May 4, a long journey. From Dhaka to Doha. From Doha, Qatar, to New York, USA. Then by road to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As a father, a different kind of joy was working inside me. After a long time, I was going to my son and daughter-in-law. My wife Latifa Nilufa Papdi was also with me. There are moments in a person's life that overcome even fatigue. Waiting at the airport, the immigration line, the long journey - everything seems bearable then.
But another piece of news broke amidst that joy. Sitting in the transit lounge in Doha, I learned about the results of the West Bengal assembly elections in India. There were many Indian passengers around. Some were watching live on their mobile phones, some were scrolling through Facebook, some were talking on the phone, some were elated, some were disappointed, some were silent-this is the normal scene of democracy. Some will win the election, some will lose. Some will have a smile on their face, some will have pain in their eyes.
But what I saw next deeply hurt me. One after another, videos of violence started appearing on social media. Somewhere there were inciting slogans, somewhere there were religious hate speech, somewhere there were allegations of shop vandalism, somewhere people were leaving their homes in panic, somewhere there were words of revenge, somewhere people were judging people based solely on their religion.
I know that not all videos on social media may be true. Many things are exaggerated. Many things are spread for political purposes. Yet one thing is clear-after the elections, there has been an impression of discomfort, tension, and fear in the atmosphere of West Bengal. And that is what has made me think. West Bengal is very close to us. The border may be different, but the language is not different. The people on the other side also speak Bengali. Their laughter and tears, culture, songs, memories-all are familiar to us. So, when there is a fire in West Bengal, its smoke also reaches the minds of those on the other side of Bengal.
This election has witnessed a major political change. The BJP has made history by forming a government in West Bengal. The BJP has won 207 seats in the 294-seat assembly. On the other hand, Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress has won 80 seats. The Left Front and the Congress have almost been wiped out. The most talked about incident is that Mamata Banerjee herself has been defeated in the Bhavanipur seat by Shuvendu Adhikari. Such changes are not unusual in a democracy. When you are in power for a long time, people's expectations change. Voters want to give someone new a chance. This is the beauty of democracy. But the beauty of democracy is lost only when the results of the vote diminish the conscience of the people. When political identity erases the human identity of the people. When the neighbor becomes the enemy of the neighbor. I am always against religious extremism. Just as Hindu extremism is dangerous, Muslim extremism is also dangerous. Just as the extremism of the majority is harmful, the extremism of the minority is also harmful. Because extremism never brings good to the people. Extremism only breeds hatred. Divides people. Dehumanizes society.
When communal attacks happen in Bangladesh, we too feel pain. When a temple is attacked, when a Hindu family is attacked, we suffer as a human being. Because in a civilized state, it is the moral responsibility of the state to ensure the safety of minority citizens. Similarly, if Muslims in West Bengal, India, are afraid, if they feel unsafe, that is also a matter of concern. Because the politics of fear ultimately does no good to anyone. Today Muslims will be afraid. Tomorrow someone else will be afraid. Ultimately, fear will consume the state. Is that the world we want?
I think the biggest crisis in the subcontinent is not economic, nor political - it is a humanitarian crisis. People are gradually losing the ability to feel the pain of other people. Earlier, before asking about the religion of their neighbor, they would ask, "What happened?" Now, they ask first, "Which party, which religion?" Who did they vote for?" This change is very dangerous. Because civilization survives on empathy. The state survives on justice. And society survives on mutual respect. Politics in West Bengal has been conflictual for a long time. The Left era, the Trinamool era; there were always allegations of political violence. Many people have lost their lives. Many families have become destitute. Now, after the rise of the BJP, a new polarization has emerged. Politics has become more intense, especially around religious identity. This is a matter of concern not only for West Bengal, but for the entire South Asia. Because we are all slowly moving towards a society where people are seen not as human beings, but as vote banks.
Now politicians know that people can be more easily stirred up in the language of development than in the language of religion. That is why the market for hate is always hot. But do common people really want this hate? I don't believe it. Common people want peace. Just as a Hindu father wants a secure future for his child, a Muslim father also wants the same. A mother wants to see a smile on her child's face - whatever his religion. So where does all this hate come from? Hate comes from organized propaganda, hate comes from the calculation of political gain, hate comes from ignorance, and it comes from social silence. When we remain silent in the face of injustice, injustice becomes bolder. Today, the role of civil society is needed more than that of political parties. Writers, teachers, journalists, artists, human rights activists; everyone has to come forward. Religious leaders also have a responsibility. Imams of mosques, priests of temples - everyone has to speak about peace. Because the real teaching of religion is not hatred. Religion does not teach people to kill people. Religion does not teach people to insult people. Religion that does not teach people to think of people as human beings is misuse of religion.
We have to remember that elections come once in five years. But neighbors are there every day. Power changes, governments change. Flags change, but once human relationships are broken, they are not easily mended. When I come to America, I see people of different religions living side by side. It is not that there are no problems here. It is not that there is no discrimination either. But law and social practice at least teach people this - your opinion may be different, but your right to security is equal. We need that practice in our subcontinent too.
Just as the security of Hindus in Bangladesh is important, the security of Muslims in India is also important. A Sikh, a Christian, a Buddhist - everyone will get equal status, that is the idea of the modern state. If we do not listen to the cry of the minority today, tomorrow the majority will not be safe either. Because violence never stops in one place. It gradually poisons the entire society. The people of West Bengal carry the history of many movements. This Bengal is the Bengal of Rabindranath, this Bengal is the Bengal of Nazrul, this Bengal is the Bengal of Lalon's humanity. If people in that Bengal hate each other because of religion, then it is not only a political failure, but also a cultural failure. I still believe that everything is not over. There are still countless people who do not want hatred. There are still countless young people who want to stand against communalism. There are still countless ordinary people who just want to live in peace. Their voices must be louder. Because silent humanity sometimes loses to organized hatred. If we really want to give the future generation a safe society, we must stand against the politics of hate now. We must learn to love people, not religion. We must cultivate conscience, not votes. There will be victories and defeats in elections. But I would say that people should not be defeated in West Bengal.
Author: Senior journalist and children's writer
