It has been almost a week since attacks on minority Hindus began and reportedly continue in troubled Bangladesh. On Sunday, noted Supreme Court lawyer J. Sai Deepak shared a thread of emails and messages he has received from Bangladeshi Hindus who are desperately seeking help from India to save their lives.
In a message to Deepak, one person sought the lawyer's intervention to encourage New Delhi to be more flexible regarding the legal entry of Bangladeshi Hindus into India. The person, in his message, wrote that most Hindus in Bangladesh are economically prosperous and "will not be a burden to India."
"My brother, please help us," wrote another Hindu in an email to Deepak. "They are slaughtering us like never before. This is genocide on a new scale that has not been seen before." The person, whose name Deepak did not share due to security reasons, claimed that Islamists are planning to destabilise the Indian border and that an Islamic expansion is being planned.
"My relatives' homes have been burned to ashes. My relatives are hiding in fear for their lives. WHAT IS INDIA DOING? This is the only chance they have to mitigate 100 years of future jihadi problems... they are massacring us. I will provide some pictures of my relatives' home that was burned down."
The attacks on Hindus began last Monday after Sheikh Hasina — following weeks of student protests —was forced to resign as Prime Minister and flee Dhaka. What started as a student protest was soon infiltrated by radical Jamaat-e-Islami forces.
Even as an interim government headed by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus assured the safety of minorities, reports of attacks on Hindus, their temples, and businesses continue to pour in from various parts of Bangladesh.
"The Bangladeshi Hindus are currently under attack by the radical Islamists (90% of the country) ever since they took control of the country. They have vandalized many Hindu houses, temples, pratims, and shops near my house," wrote another Hindu in an email to the lawyer. He added that he wants to leave Bangladesh and does not want to repeat the mistakes his forefathers made in 1947, 1964, and 1971.
In conclusion, the person asked: "What options does India have for an oppressed Bangladeshi Hindu so that he can protect his family from the vandalism and terrorism of the extremists and live like a regular Hindu without fear in India?"
Deepak also shared another message from a Hindu who lives in Kolkata but has relatives in Bangladesh. In his message, the person said the situation in the neighboring country is worsening, and that his cousins' house was attacked, forcing them to seek shelter to save their lives.
The person also mentioned that many posts suggesting Muslims are protecting Hindu temples are "totally eyewash." "Only a few photos are going viral in the media, but no one is showing the truth behind them."
BJP's Swapan Dasgupta recently suggested that the Home Ministry should assist those friendly to India. Citing media reports, he said some Bangladeshi notables who are friendly to India have been turned back at the border by the BSF because they didn't have valid visas. "In effect, they were thrown to the wolves. I urge @AmitShahOffice to go beyond niceties & be more understanding towards our traditional friends in Bangladesh."
After Yunus took over as interim head, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his first message, raised the issue of the security of Hindus in Bangladesh. "My best wishes to Professor Muhammad Yunus on the assumption of his new responsibilities. We hope for an early return to normalcy, ensuring the safety and protection of Hindus and all other minority communities," he said.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Home Affairs has set up a five-member committee to monitor the situation on the Indo-Bangladesh Border. "The committee will maintain communication channels with their counterparts in Bangladesh to ensure the safety and security of Indian nationals, Hindus, and other minority communities living there," Home Minister Amit Shah said on Friday.