Plight of Hindus in Bangladesh likely to be on agenda at key RSS meet in Kerala

Hindus constitute about 8% of Bangladesh's 170 million people and have historically largely supported Hasina's Awami League party.

At the meeting of top leaders of the RSS and BJP leaders, which is scheduled to begin in Kerala's Palakkad from Friday, the plight of Hindus in Bangladesh will be discussed, according to News18.

The RSS’s annual Akhil Bharatiya Samanvay Baithak, which will be held from August 31 to September 2, explores strategies for supporting Bangladeshi Hindus. The Baithak will see the participation of all the top leaders of the Sangh apart from representatives from all its associate organisations.

While from the RSS side, its chief Mohan Bhagwat, general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale, all six joint general secretaries and other senior office-bearers will participate, the BJP team will include party chief J P Nadda, general secretary B L Santhosh and joint general secretary Shiv Prakash, among others.

The RSS mainly focuses on national issues but this time the meeting is expected to discuss the broader implications of cross-border religious persecution on the Hindu community.

Hundreds of Hindu houses, businesses and temples have been reportedly vandalised since the ouster of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. According to Reuters, Hindus constitute about 8% of Bangladesh's 170 million people and have historically largely supported Hasina's Awami League party.

A senior RSS functionary told News18 that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has already spoken with the interim government and is taking other “necessary measures”, but the world needs to see how Hindus are under siege in Bangladesh. “The meeting’s agenda highlights the growing urgency within the Sangh to address this matter, reflecting that our commitment to safeguarding Hindu interests go beyond India’s borders. As the leadership prepares to deliberate, the inclusion of this issue could signal a new phase in the RSS’s approach to foreign affairs, driven by its deep-rooted concern for Hindus worldwide,” the senior RSS functionary said.

Explaining the plight of Hindus in Bangladesh, the RSS member said that “Hindus are being assaulted in Bangladesh day in, day out since Sheikh Hasina’s government was ousted”. “Many of them tried to cross over, some waited near the border, but for international border rules they won’t be allowed across the border. This is the situation. We have to deliberate on these critical issues as well. We have to mobilise global support in favour of Hindus in Bangladesh. This is a very sensitive issue for us,” said the functionary.

Sangh-affiliated bodies on Friday will give a tribute to the Hindus who were brutally killed during the recent rioting in Bangladesh. The programme has been organised to highlight the growing concern within these groups about the safety and dignity of Hindus in Bangladesh, particularly in the face of escalating communal violence. Earlier, the RSS-inspired units led a Nari Shakti march to protest the alleged sexual assaults on women in the neighbouring nation.