CHAMPAHOWAR / KHOWAI, June 26 (TIWN): For the Hindus and other religious minorities, Bangladesh has become a minority-butchering den for Islamic fundamentalists. Recent atrocities in Bangladesh indicate that the minorities - Hindus, Buddhists, Christians- are under serious threat of survival. Almost everyday minorities and their families are attacked, raped or killed and the role of Sheikh Hasina led Bangkadesh gov't role is indeed mysterious as the atrocities against the minorities are unabated. On Saturday India's Border Security Force (BSF) prevented around 250 Bangladesh nationals from entering Tripura . SP Khowai District Jayanta Chakraborty told the press, "Around 250 people, including women and children, tried to enter Indian territory through western Tripura today (Saturday) morning, but the BSF thwarted their attempt,". Later under public pressure, District Administration led by Deputy Collector and BSF supplied water and food packets and arranged temporary tents but these Hindu refugees fates are uncertain.

So far, Manik Sarkar led Tripura CPI-M Govt yet to protest against atrocities by neighboring Bangladesh’s Islamic fundamentalists.

Hindus of Bangladesh are in severe survival crisis there are no equal rights for religious minorities in Bangladesh.

In 1971 Hindus population was almost one-third (30 percent) of the population according to official census, in 1972- 20%, and in 2014- it is just 10%.

Nine million Hindus actually decreased in the last 10 years only, while people in other communities have increased and there is a clear reason for the decline of the Hindu population, which is, insecurity. The minorities of Bangladesh are continuously living under anxiety and insecurity.

Hindu lands are grabbed, woman and minor girls are raped, frequently kidnapped and forced to convert out of their religions, temples are being demolished and idols vandalized, houses burnt, people murdered and threatened for extortions, businesses being looted or being extorted from. Due to all this the minorities are being forced to undergo an exodus.

There is no minority-friendly politics in Bangladesh. Who will talk about the minority crisis? Majority’s mindset is playing a vital role in all this and minorities are a victim of discrimination by state.

Reasons for Bangladeshi Hindus coming to India:-

Bangladesh Hindus got nowhere else to go. India is their first choice as it is so easy to migrate but it not so easy to survive in a foreign land.

Actually this is a political issue in India. Political groups in India just use these migrants for their vote bank politics instead of focusing on solving their issues which forces them to lead a very torturous life. Some of these migrants end up in the hands of human traffickers or other criminals.

There should be a political solution and strong human interest here. Recently, BJP government announced that all Hindus from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh will get residence in India. The government of India should pressurize the Bangladesh government to look after the common interests of Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh.

Islamic fundamentalist Bangladesh forest guards destroyed the homes of these people and evicted them from forest lands at Chunarughat (around 8km east  from headquarters of  Habiganj district in Bangladesh) late Friday. These people belonging to Hindu tribal groups took shelter along the Indian border.

According to Khowai district  police officials due to border fencing and alertness of the BSF troopers, the Bangladeshis could not enter Tripura's Champahowar village (under Khowai district), around 100 km west of Agartala. BSF sources said that they have communicated the matter to Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) and a flag meeting between the senior officials of the two forces is likely to be held late Saturday to take back the evicted tribals.

Saturday's incident took at a time, when Union Home Ministry's (MHA) Border Management Secretary Susheel Kumar arrived Agartala on Friday on a three-day visit to Tripura. He  held a meeting with Tripura Chief Secretary Yashpal Singh, senior officials of the BSF, District Magistrates and Collectors of different bordering districts besides senior state government officials to review the various aspects of the India-Bangladesh border. Tripura shares a 856-km border with Bangladesh.

Jyotrimoy Barua, a Supreme Court lawyer living in the capital Dhaka probably uttered the most important words when he said  “Most of the people’s( Hindus) houses they are burning are poor. If you burn their house, they will leave the country, and you get their land.”

But Subhash Ghosh(63), who fought for Bangladesh’s independence from Pakistan in 1971, is determined not to give his enemies that satisfaction. “If we leave the country, then everybody will take our property,” he says. “I cannot leave and be a rickshaw puller in India like a coward.” However, he isn't assured of protection in his mother land simply because he is a minority.

Interestingly, in Tripura the so-called masiha for the minorities, Chief Minister Manik Sarkar doesn't seem to be least disturbed by this recent development in Bangladesh.

It is to be mentioned here that, during the Dalit student Rohit Vamula's suicide case in January 2016, even though no relations exists between Manik Sarkar or CPI-M but Tripura CM Manik Sarkar dashed to Hyderabad to represent himself as a protector of minorities ( Dalit) but when similar situation arises in Tripura , CM seems to be closing eyes for Hindu victims.

A highly placed source in the state secretariat told TIWN ," If Manik Sarkar is really a 'masiha' of minorities , he should have instructed the DM Khowai to take care of 250 Hindus . But the initial refusal of DM Khowai from any help is not at all a clear signal that Manik Sarkar won't stand by the Hindus in Bangladesh. He is rather interested to see that Muslim vote bank remains intact in favour of CPI-M ."

Unfortunately, State  BJP's President Biplab Deb, who should have taken the initiative to protect refugee Hindu minorities , was busy in political campaign .

on Saturday evening, TIWN correspondet called Biplab Deb for his reaction but he doesn't seem to be interested to respond to such a serious situation caused by Islamic atrocities. 

The phone was received by his attendant / secretary, who promised that Biplab would call back. But the way he reacted indicates that even BJP President is busy with his petty issues than to react with larger issues.

Its hightime that State BJP's hero fashioned President Biplab Deb should prove his mettle raher than putting much focus on his colorful drama-style attires.

Every Tripura Cabinet Minister from Manik Dey to Badal Chowdhury, followed by seasoned opposition leaders like Sudip Barman answers their mobile phones themselvs, but naive BJP President Biplab Deb appointed a personal secretary to answer his mobile phones. 

So far, Biplab Deb proven to be nobody in Tripura politics - a new comer in Tripura politics from RSS Delhi HQ whom BJP appointed to replace ailing Sudhindra Dasgupta who was much humble and a peoples man.

Biplab Deb yet to ensure a single MLA constituency for BJP in 60 member Assembly, neither any success in past ADC  elections. Unless Biplab Deb ends his political immaturity, BJP unlikely to open innings with a single MLA seat in 2018 Assembly elections.

Manik Sarkar is quite lucky that he is at the helm in such a time when his opposition parties are not even aware of the important issues in the state.

Thus, BJP's political future too seems to be dark in 2018 as State population yet to see any real action on sensitive issues like atrocities by Islamic radicals on Bangladeshi Hindus.