At Petrapole Border, Some Hindus Seek Refuge While Others Rush Home To Kin Amid Persecution In Bangladesh
Hindus coming from Bangladesh said they felt unsafe in the neighbouring country and were no longer allowed to practice their religion as they blamed the government and police for inaction
At the Petrapole border check-post in North 24 Parganas, fear, anxiety, and insecurity are writ large on the faces of the people rushing between India and Bangladesh.
The border is one of the largest land ports that India shares with Bangladesh and is a crucial land route between the neighbours. The significance of the border can be gauged from the serpentine queues of both Indians and Bangladeshis looking to cross over to the other side, given the reprisals against perceived supporters of ousted PM Sheikh Hasina’s regime, including attacks on the country’s minority Hindu community.
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Khukurani, an elderly ISKCON devotee on her way from Bangladesh, told News18 that she plans to go to the ISKCON temple in Mayapur as she no longer feels safe in the neighbouring country.
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“There is no way we can practise our religion there. It’s not at all safe. There are no jobs and now they are not allowing us to practise our religion. Only Azaan is allowed there now. I will go to Mayapur now. I don’t want to go back but my family is there. I want to bring them here," she told News18.
Several people News18 spoke to echoed the sentiment. Arindam Roy, an Indian businessman who went to Bangladesh to visit the Orakandi temple — birthplace of Harichand Thakur — said Hindus were living in fear.
“Hindus don’t know if they can continue staying in Bangladesh. The police and government are doing nothing," he said.
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A local shopkeeper, who also helps with money exchange, told News18 that fewer people travelling between the countries has hit business and they are unsure of when the situation will improve.
Adhir Chandra Sen and Rina Rani Sen, both ISKCON devotees, recalled how a religious programme was stopped in Bangladesh. “There was a religious programme in Satkhira and a mob came in and asked us to end it. If you are a Hindu in Bangladesh, it’s clear that you are in danger. We have come here for some days but ultimately, we have to go back. We don’t know what will happen then."
People leaving for Bangladesh were also a tense lot. A woman returning with her daughter told News18 that she was leaving amid rumours that the border would be closed. “Even if there is fear, we have to go back. What can we do? I came here to see my daughter. I heard the border will be closed so I’m going back."
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