Recent political developments in Bangladesh which occurred after the deposition of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in August 2024 have raised deep anxieties regarding the vulnerability of religious minorities, especially Hindus. There have been reports of politically motivated violence targeting Hindus underscore the precarious nature of minority rights in the region. When viewed against the background of Muslim minority concerns in India and the marginalised status of non-Muslims in Pakistan, the current moment marks a crisis point for minorities in South Asia — one that is arguably the most acute since the Partition of 1947.
The Partition of British India that took place in 1947 was intended to settle the communal question between Hindus and Muslims through formation of 2 separate nations--India and Pakistan. However, it left behind a bloody legacy, with over a million people killed and nearly 15 million displaced. The division created two dominions based on religious identity but it failed to resolve the status and security of religious minorities in each successor state.
Partition did not result in religious homogeneity. Large minority populations remained: Muslims in India, Hindus and Sikhs in Pakistan and later, a major Hindu population in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). The issue of their rights, status and then safety has still remained unresolved thereby becoming a perennial source of tension at last.
Partition also led to the emergence of new socio-political categories, such as:
These groups became symbols of unsettled national integration and recurring diplomatic friction.
In response to the mass exodus and communal tensions post-Partition the Nehru-Liaquat Pact of 1950 was signed to assure the protection of religious minorities in both the countries. The Pact promised to do the following--
This was an early attempt to institutionalise mutual responsibility for minority welfare across the two nations.
Despite its promise the Pact was met with skepticism. Leaders like Syama Prasad Mookerjee and K.C. Neogy resigned in protest showing its inadequacy and ineffectiveness. The continued persecution of minorities especially in East Pakistan led to doubts about Pakistan's intentions and India's limited diplomatic leverage.
Historian Pallavi Raghavan in her book Animosity at Bay argues that the Nehru-Liaquat Pact was an attempt to rebuild trust and institutionalize peace. A Branch Secretariat of India’s Ministry of External Affairs in Calcutta was even established to monitor the implementation. Though short-lived, the pact was a rare post-Partition initiative to handle the communal fallout through diplomatic engagement.
India’s military, diplomatic and humanitarian support in 1971 was decisive in the liberation of Bangladesh from Pakistan. This historical contribution laid the foundation for cordial bilateral relations, especially under Sheikh Hasina’s leadership, whose party, the Awami League, has traditionally maintained close ties with India.
However, recent developments suggest that India’s overreliance on the Hasina family and its neglect of broader democratic engagement in Bangladesh might have narrowed its diplomatic leverage. The fragility of the secular fabric in Bangladesh has come to the fore with repeated attacks on Hindus has raised concerns over whether India’s Bangladesh policy has become personality-driven rather than institution-based.
Some argue that the recent violence reflects pre-election maneuvering or internal power struggles. Other experts view it as part of a systemic erosion of secularism in Bangladesh. Regardless of the motivation the repeated targeting of minorities points to inadequate institutional safeguards and the vulnerability of secular values in Bangladesh’s democracy.
The condition of minorities in South Asia has a troubling pattern:
This above pattern suggests that the minority question in South Asia is not isolated but it is interconnected and it is shaped by the shared history of Partition and current political polarisation.
There is a worrying trend of solidarity based on religion, rather than on shared democratic values. For instance:
This selective empathy reinforces majoritarian ideologies and weakens regional efforts to build inclusive democracies.
The legacy of the Nehru-Liaquat Pact suggests that there is a possibility of a multilateral regional framework in order to safeguard the minority rights. In this scenario such a framework could include the following:-
This would promote collective responsibility and help depoliticise the issue of minorities at the same time.
South Asia must return to the language and policy of secularism and democratic pluralism. States must--
Governments in these countries must support civil society initiatives that can build inter-community trust. Cross-border engagements between student groups, religious scholars and cultural institutions can foster empathy and challenge stereotypes that fuel communalism.
The current state of religious minorities in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh shows that there is a failure in these countries to uphold the promises made after Partition. Each nation has unique political and social context but the shared deterioration in minority rights calls for collective introspection and regional solidarity.
The solution lies not in selective outrage or religious nationalism but in a renewed commitment to secular democracy, institutional protection and inclusive citizenship. Revisiting the spirit of early diplomatic engagements like the Nehru-Liaquat Pact can inspire a South Asian framework for justice and coexistence — ensuring that the shadows of Partition no longer dictate the future of the subcontinent.
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MAINS QUESTIONS Q.Is South Asia still grappling with the communal fault lines of Partition? Examine. 250 Words |
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