“‘In 30 years, there won’t be a Hindu in Bangladesh’: A new book talks about them and their existential crisis”, First Post, December 10, 2023:
“What’s being a Hindu in Bangladesh — or in Pakistan? A new book on this theme has just come out, written by senior journalist Deep Halder and academic Avishek Biswas. What makes Being Hindu in Bangladesh (HarperCollins, Rs 399) a compelling read is the passion with which it is written, thanks primarily to the “refugee blood” in the two authors, and also the perfect blend of academic rigour with journalistic flair.
A Bangladeshi Hindu may today feel dejected at two levels. One, he belongs to religion which has just one country to look up to — for help, survival and more. (While Muslims are in majority in 49 nations, the number for Christians easily breaches the three-figure mark.) And that one country and its inhabitants are largely indifferent to their plight.
Two, a Bangladeshi Hindu is seen to be carrying the baggage of being the civilisational part of Bharat, which no longer cares for him. So, if there is a Hindu-Muslim discord in Bharat, the Hindus of Bangladesh pay back with their lives and properties….”
Read the full article at Firstpost.com
“Deep Halder & Avishek Biswas’s ‘Being Hindu in Bangladesh’ saw discussion on their place in society with economist-writer Sanjeev Sanyal & ThePrint’s editor-in-chief Shekhar Gupta.”
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1) Shekhar Gupta is there on the dais with the book. Same person who questioned “Why no pellet guns for Jallikattu protests”.
Look at what he says.
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Gupta meanwhile stressed on the importance of minority communities in any country. “They smoothen the edges of any society and help provide balance. Therefore, it is important to keep Hindu communities safe in Bangladesh and India needs to work in that direction with Dhaka,” he said.
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2) The website’s name is theprint. in
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“Hindus in Bangladesh are the Indians we left behind,” said economist, writer and principal economic advisor to the Indian government, Sanjeev Sanyal.
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Is he telling that they prefer “Jana Gana Mana” over “Amar Sonar Bangla” ?
Will this website like it, if he says Bengali Muslims in India are the left behind East Pakistanis ? What about Rohingyas then ?
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Slip of tongue or dubious narratives ?
The website is theprint .in and its editor is Shekhar Gupta.