Hindus, Muslims in Seemanchal unite for Bangladeshi Hindus

Hindus and Muslims in Seemanchal unite in solidarity with persecuted Bangladeshi Hindus, holding protests and offering support amid rising tensions.

In a remarkable show of solidarity, Hindus and Muslims of Seemanchal have come out in support of Bangladeshi Hindus who have been facing persecution in their country after the overthrow of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government in August this year.

Hindus, Muslims in Seemanchal unite for Bangladeshi Hindus

Seemanchal has a mammoth Muslim population and the region has often been centre of communal polarisation in recent years.

Protest marches have erupted at various places in recent weeks in Seemanchal’s four districts, Kishanganj, Araria, Katihar and Purnea to express solidarity with Bangladeshi Hindus.

At the vanguard of such solidarity, which has been expressed both in the form of protests and statements in support to Bangladeshi Hindus, with one Hindu leader even offering his land to rehabilitate them if any of them came to India fleeing atrocities, are organisations like Jamiat Ulema e Hind, Veer Shivaji Sena and Mahakal Sena.

Muslim organisations have faced ire of some Hindu organisations for not showing as much enthusiastic empathy for suffering Hindus as they have been doing over “victimisation of Muslims” in India. Thus, the voice of Jamiat, India’s most well-networked and cadre-based Muslim organisaton with national prominence, must prove that Muslims too are equally concerned about happenings in the neighbouring state.

Jamiat organised its general gathering, known as Ijlas-e-Aaam, in Kishanganj on Sunday. In his address, its popular president Mehmood Madni emphatically raised the issue of Bangladeshi Hindus. He declared attack on Hindus in Bangladesh an anti-Islamic act that must be denounced.

“Islam never permits attacks on non-Muslim communities and if it happens it is the greatest injustice. To give protection to the minorities in a nation is the moral duty of the government in a country,” he said.

Veer Shivaji Sena has been regularly raising its voice against the Hindu persecution and has demanded immediate release of Iskcon temple priest Chinmoy Krishna Das whose detention in Dhaka was condemned worldwide.The Sena organised a candle march and burnt the effigy of Bangladeshi PM Muhammad Yunus. It has been calling for Indian government’s intervention to ensure that Bangladesh Hindus are safe.

In Katihar district, another outfit called Mahakal Sena held protests to register their solidarity with Bangladeshi Hindus.

“Temples are being vandalised and innocent Hindus and other minorities are being harassed and arrested in Bangladesh,” Shivanand Singh alias Pappu Singh, a senior of the outfit said and demanded immediate action to protect minorities.

In Purnea, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) organised a big demonstration and held a day-long dharna highlighting atrocities on Bangladeshi Hindus. VHP’s Purnea president Pawan Kumar Poddar who led the dharna demanded strong action against Bangladesh as there is widespread and open human rights violation there.

Similar protests were also held in Araria district.

Ex-BJP MLA of Kishanganj Sikandar Singh announced that he would donate two kattha land to every Hindu refugee family in the wake of continuous attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh. He said, “Indo-Bangladesh border should be opened to facilitate Hindus to come into India as refugees.”