By Afsan Chowdhury in Dhaka Courier
This year, Durga Puja in Bangladesh was one of the more violent ones as mandaps all over the country faced various forms of violence and intimidation. Although the Prime Minister thanked law enforcement agencies for ensuring a peaceful environment, the facts seem otherwise. Her statement that everyone in Bangladesh is at liberty to practice their own religion, rings hollow. Six cops were suspended in Sunamganj for attacking Hindu devotees at a Puja celebration. Another police sub-inspector was withdrawn for burning a festoon bearing an image of the goddess Durga. If this is what police were doing, what would ordinary thugs be busy with? Bangladesh remains after all these years an unhappy place for Hindus to reside
Problems of ‘secularism’
Awami League has difficulties with secularism for long. Most of it arises from the fact that nobody quite understands what secularism really means and even if they pretend to know, they are not on the same page. In the initial years, despite official enthusiasm, public endorsement for secularism was very low. Most saw this as end of religious practice. Some even thought this secularism was a possibly anti-Muslim move taken under pressure from India. As a result, Hindus became the scapegoats and have been paying a price since then.
Some of the sociological reasons for this resentment are obvious. Huge amounts of Hindu property had been looted during 1971 and any rights given to Hindus always meant that looted resources might have to be returned. Thus a large section of the urban and rural elite became involved in incipient communal bashing. And India became a symbol of a Hindu state and this feeling was exploited well by politicians using anti-India and anti-Hindu sentiment. In this process Hindus of Bangladesh became imagined as an enemy. Their identity was usurped and they were demonized by many.
Over time political priorities have reached a point whereby taking a position in favour of human rights as far as Hindus are concerned is politically risky. While BNP is openly anti-Hindu, the Awami League is very reluctant about not being anti-Hindu. Relative to the BNP, the Awami League (AL) is Hindu friendly which also gets it Hindu votes.
But in principle, it too moderates its views in order to make sure that no Muslim vote is alienated. It’s in this very uncomfortable space that Bangladeshi Hindus live. For them or for that matter anyone, ‘secularism’ has provided no answer.
Interfaith?
Instead of using such a loaded and politically risky term that few like, isn’t it better to say that the Bangladeshi ideal is interfaith communal harmony in which religion plays no role in decision making at any level, whether the state, government or society ? However, to say so is a huge task and needs belief that such a position is good for Bangladesh.
Bangladeshi elite doesn’t seem to believe that a multi-cultural harmony is the best policy. So space to minorities is considered a matter of charity and not equal rights. When the AL government allowed the Islamic parties to survive even after the reprinting of the constitution carrying the dictates of the court judgment on the issue, it was again a matter of political convenience.
It was believed that this would cause alienation of these groups and their supporters and the AL might lose popularity. It was a practical decision, right or wrong.
So what keeps the political parties from taking advantage of millions of people who are now kept in the margins by offering them equal space?
Partly this is ignorance. The idea of a conspiring enemy is much more politically attractive as is using fear to get their votes. Neither the BNP nor the AL take cognizance of the Hindus as Bangladeshi and so use them both to get votes either from the minorities or the majorities.
Hindus have become a double-edged sword and the sword is pointed at them. Muslims vote against them as the ‘enemy within’ while the Hindus vote for AL as the party that will protect them. Recent events have shown how false that premise is.
Sadly, its no longer an issue for Hindus to do much about as the politicians use them to reach their objectives which leads to more oppression.
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