Mohit Ray
CAAMB, Kolkata The greatest ethnic cleansing and pogrom in the recent history of mankind is going on for last 50 years in today's so-called Bangladesh/ East Pakistan.Even worse is that the victims of this atrocity, who have got shelter in India, have immediately forgotten their past. It is a tragic story of Islamic barbarism on one side and, on the other, an abysmal betrayal on the part of the very kins of the victims. To stop the pogrom, both have to be exposed and opposed. Worst Ethnic Cleansing in Modern History
So-called liberals, pseudo-secularists, leftists, Bengali nationalists and similar groups have spread a myth for the last five decades that Bengali Muslims are peaceful and the riots in East Bengal/East Pakistan are the handiwork of Punjabi/Bihari Muslims. This is a lie. From the days of the Noakhali riot in 1946, when Hindus started to leave East Bengal for the first time, the Bengali Muslims, like their brothers everywhere in the world, have carried out ethnic cleansing against their neighbours. While there has been no riot, except a short one in 1964, for last 50 years in West Bengal and no Muslim refugee has gone to East Pakistan/Bangladesh , atrocities on Hindus in East Pakistan/ Bangladesh never stopped. While the Hindus were fleeing from Pakistan/Bangladesh and coming to West Bengal throughout the last five decades, the simplest arithmetic would project that the proportion of Hindus would continue to rise in West Bengal. This has not happened ; on the contrary, it is just the opposite that has taken place.
The proportion of Muslims in West Bengal is increasing steadily for the last two decades. It is a double whammy - while Hindus are being totally made extinct in Bangladesh, Muslims are increasing in percentage terms in West Bengal. Year | Hindus (%) Bangladesh W.B | Muslims (%) B'desh W. Bengal | 1951 | 22.8 | 79.8 | 76.8 | 19.5 | 1961 | 19.2 | 79.4 | 80.4 | 20.0 | 1971 | 14.1 | 78.9 | 85.4 | 20.5 | 1981 | 12.7 | 77.9 | 86.6 | 21.5 | 1991 | 11.1 | 75.8 | 88.3 | 23.6 |
East Bengali Refugees : Worst Betrayers
Even after this horrible ethnic cleansing, no one in West Bengal is bothered.And, strangely, the least bothered are the refugees themselves who have fled to escape tIslamic rule. This trend of betraying their own people and having little self-respect has been always a hallmark of Bengali Hindus.
The Communist Party of India (CPI) was one of the major supporters of the Muslim League and actively supported the creation of Pakistan. But in a tragic turn of history, Hindu communists were the first to run away from East Pakistan. The Communist Party, with its training of secret organisations and ideological fundamentalism, is comparable to Islamic groups. Communist workers have also been the most dependent allies of Islamic fundamentalism in India from its inception and they infiltrated refugee organisations and worked hard to hide the barbaric activities of Muslims. So, the central refugee organisation UCRC had one of their demands from 1950 that all Muslims displaced in West Bengal should be rehabilitated, but never demanded that they should also be rehabilitated in East Pakistan. Their processions shouted against American imperialism and about Korean war but never against Pakistan. East Bengali refugees lost self respect from then. West Bengal could only come into existence because of the relentless struggle by Shri Shyamaprasad Mukherjee. Communists wanted to make West Bengal a part of Pakistan also. The Communist intellectual and writer, Ashok Mitra, former finance minister in Jyoti Basu's cabinet, proudly narrated in his memoirs about how he and his cohorts heckled Shyamaprasad babu in Dhaka in 1946. He also described his proud role as a Pakistani student leader visiting India for a youth conference in 1948. However, within months, he had to run away from East Pakistan. And his illustrious teacher parents also had to all run away and take shelter in Shyamaprasad' s Bengal. However, the Ashok Mitras of the world, all the refugee communists, continue to abuse Shayamaprasad till today at every opportunity.
The Nehru-Liaquat Pact of 1950 made the communal situation worse.Because of this pact, most of the Muslim refugees from East Pakistan came back to India, but Hindus did not return. Shyamaprasad Mukherjee resigned from the Central cabinet to protest against this act. And in return the UCRC leaders would condemn Shyamaprasad later as he demanded economic sanctions on Pakistan. Scheduled caste refugees did the same. Scheduled caste organisations in India are now aligning with Muslim organisations under the guise of protesting against caste Hindu oppression. Their protest against this oppression may be genuine . However, they should have cautioned their people that this is far better than Islamic barbarism. The mtheost important leader of the Scheduled Caste people of Bengal was Late Jogen Mandal who always had a cordial relation with the Muslim League. After partition, Jogen Mandal became Minister for Law and Labour, Government of Pakistan. However, even though he was a Central minister in Pakistan, he had to run away from East Pakistan in 1950. He sent his resignation from India. He wrote in his resignation letter on 8 October 1950 - "Now this being in brief the overall picture of Pakistan so far as the Hindus are concerned, I shall not be unjustified in stating that Hindus of Pakistan have to all intents and purposes been rendered " Stateless " in their own houses. They have no other fault other than the fact that they profess Hindu religion….After anxious and prolonged struggle I have come to the conclusion that Pakistan is no place for Hindus to live in and that their future is darkened by the ominous shadow of conversion or liquidation. The bulk of the upper class Hindus and politically- conscious scheduled castes have left East Bengal. Those Hindus who will continue to stay will, I am afraid, by gradual stages and in a planned manner, be either converted to Islam or completely exterminated. " What Shri Jogen Mandal said 50 years back, is continuing for the next 50 years. Hindu exodus continued. Killing, raping, looting, destruction of temples by the Bengali Muslims continues. Only the Hindus of East Bengal could have been helped by the refugees settled in India. But all groups of East Bengali refugees betrayed their own people who stayed back in their motherland. The Communist party used these helpless, poor, uprooted people to capture state power in West Bengal. The second generation of the refugees totally forgot their roots.Though in film, literature, politics, academics and in other fields, East Bengali refugees established themselves as leaders, they dared not talk about the ongoing pogrom. What is going in Bangladesh?
The establishment of Bangladesh on the ruins of East Pakistan did not change anything for the Hindus. It is not mentioned at all that Bangladesh was largely born out of the sacrifice of Bengali Hindus. About 20 lakhs Hindus were killed in 1971 by the Pakistani Army, thousands of women raped. 1 crore Hindus had to leave their homes and take shelter in India. Only the intervention by India made Bangladesh a reality. Does Bangladesh feel any obligation for that? No. During the 1971 genocide, Ramna Kalibari, the 500 year old temple was destroyed. After liberation, it would have been duty of the new government to help rebuild the old temple, a heritage for all. But on contrary, the temple land was confiscated and all traces of the temple complex were wiped out. It is only recently that the land has been again given back to the temple authority.
Within a few years of the formation of Bangladesh, the illusion of a civilised Bangladesh vanished. True to the tradition of Islam, Hindus were again tortured and oppressed continuously. The exodus started again. Today, it would not be an exaggeration to say that no Hindu father of a young girl can sleep peacefully in Bangladesh. Vested Property Act: Grabbing 10 lakh Hindu homes and land worth Rs.60,000 Crore.
The Vested Property Act first appeared in 1965, during the Indo-Pak War. It was at that time called the "Enemy Property Act." The law was directed primarily against the property of the Hindus who had temporarily fled to India in fear of their lives. The state was enabled to take their property into custody, with the rationale that a Hindu who went to India was an enemy. After the Bangladesh War of Independence (1971) it was expected that the law would be repealed. However, all that happened was that the act was renamed the Vested Property Act. Hence, on paper, according to this law, India is actually still an enemy of Bangladesh. Even worse, whereas previously the state was only the custodian of the confiscated property, an amendment was passed in 1976, which made the state the outright owner of the property, which it could redistribute. This was a cruel and callous move by the state. As a result of this horrendous legislation, millions of Bangladeshi Hindus who had fled to India from the Pakistani's Army's holocaust, could no longer return and reclaim their ancestral homes in the new state of Bangladesh. More so, the amendment to the law encouraged a fresh bout of long and slow repression of Hindus. This was done particularly at the behest of hardline Islamic clerics, who wanted a Hindu-free Bangladesh, and greedy politicians, who could redistribute confiscated property amongst themselves.
A survey showed that the people who now enjoy Hindu lands consist of 44% Awami League supporters. Because of this, the property vested between 1976 and 1991 was far greater than was the case in erstwhile East Pakistan.
Most of the details of the long and painful story of how this law has been used against religious minorities in Bangladesh would not have been chronicled had it not been for a team of scholars led by a Professor of Economics at Dhaka University, Dr Abdul Barkat. It was estimated in the year 2000, that the land taken from Hindus in this manner totalled 2.1 million acres, which would, at current prices, be worth $22,873 million (USA), accounting for some 40% of Hindu households of the country. Constitution changed to make Bangladesh a Islamic State:
By successive amendments in the country's Constitution, Bangladesh has nearly been converted to a fundamentalist Islamic state. The 1972 Constitution was changed in 1977, 1979 and 1998 to make the state officially an Islamic one. The following principal changes were introduced :
a) In the preamble of the Constitution, "BISMILLAH-AR- RAHAMAN-AR- RAHIM" (In the name of Allah, the Beneficial, the Merciful" was introduced.
b) "Absolute trust and faith in the Almighty Allah shall be the basis of all actions" was introduced as the "Fundamental Principles of the State Policy" in Article 8.
c) Article 12 titled "Secularism and Freedom of Religion" was omitted from the Constitution.
d) "The State shall endeavour to consolidate, preserve and strengthen fraternal relations among Muslim countries based on Islamic solidarity" was introduced in Article 25. So now Bangladesh is a country whose Constitution says that Absolute trust and faith in the Almighty Allah shall be the basis of all actions. So,is it not a fundamentalist State? However, have you ever heard BBC and CNN referring to Bangladesh as an Islamic state ? International liberalism just cannot confront Islamic Fundamentalism. Major Pogroms in 1990, 1992 and 2001
Killing Hindus, raping Hindu women, occupying Hindu properties are daily occurrences in Bangladesh. No riot ever took place in Bangladesh because Bengali Hindus never know to strike back. The killing is always a one-way affair. Forget about Bangladesh. Iin Kolkata, the citadel of secularism, after the destruction of the Babri Structure 1000 kilometer away, the Muslims looted, burnt local Hindu temples, properties and killed Hindus. Besides these regular acts of repression, some major pogroms took place in Bangladesh. In 1990, when Babri structure at Ayodhya was attacked, not destroyed, the retaliation on the Hindus was swift. In fact, even before that, as a prelude to the Babri agitation in India, 1500 temples and Hindu houses were destroyed in the Chittagong area in 1989. This was never made public, using the fig-leaf that such disclosure would disturb communal harmony. A detailed report was prepared by Rosaline Costa Commission for Justice and Peace in Bangladesh. In Chittagong, the famous Kaibalyadham Temple was attacked, damaged and hundreds of Hindu houses were set on fire. The 400 year old Dhakeswari Mandir in Dhaka was ransacked, looted. The Shakhari bazaar, the Hindu commercial area in Dhaka was looted. The famous Jaykali Temple (the locality in Dhaka is known as Jaykali for this temple) was ransacked and destroyed. In Dhaka, Rayerbazar Kali temple, Dhaka Brahmo Samaj, Madhya Goriya Math were all attacked and ransacked. Hindreds of Hindu shops were burnt.
Kolkata's intellectuals were as usual silent. Even the Hindu organisations in Kolkata like Ramkrishna Mission, Ram Thakur Trust etc. whose temples had been destroyed never raised their voices in protest. After the massive destruction of Hindu temples and properties in 1990, not a single Muslim person was attacked in West Bengal.However, after the destruction of Babri structure in December 1992, 1500 kilometers away from Dhaka, in another country, Muslims in Bangladesh went on a rampage. A repeat of chain of destruction was carried out. A report by Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council came to the following conclusion : about 28000 houses, 3600 places of worship and 2500 commercial establishments of the Hindus were destroyed. 13 people were killed, 1925 were injured and 2600 women were raped.
The worst affected was Bhola district. The Hindu population in 1991 census of this district was 96005. Half of these people were attacked and there were many cases of rape. About 25-30000 people left the area after that. A report by the well-known film director Shahriar Kabir had details of these incidents. IN 1993, THE HINDUS OF BANGLADESH DID NOT OBSERVE DURGA PUJA IN PROTEST AGAINST THE 1992 INCIDENTS. BUT NOT A SINGLE PUJA COMMITTEE IN WEST BENGAL, INCLUDING ALL THE REFUGEE COLONY PUJA COMMITTEES, EXPRESSED ANY SOLIDARITY WITH THEIR OWN RELATIVES IN BANGLADESH. THE HISTORY OF MANKIND WOULD RECORD EAST BENGALI REFUGEES AS WORST BETRAYERS OF THEIR OWN PEOPLE. The most recent pogrom was organised after the 2001 election in Bangladesh. : BNP-Jamaat-E- Islami four party coalition won an absolute majority in the election. Begum Zia became Prime Minister for the second time. And Islamic hardliners now wanted to teach a lesson to the Hindus for their traditional support to the Awami League. Another pogrom was planned. The old action of looting and raping continued for months. One report by International Federation of Bangladeshi Hindus & Friends alleged that since October 2001, over 100 people died, over 400,000 took refuge to India, more then 200,000 homes and businesses were looted or burnt. After a long time, thousands of Bengali Hindus crossed the border into India for safety. These displaced persons also held a big rally in Kolkata which was attended by Shariar Kabir, the well-known writer of Bangladesh.
But no so-called human rights organisation in Kolkata, who are so vocal about any torture in any part of the world, uttered a single word to protest against this pogrom. The human rights organisations in India have become another wing of Islamic fundamentalism, like its leftists counterparts. Attack on Buddhists Chakmas in Chittagong Hill Tract is going on for a long time. Grabbing the hill people's land has been a major target for the Bengali Muslims. Conversion is also on the agenda. There have been a number of mass massacres also. The only difference is that the hill people have an armed wing called Shanti Bahini which retaliates from time to time. However, that does not change the ground reality as Chittagong Hill Tract is getting Islamised continuously. Infiltration: West Bengal is also threatened
Massive infiltration of Bangladeshi Muslims has already affected the demography of West Bengal. Many intelligence reports have expressed grave concerns. But communists in West Bengal are welcoming infiltration so as to increase their vote bank. Bangladeshis are now a nuisance in Delhi, Mumbai and other cities.However, the so-called secular parties are providing safety-nets for them. East Bengali Hindu refugees who were kicked out by the Muslims are also silent. The number of infiltrators in West Bengal is estimated to be anything between 60 lakhs to one crore. They are ruining the economy of the state and are the new forces of Islamic fundamentalism. Parts of Twenty Four Parganas, Nadia, Maldah and Murshidabad are now as good as Bangladesh. Hindus are selling their properties and moving to safer areas. Unless these infiltrators are all kicked out, West Bengal has no future. A new mass movement to drive out these people is now required. Support the Campaign against Atrocities on Minorities in Bangladesh:
It is now the historic duty of all Bengalis in West Bengal to support the Campaign against atrocities on minorities in Bangladesh. Only a strong support from West Bengal can stop the atrocities across the border. The support should not only be meek appeals ; the voice from West Bengal should warn Bangladeshi oppressors that the situation would not be allowed to continue. We should demand :
1) All violence against minorities in Bangladesh must stop.
2) Government of India should think of economic sanction against Bangladesh if violence continues.
3) Bangladesh should pay Rs. 60000 crores compensation for confiscation of Hindu properties.
4) Muslims of West Bengal should voice their opposition to the atrocities in Bangladesh.
5) West Bengal should be made free of Bangladeshi infiltration.
6) All refugee colonies should observe one specific day as "East Bengal Day" to protest against the atrocities and to demand compensation for 50 years of looting.
7) The issue must be raised in all international forums in order to create pressure on Bangladesh from the international community. ** Mohit Ray [Ph.D. (Engineering) ] is a leading human rights organizer based in Kolkata, India and is a convenor of CAAMB (Campaign Against Atrocities on Minorities in Bangladesh) | 
