National Hindu Guard Alliance, ever since Hasina’s ouster, Hindus have suffered violent attacks and killings in 48 districts of the country. Initially, it was believed to be the handiwork of anti-social elements. It wasn’t.
Media reports suggest that since August 5, about 50 Hindu teachers have been forced to resign. Also, offices across Bangladesh received an order to share a list of Hindu employees as soon as possible, reinforcing the belief that the new government was bent on disenfranchising the minority Hindu population by taking away their right to earn a living. An official clarified that it was only an annual exercise, but panic had spread nationwide by then.
Hindus in Bangladesh claim they feel insecure even in the presence of the police force. They are terrorised by incidents such as the one on September 6 where a 15-year-old Hindu boy was beaten to death in broad daylight at Khulna. He was accused of making a defamatory post against Prophet Mohammed on social media. Such incidents have happened in India, too, but timely action was taken, unlike in Bangladesh.
Bangladesh can learn lessons from the miseries of Pakistan and Afghanistan. The Hindu population in Pakistan has declined by 84% over the past seven decades. Hindus constituted 12.9% of Pakistan’s population as per the 1951 census; today they constitute just 2.17%. The situation in Pakistan is such that the selection of a Hindu girl, Manisha Ropta, as a deputy superintendent of police in 2021, became a national headline. Pakistan can feel smug about it, but such things are common in India. We had our first Muslim president, Zakir Hussain, in 1967. The situation in Afghanistan is worse. With the Taliban back in the saddle in Kabul, the situation of minority Hindus and Sikhs has deteriorated steadily. The Sikhs and Hindus, who number less than a hundred in Afghanistan now, want to run away at the first opportunity.
Bangladesh’s record since its liberation from Pakistan in 1971 is no better. As per its first census in 1974, Hindus constituted 13.5% of its population. Today, the number stands at just 7.96%. For the present Bangladesh regime, it should be a cause for alarm. Insecure minorities would not only dent their international image but the consequent economic and social instability can create Pakistan-like systemic breakdown and anarchy.
In India, the majority Hindu population has witnessed a small percentage decline compared with the Muslim population. But it is still an overwhelming majority and the situation won’t alter significantly for centuries to come.
In our country, those who indulge in fear-mongering citing Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh as examples should be careful. It worsens the situation for minorities in those countries.
They should also not forget there are many Muslim countries where Hindus have created a space for themselves through sheer hard work. They are contributing to those societies and their culture and economy. Orthodox United Arab Emirates boasts of 10% Hindus in their population mix. This year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated a ₹700-crore temple in the UAE. Similarly, Kuwait has a 15% Hindu population and Qatar has 10%. In Indonesia, which has the largest population of Muslims worldwide, Hindus form just 2% of the population. However, Hindu rituals are performed at most of their government functions.
Those who spread fear in the name of religion should know that more than 20 Fortune 500 companies have Hindu CEOs. Would the shareholders of these multinationals be able to create a global brand had religion been their sole criterion of CEO selection? After living for years in London’s cool climes, is Muhammad Yunus aware of such facts and is he ready to work towards it?
Shashi Shekhar is editor-in-chief, Hindustan. The views expressed are personal
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