Thread by @sarkar_swati

Adroitly, Swapan Dasgupta places the blame of apathy of MEA towards the plight of Hindus of Bangladesh on Hindus of West Bengal. Complete Dalal of Delhi/BD. This is also a clever attempt to discourage WB BJP from pursuing their current line on Hindus of BD telegraphindia.com/opinion/bengal…

First, objectively speaking, is the apathy narrative true? Yes & No. First the no part. This is the first time that the Islamist intelligentsia as also CPIM had to issue a statement, albeit weak,on the condition of minorities in BD.Why?Obviously because of SM pressure of Bengalis

All Hindu orgs with the exception of RKM took to streets on this. Pro BJP YouTube channels were obviously outraging. But also unaffiliated political voices like Arkaprabha, Biswanath etc.Eventually even a compromised journo like Suman of ABP had 2 do a Sabha on this

Begum didn’t respond on this to protect her votebank, but Bhaipomoni and the rest did, eventually and under pressure. All the above was possible because of pressure of Hindu SM in Bengal.

Truth be told Hindus outside WB outraged too, but the constituency above would primarily respond to reactions of Hindus in Bengal. Swapan Ji should look at FB feeds of prominent WB BJP leaders (which he is not). Most of the comments there have hashtag SaveBangladeshiHindus.

Let’s get to the yes part. Common unaffiliated people did not descend to streets in the manner they should have. There are two reasons for that. Entire Bengali media blacked out the news of atrocities, and even when they presented, they praised Bangladesh reaction simultaneously

Who funds Bengali media ? Mostly non Bengalis and some elite Bengalis of Swapan Ji class.

Second, when have common Hindus ever descended to streets anywhere on any cause? Only organizations do. And wherever Hindu organizations existed that took the cause up there were people in the streets. There were rallies in border regions.

There were large rallies in Nandigram and Kanthi, again because BJP has organization there and Suvendu Adhikari wanted to make a statement. There were large rallies in Maldah too again because local BJP took the issue up & have organization there.

This is exactly how Hindus take to street, under an organized banner. Simply put, Swapan Ji is shilling for the Bangladesh lobby and asking WB BJP its current Hindu line.

I won’t be surprised if Swapan Ji was the architect of the secular line of VS 21 of WB BJP which bombed, or of the subaltern Hindutva line which he enthusiastically cheer led. The current narrative of WB BJP is not his & he is likely 2 be ideologically opposed to it as well.

Swapan Ji is seeking to influence WB BJP towards moving away from the Hindu line. It may also be a frustration at not having a role in narrative building. If latter is the case, it is excellent. BJP should stay away from the Delhi paratroopers.

Let’s not forget that Swapan Ji fled counting centre’s long before verdict was determined and was in Delhi when cadres who worked for him were being pummeled. A braver man would have led a protest march right then like ISKCON. That needs a different mettle.

Looking back, which agitation in the last twenty years evoked significant unorganized response in India ? Surely not the anti CAA agitation. In Bengal those who stepped out were the Dudhel Gais, left, TMC bonded labor. Even Telegraph lamented that Hindu middle class not obliging

Not every move has to be only for getting the common people out (though that is a desired outcome). A party needs higher callings to energize and keep its base involved. For BJP that has to be a Hindu cause. The cause of Hindus of BD energized WB BJP’s Hindu base.

WB BJP has an obligation to its Hindu base. That Hindu base cares deeply about Hindus of BD. It simply can’t look the other way ignoring its pain. It has to give reasons to the base to identify with it as আমাদের দল our party. This is what the movement over Hindus of BD was about.

Saying that BJP didn’t evoke much response on the agitation on Hindus of Bangladesh is misleading and short sighted.

And if WB BJP looked the other way on the issue of grave human right violation of Hindus of Bangladesh, it would have come across as a traitor to its Hindu base. This would add to the disenchantment Hindus already feel about central BJP. WB BJP adopted a wise course of action.