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If one were to ask me regarding the founder of Sanatan Dharma, or Hinduism, my direct answer would be: no one. Unlike many other religions such as Judaism (founded by Moses), Christianity (founded by Jesus Christ), or Islam (founded by Prophet Muhammad), a singular preacher could not be identified as the originator of Sanatan dharma.
To better illustrate, if asked about the origin of the holy rivers Ganges or Yamuna, one could recognize their origination from the Gangotri or Yamunotri glaciers, since they indeed have a well-defined place of origin. However, when questioned about the origin of an ocean, the answer may not be as straightforward. An ocean does not arise from a single source; instead, it is nourished and filled by countless rivers and tributaries. These rivers carry various salts, minerals, and contents, which the ocean accepts without discrimination or segregation, merging them into its vast expanse.
Hinduism is comparable to this ocean. It is not bound to a single founder or fixed doctrine but is an amalgamation of religious thoughts, philosophies, and practices preached by countless sages and spiritual leaders. Over millennia, their accumulated wisdom has enriched and shaped Hinduism, known as Sanatan Dharma.
The core principles of Hinduism are acceptance, coexistence, and mutual respect. Like the ocean that welcomes water from all rivers, Hinduism embraces diverse beliefs and practices without conflict, embodying a generosity akin to the vastness of the sky.
This inclusivity enables adherents within the same family to follow different paths while coexisting harmoniously. So in any particular Hindu family one member can be a practitioner of Vaishnavism, while another can be a follower of Shaivaism, and they could coexist without conflict and remain parts of the same family.
Historical Persecution and Partition Challenges
Despite its inclusive philosophy, Hindus have historically endured centuries of persecution at the hands of intolerant Islamic fundamentalists. During the Mughal era in India, the peaceful and tolerant Hindu community often became the target of attacks by Islamic radicals. While this oppression somewhat diminished during the British rule in India for about 200 years, the colonial rule reignited the hatred of Islamic fundamentalists towards Hindus during the time of India’s partition in 1947 when Britishers carved out a separate homeland for Muslims named Pakistan in two territories: West Pakistan (now Pakistan) bordering the west side of India and East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) bordering the east side of India. However, the British regime failed to designate any homeland for the displaced Hindu population and this division left Hindus without a dedicated homeland. The remaining part of the Indian sub-continent was named India, intended as a country for all religious faiths.
The partition created Pakistan as an exclusive nation and homeland for Muslims, while India was established as a secular state for people of all faiths – Hindus, Christians, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis, Sikhs, and Muslims. Essentially, Muslims had both Pakistan and India to claim as their homelands, whereas Hindus had none. Essentially, Muslims were granted both Pakistan and continued safe residence in secular India, whereas Hindus were left without a nation exclusively for themselves.
In both West Pakistan (Pakistan) and East Pakistan (now Bangladesh), state-sponsored systemic oppression, discrimination, hatred, and violence towards the Hindu community ensued. Hindus in these regions, being tolerant and non-violent, often chose to avoid confrontation with Islamic fundamentalists. Over the course of time, this led to a quiet exodus of Hindus to India, seeking safety from religious persecution.
Further, due to higher birth rates among the Muslim community and the silent migration of Hindus in Bangladesh, the percentage of the Hindu population in Bangladesh continued to decline leading to a population imbalance. Consequently, while Muslims in India continued to live securely and thrive under the country’s secular framework, Hindus in Pakistan and Bangladesh had to gradually migrate to India in search of a safe haven.
The Ongoing Crisis for Hindus in Bangladesh
In Bangladesh, the situation for Hindus has worsened significantly. They continue to face unrelenting hatred, systematic oppression, and violence from the Islamic radical majority in the country. Instances of forced conversions to Islam, abductions, rapes, and forced marriages of Hindu girls are becoming alarmingly frequent. Hindu-owned businesses and properties are being seized illegally, temples are being vandalized and desecrated, homes are being burned, and livelihoods are destroyed. These actions are part of a deliberate strategy to cripple the Hindu community economically and socially, forcibly driving them out of the country.
The rise of a radical government under Dr. Yunus has further exacerbated the crisis. Reports of daily desecration of hindu temples, arson attacks on homes of Hindu dwellers, and brutal killings have become commonplace. Hindus in Bangladesh are living in constant fear, their lives now comparably worse than the plight of Palestinian Muslims. While the global community is busy rallying for Palestinians, the decades-long persecution of Bangladeshi Hindus has gone unnoticed and only been met with global silence.
Islamic radicals in Bangladesh show no intention of allowing Hindus to live peacefully or with dignity. It is imperative to carve out a separate homeland earmarked for Bangladeshi Hindus carved out of the geographic area of Bangladesh, similar to the Palestinian effort for an independent state.
Call to Action
The Hindus in Bangladesh and India must unite to demand a dedicated homeland for Bangladeshi Hindus. Until this is achieved, the United Nations Human Rights Commission should oversee the condition of Hindus in Bangladesh and extend humanitarian aid, as it does for Palestinians.
Organizations in India working to protect Hindu interests must raise this issue on global platforms, including the United Nations. Human rights activists, particularly in the West, who vocally support oppressed communities worldwide including Palestinian Muslims, must also raise their voice against the atrocities faced by Hindus in Bangladesh. Ignoring these violations of human rights only further perpetuates their suffering at the hands of Islamic fundamentalists in Bangladesh.
The Government of India should also take proactive action in this direction to address this crisis of the continuing torture of Bangladeshi Hindus immediately; more so, considering it was only the aftereffect of partition, and recognizing it as a consequence of the missteps taken by our former Indian government during the partition.
Conclusion
Advocacy for the safety and dignity of Bangladeshi Hindus is both a moral and historical responsibility. The plight of Bangladeshi Hindus is an urgent humanitarian crisis that demands global attention. Their suffering, overlooked for decades, is a stark violation of human rights. It may be time for global collective action to ensure their safety, preserve their rights, and restore their dignity. Only through unity and international awareness and efforts can this longstanding injustice be addressed.
Innate Impressions 
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