India’s Frustration is Showing

মাসকাওয়াথ আহসান

December 2024

Current Affairs

The Indian administration and its media continue to struggle with the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s regime in Bangladesh, a leader long perceived as their strategic ally. In response, they have been disseminating rumors and propaganda, promoting a narrative of “Hindu victimhood.” Following Hasina’s ouster, incidents of unrest emerged where aggrieved citizens targeted oppressors affiliated with her 15-year authoritarian regime. Some of these individuals happened to be Hindus, but Indian media deliberately ignored their political identities, portraying them solely as victims of communal violence. This skewed reporting aims to garner sympathy from Western audiences by emphasizing minority victimization.
Radical Hindu organizations in the US, Canada, and the UK have amplified this narrative, staging protests and spreading misinformation in Western countries. However, international media like Voice of America has reported that Hindus in Bangladesh feel safer and more confident than ever under the Interim Government led by Dr. Muhammad Yunus. From the outset, the administration prioritized fostering a secure environment for all communities. The primary challenge lies in countering the Indian media’s propaganda, which fuels unnecessary fear and tension among Bangladeshi Hindus.
The arrest of Hindu fundamentalist leader Chinmoy Das on sedition charges further escalated tensions. Awami League operatives and radicals retaliated by killing a Muslim lawyer in Chittagong, seemingly to provoke communal unrest. Remarkably, the lawyer’s grieving father urged restraint, and both Hindus and Muslims responded with maturity, preserving communal harmony.
Amid four months of sustained Indian media attacks, some university students in Dhaka protested by drawing an Indian flag on the floor at their campus gate as a symbolic act of defiance. Indian media, however, retaliated fiercely, broadcasting allegations against Bangladesh while violent protests erupted in Kolkata, where the Bangladesh flag was burned, and the consulate in Agartala was attacked.
To support its fabricated claims of Hindu persecution, Indian social media platforms continue to circulate fake news and doctored photos, run Islamophobic campaigns to incite Muslims and to provoke attacks on Hindus. Pro-Hasina Hindus are often positioned as bait to manufacture incidents that Indian media can then sensationalize.
India’s desperation to defend its narrative in Bangladesh underscores the extent of its investment in the Hasina regime. The illusion of regional hegemony has alienated India from neighboring countries like Nepal, Bhutan, the Maldives, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan. Bangladesh had remained a perceived stronghold until August 5, when Hasina’s regime collapsed. Indian media’s erratic reporting now exhibits a pattern of “bipolar journalism”— full of sensationalism but lacking substance.
Domestically, India grapples with its radical Hindu agenda. Under the BJP-led government, even absurd claims, such as temples existing beneath Mughal-era mosques, receive judicial backing. For example, the historic Ajmer Sharif shrine is under scrutiny for alleged pre-Islamic origins. This obsession with reclaiming temples has led to violence and heightened Islamophobia. While Indian media fixated on Bangladesh, four Muslim youths were lynched by Hindu extremists. Such incidents highlight the hypocrisy of a nation that prohibits beef consumption for religious reasons but remains one of the world’s largest beef exporters.
In this context, India’s accusations against Bangladesh regarding fundamentalism appear hypocritical. Under Hasina’s rule, divisions were deliberately stoked to consolidate power, with both Muslim and Hindu radicals manipulated as tools to validate the Indian narrative. Her departure has unveiled a more harmonious Bangladesh, where diverse communities reject extremism.
The myth of Hasina as a bulwark against fundamentalism has crumbled. As Hindus and Muslims unite to demand justice and accountability, India’s dream of maintaining Bangladesh as an informal colony has been shattered. For now, India’s frustration manifests through its media and political rhetoric.
Moving forward, a healthier relationship between India and Bangladesh must be built on mutual respect and
partnership, not colonial overreach. Only then can the two neighbors truly thrive as equals.