RSS turning Bangladeshi Hindus noncitizens in their own motherland in its quest to project India as the Motherland of Hindus | Arun Srivastava

Increasing support and the rise of the rightist and anti-democratic political forces in the Southeast Asian region has been a matter of concern. The rightist forces have been present in the Indian political structure, but it has gained strength and momentum with these forces getting roots in major Asia-Pacific countries like Japan, India, the Philippines, Thailand and Cambodia in recent years. Most of these countries have been known for their representative democracy. But in recent years a new form of democracy, basically autocratic in nature and content nas surfaced in these countries.

India has been the classical example. Though Narendra Modi came to power riding on the back of the electoral democracy, he perpetrated an autocratic rule which strictly adhered to the rightist principles and fascist policies. Autocracy has always there in the political structure and system of countries across the globe, but this started acquiring a menacing dynamism after the global economic crisis of 2008. This gave rise to institutions and ideologies with a more impetus on the rise of right-wing political and ideological forces that seek to use religious, ethnic and/or national communities to build coalitions which are hostile to pluralist politics

Southeast Asia region has been a contentious zone. But it was after the global economic crisis that the countries of the region shifted their attention towards military needs. It was in 2023 India issued a joint statement with the Philippines expressing support for the 2016 Arbitral Award on the South China Sea, which invalidated China’s expansive claims over the contested waterway. This was a first for India, which on the South China Sea disputes has never gone beyond broad expressions of support for the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). India moved away from its earlier stance simply for not strengthen its own position, but more than that to help USA to strengthen its position in the South East Asia.

The shift in the Indian posture ought to be analysed against the backdrop of its evolving defence partnership with Southeast Asia. Significantly this period also witnessed surfacing of a new era of post-democracy or democratic crisis in the West, characterised by the increasing resort to authoritarian measures. The authoritarian actions actually metamorphed as the rightist forces. US or UK cannot openly espouse or support authoritarianism. It is their moral obligation. Nevertheless, the rightist forces had a major impact on the South East Asia nations in the form of their split loyalty to the US and China.

Sri Lanka is quite close to China. In the recently held presidential election, the people elected a Marxist-Leninist as their president. No doubt this is a major sign of denouncing the rightist forces which have been striving hard for some time to make Sri Lanka their home. But the case of Bangladesh has been just diametrically opposite. In recent times Sheikh Hasina and the US had nursed mutual dislike for each other. America was quite upset at Hasina courting China. US had turned anti-Hasina for the reason of her allowing China to build a submarine base in Pekua, Cox’s Baz and buying two Ming class submarines from Beijing rather than her adherence to multi-party democracy. Built by a Chinese company, the naval base is called BNS Sheikh Hasina.

Sri Lanka turning left was not a serious threat for the US. But Bangladesh embracing the anti-US forces would have a wide-ranging impact on the entire South East Asia. Obviously US did not accept this situation lying low. There is no denying that Hasina’s leanings towards China and antipathy towards the West caused her political downfall. This is not a secret that the rightist and Islamist forces accomplished the task for US. Need not be shocked, even Bangladesh Nationalist Party leader Khaleda Zia justified Islamist murderous fury against minority Hindus and Indian establishments as anger against India for giving refuge to Sheikh Hasina.

Though Modi personally tried his best to reconcile Sheikh Hasina with the US and the UK, it was an impossible task. She had virtually challenged the authority of USA. It was not to relent as Hasina had allowed China to build a submarine base. Hasina too had accused the US of being the ‘foreign hand’ behind her ouster through a ‘student revolution’ planned and executed by rightist forces. She has enough reason to believe so, given the US pressure on her over the years, and especially over its alleged plans to acquire Bangladesh’s St Martin’s Island (SMI). US was also for carving out an East Timor-like ‘Christian’ nation out of parts of Bangladesh and Myanmar.

Hindus became the target of rightist forces, as opposed to Hasina, for the reason that she enjoyed the patronage of India. The Islamist offensive against the Hindus of Bangladesh is a design to dilute and divert the peoples’ anger away from US. Hindus are minorities in Bangladesh, but in India, Muslims belong to the minority category. The attack on Hindus ought to be analysed in a wider perspective. It will provide the right political ambience and opportunity for the rightist forces to have complete control of Bangladesh and push away the secular forces

The Hindu fundamentalists and rightist forces would use the situation to consolidate their grip on the Indian political institution and structure. This is clearly manifest in the concern about Hindus there, which was conveyed to the new rulers of Bangladesh on December 9, by India’s Foreign secretary Vikram Misri. He consistently throughout his stay in Dhaka emphasised on the safety of minorities in Bangladesh.

Intriguingly while Modi, his BJP government, rightist organisation RSS have been concerned about the safety of the Bangladeshi Hindus, none of them have shown the bare minimum anxiety and concern for the Indian Muslims and minorities. Their apathy cannot evade the conscience and eyes of a common Indian. For Modi and his saffron ecosystem, they are the object for ridicule and hate.

“Safety of minorities” has acquired such a behemothic importance that Modi is ready to risk India’s relationship with Bangladesh. Yet another factor which ought to be taken note is while RSS and BJP leaders have been publicly raising the issue of the safety of Bangladeshi Hindus, being a seasoned diplomat he took shelter behind the word “minorities”. He refrained from speaking the word Hindu.

It is a classical dichotomy that while in Bangladesh the rightist and fascist forces are against the Hindus, in India the rightist forces are opposed to Muslims. Modi promotes Hindutva and its ideological and political hostility towards Muslims. It is indeed discernible that the priorities for rightist forces are different and diverse for the two countries. RSS representing the rightist and fascist forces has been quite critical of attacks on Hindus and their temples in Bangladesh, but in India it endorses the actions of it cadres and members of forcefully grabbing Muslims religious sites on the plea that they were established by demolishing temples.

RSS and organisations supported and funded by it are not willing to listen to the clarification of even the officials of Bangladesh government. These Hindus are citizens of Bangladesh. They continued to live there despite facing problems. It is the responsibility of Bangladesh government to ensure their protection and safety. Modi or RSS could reflect on the problem and crisis by taking up the matter at international level. But the manner in which RSS and Modi are focusing on the issue, it creates the impression that Islamic goons are perpetrating atrocities on Hindus belonging to India.

This action of RSS and Modi would alienate the Bangladeshi Hindus from mainstream public life. The strategy of the RSS behind this move is quite clear. It intends to send the message across the globe that India was the land of Hindus. This it has resorting to with the design in mind to project India as a Hindu Rashtra. RSS must refrain from turning them outcasts in their motherland

Irked by this attitude of the RSS leaders, a senior Bangladesh official said: “ India should not interfere in its internal affairs. People of all religions in Bangladesh freely practise their faiths. This is our internal affair. It is not expected (of other countries) to make comments on our internal affairs. We don’t do it for other countries”. Some Indian media outlets had gone overboard on the subject of attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh.

One development is quite visible: Hindus and rightist forces have raised the issue of nationalism; their most effective weapon to communalise the society and intensify the passion of politics of hate. Bangladesh consulates were targeted in Tripura and in Calcutta. RSS is trying to make a Hindu hero out of Hindu monk Chinmoy Das who was arrested in Chittagong. He was denied bail on sedition charges. Das is currently the spokesman of the Hindu group Sanatan Jagran Manch.

Hindu organisations and RSS are unwilling to listen to opposite view. It ws only on November 30, the RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale said that Islamic extremists have been committing atrocities against Hindus and other religious minorities in Bangladesh, including attacks, killings, looting, arson, and inhumane persecution of women, are alarming and they must stop immediately. He went up to saying that Bangladesh government and other concerned agencies are behaving like mute spectators. He described the attacks as “persecution” of Hindus. He urged Modi to take urgent action to "mobilise global support" in response to the growing violence against Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh.

About Das’s arrest Tareq Md Ariful Islam, the Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the UN and other international organisations in Geneva said: “With utter dismay, we note that the arrest of Chinmoy Das has been misconstrued by some speakers, although he was actually arrested on specific charges. The matter is being dealt with by our court of law”. He said this at the 17th session of the Forum on Minority Issues held in Geneva on November 28-29.

Entire Southeast Asia has become the victim of the diplomatic war between China and US. A closer look at foreign nexus in blowing up the blaze in Bangladesh invariably points to the US, which waited for the right moment to strike. For foiling US design to use the Islamic zealots for its benefit, China has also initiated the move to befriend them. On November 25, the Chinese Embassy in the Bangladeshi capital hosted a reception for leaders of all Islamist political parties. It was a move to win over the US support base. Before this a four-member delegation from the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) attended the Political Party Plus cooperation event in Beijing from November 7 to 16 which brought together delegates from like-minded political parties in Southeast and South Asian nations.

RSS has been striving for long to communalise the Hindus of Bangladesh. It had floated a number of organisations. While Bangladesh was witnessing serious students’ movement, on November 28, the President of the Foundation for India and Indian Diaspora Studies (FIDDS) in America, Khanderao Kand, wrote a letter to Donald Trump alleging,” Bangladesh is rapidly descending to a radicalised Islamic State, all under the watch of the US, the State Department and the UN, who must act now to restore democracy and protect minorities”.

As mentioned earlier whatever is happening in Bangladesh is part of a deep-rooted conspiracy of the rightist forces against the secular forces. After Hasina left Bangladesh, these forces broke the statue of the “Father of the nation in Bangladesh” Mujibur Rahman. These forces out to completely do away with the legacy of the Liberation War. What does it imply? They are too eager to identify with the pre-Bangladesh creation period. Making Bangladeshi Hindus “noncitizen” in their own land would simply serve the dubious desires of the Islamic zealots.

Developments in Bangladesh also hold lessons for other countries in South Asia with large and young populations facing growing inequality and lack of employment opportunities. With almost 40 per cent of the region’s population below the age of 18 there is a latent risk of their demographic dividend becoming a demographic burden in the absence of sufficient economic opportunities and employment generation.

In recent years, Southeast Asia has emerged as a key focal point of US-China strategic competition. There is a consensus in the international relations literature that the safest environment for small- and medium-sized states – like those in Southeast Asia – is one of a rough balance of power, in which they can secure political and economic benefits from all sides. In contrast, the most dangerous environment is one of great power transitions, such as that between the United States and China, because both sides pressure others to align with them.

Both the United States and India are concerned about China’s influence in Bangladesh. Unfortunately the US has been pursuing a skewed policy towards Bangladesh. Instead of working to install a government which should provide good governance and functional democracy, it was busy promoting the Islamist zealots. Regional balance could be maintained only by promoting a secular government. US must realise that at no stage Dhaka had shown its willingness to become part of America’s China containment strategy.

Concerned over the prevailing situation in Bangladesh, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday urged the Centre to move the UN in deploying a peacekeeping mission in the neighbouring country. Banerjee also demanded that Modi government must clarify India’s stand on Bangladesh in Parliament.