Over 50 academics and authors have penned an open letter, voicing concern about the ongoing Hindu genocide in Bangladesh and urging the Indian Parliament to advocate for the provision of humanitarian assistance and asylum options for Hindus fleeing persecution in the strife-torn country.
After former prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s abrupt resignation, bringing an end to her 15 years of autocratic rule, there were numerous reports of attacks against Hindu households, temples and businesses.
Top Intelligence sources had told CNN-News18 earlier that “sculptures, idols and temples have been destroyed” in Bangladesh. “Despite assurances from the army, no attempts have been made to save Hindus in Bangladesh. In fact, reports indicate that the army and police are robbing and looting houses too. Hindu families are being assaulted and beaten. A Hindu professor was brutally killed with a hammer. Hindu families have lost everything in Bangladesh and even now, Hindu organisations are afraid to speak openly,” they said.
In their letter, the group said recent incidents have brought global attention to a renewed and alarming pattern of targeted violence against Hindus in the region.
“In recent days we have observed deeply troubling events, including the burning of an ISKCON center in Meherpur, the vandalism of multiple Hindu temples across the country, and the dissemination of videos showing rioters celebrating the lynching of Hindus. Tragically, these acts of violence are neither isolated nor are they without precedent.”
They added: “The Hindu population in Bangladesh has historically endured repeated waves of persecution, which often intensify during periods of political instability. Since 1971, when 2.5 million Hindus were murdered by the Pakistani regime before the formation of Bangladesh, there has been an ongoing and systematic pogrom against Hindus. Reports indicate that there have been over 3,600 attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh since 2013.”
The group, which includes noted authors such as Amish Tripathi and Anand Ranganathan and noted advocate J Sai Deepak among others, said the current developments in Bangladesh had further destabilised the situation, resulting in increased attacks on minority communities. “These events are reminiscent of the tragic exodus of Hindus from Bangladesh in previous decades, underscoring a recurring cycle of violence that must be urgently addressed”.
“Given the severity of these circumstances, we respectfully request your immediate intervention to bring this matter to the attention of your elected representatives, urging them to address this issue at the highest levels of government.”
They urged the Indian Parliament to pass a unanimous resolution recognising the ongoing violence against Hindus in Bangladesh and condemning the wave of communal violence; collaborating with international bodies, such as the United Nations, to press the Bangladeshi authorities to take concrete steps to protect their Hindu minority and hold the perpetrators accountable; and advocating for the provision of humanitarian assistance and asylum options for Hindus fleeing persecution in Bangladesh.
“It is imperative that immediate action is taken to prevent further atrocities and to uphold the fundamental human rights of the Hindu community in Bangladesh. Your support is crucial in mobilising international action and ensuring that these vulnerable populations receive the protection they so urgently need,” the letter concludes.
The signatories to the letter are: Dr AK Singh, neurosurgeon; Abhishek Banerjee, author and columnist; Abhinav Agarwal, author; Amish Tripathi, author; Dr Amit Thadhani, consulting general surgeon, social activist and author; Anand Ranganathan; Aneesh Gokhale, author; Anirudh Joshi; Aparna M Sridhar, chief editor, Conversations, Indic; Arun Krishnan, author; Ashwin Sanghi, author; Avatans Kumar, columnist; Deepak MR, author and trainer; Dushyant Sridhar, speaker and author on Hindu scriptures; Gurpreet Chopra, author, financial analyst; GV Shivakumar, author, director – INDICA; Harsh Gupta Madhusudan, author and investor; Hindol Sengupta, author; J Sai Deepak, advocate, Supreme Court of India and author; Jataayu, Tamil scholar and cultural commentator; and Kavita Krishna Meegama, author.
Other signatories are Lila Krishna, columnist; Mathukumalli Vidyasagar, scientist; Megh Kalyanasundaram; Neelabh Pratap Singh, author; Dr Nidhi Shendurnikar, independent media educator & researcher, Vadodara (Gujarat); Nithin Sridhar, author, speaker & director, INDICA Center for Moksha Studies; Pankaj Sahay, professor; Pankaj Saxena, author, co-founder Brhat; Pingali Gopal, doctor, author; Pranshu B Saxena, author & founder – The Real Mahabharata of Sage Vyasa; Raghava Krishna, founder & CEO, Brhat; Dr Ratan Sharda, author & TV panelist; Rajeev Mantri, author; Rajeev Srinivasan, columnist; Ramaharitha Pusarla, editor, MyInd; Ramesh Rao, professor, Columbus State University; Ratul Chakraborty, author; Roopal G Vaish, author; S Anuradha, author; Saiswaroopa Iyer, author and academic; Semanti Chakraborty, teacher and author; Shailendra Marathe, author & educationist; Smita Barooah, author; Soumitra Banerji, author & consultant; Srinidhi Balasubramanian, author; Srivalli Rekha, author; Sumedha Verma Ojha, historian and author; Sunil Kumar, author; Dr Swetha Prakash, author; Vaijayanthi Chakravarthy; Vaishali S, author; Dr Yogini Deshpande, practising civil engineer & co-founder, Indica Today.
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