From: kundu@watson.ibm.com (Sandip Kundu)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.bangladesh
Subject: Re: India vs. Bangladesh (Re: We Need A Hindu-Muslim Dialog)
Date: 17 Apr 92 18:39:27 GMT
Organization: IBM T.J. Watson Research Center
Disclaimer: This posting represents the poster's views, not necessarily those of IBM

In article <1992Apr16.195907.640@cs.yale.edu> ahmed-shakil@CS.YALE.EDU (Shakil Waiz Ahmed) writes:
 
    >> According to Bangladesh Govt's own statistics, minority population in
    >> Bangladesh :
    >>
    >>             year        muslims    minorities
    >>
    >>             1941        70.3       29.7
    >>             1951        76.9       23.1
    >>             1961        80.4       19.6
    >>             1974        85.4       14.6
    >>             1981        86.6       13.4
    >>
    >> In absolute numbers there were 1.2 million fewer minorities in Bangladesh
    >> in 1981 than in 1974. (Interesting to note that Bangladesh does not
    >> officially acknowledge any emigration to India).
 
  >Does this necessarily mean that there is an organized effort to drive
  >minorities out?

Well the statistics itself does not imply that. However various laws
in effect in Bangladesh clearly imply that. Let us look at the 1976 vested
and non-resident ordinance and its follow on clarification on May 23,1979.
Under these provisions, a Tahasildar, a Circle Officer, Sub-divisional Officer,
Additional Deputy Commisioner or a Commisioner, that is member of local
administration can declare the property of any member of the minority
communities (notice the word minority) who is suspected of being an
"enemy", the "enemy(vested!) property" essentially taking away the property from
the owner. Under the provision of this ordinance, judicial system is excluded
from providing relief to such declaration, only a minister can do so. To
encourage continued dispossesion of the minorities, the circular has made
provisions to reward those who inform on the so called "enemy". This has
resulted in usurpation of minority properties by interested parties
driving them out of the country. There are several other discriminatory 
acts in force in Bangladesh. Among them :

  1. East Bengal Evacuee Property Act of 1951
  2. East Bengal Prevention of Transfer of Property Act of 1952
  3. Administration and disposal order of 1966

According to Prof. Nim Chand Bhowmik of Dhaka University, such acts scare
the minorities from organising themselves and protesting as a group, since
then, they become easy targets of the ordinance.

Similar discriminatory laws are enshrined in the constitution of Malaysia
whereby minorities are strongly discouraged to form groups to promote
their own interest, which is an essential component of democracy. 

    >> In my considered opinion, the reason why we do not hear
    >> as much about repression of minorities in Bangladesh as in India is because
    >> minorities in India have a greater collective voice.
 
  >Consider the various minorities in India and the causes they are
  >fighting for, Khalistan, Nagaland, liberation of Assam, Kashmir, the
  >list is endless.  You would like us to belive that they all have a
  >collective voice?  Obviously not.  Then why is it that we hear so much
  >more about them?  The reason why we hear more about repression of
  >minorities in India than in Bangladesh is because, on a relative
  >scale, the occurences are considerably more frequent in India.  This
  >does not mean that repression does not occur in Bangladesh, but my
  >original claim never was that.  My original claim was that tension
  >with minorities is less pronounced in Bangladesh and Malaysia than in
  >India.

Are you suggesting that as a measure to reduce tesnsion between communities,
India learns from Bangladesh and Malaysia and institutionalize
discrimination and close door to legal redress ? Commenting on flight of
CHT people Rev. Bodhipal Mahathero, a spiritual leader of the Buddhists in
Bangladesh, commented "Gharpora goru sindure megh dekhleo bhoi pai"
(my poor translation : one who had his house burnt, faints at the hint of
vermillion). Is that the kind of minorities you are suggesting for India ?
 
I am also surprised by your choice of including Assamese among the minorities in 
India. Then who are the majority community in India ? It is true that the
Indian situation is far from ideal and leaves a lot to be desired. 
However, emulating the Bangladesh model is probably not in the best
interest of Indian minorities that you were arguing for.


(I will not involve in further discussion, It is tempting to jump in the fray
once in a while, I posted something yesterday, as a result wasting more time
today. So bye for now).

Sandip Kundu