Lexington’s Indian Independence Day Celebration and Support for Bangladeshi Hindus

By Shalini Kakar

On August 16, the lush green lawns outside the Visitors Center in Lexington were enlivened with a new look: National flags of the United States and India were hoisted, marking a historic moment in the town of Lexington. National anthems of both countries were sung in an atmosphere of spirited patriotism by the Indian American community. Over a hundred people including kids, adults and seniors gathered to mark the 78^th Indian Independence Day celebrations, “the first of its kind in Lexington in the last thirty years that I have been living here,” remarked Shashank Nene, his eyes moistened with gratified pride while celebrating his Indian American identity in the town on this special occasion.

Dressed in traditional Indian attire, people sang lilting melodies. Kids and seniors joined in for the singing of patriotic songs, such as “Saare Jahan Se Achha”, “Vande Mataram” and “I Love My India” that added to the joyous momentum of the occasion bringing the community together. This was followed by an inspiring speech by the current Town Member and a long-time resident of Lexington, Umesh Shelat. He focused on the need for parents to educate their children to embrace their Indian American identity. “Here was a country, rich in culture and wealth, before the British occupation of India, and you have a responsibility to learn its history for yourself, and to teach it to your children,” he said amidst resounding applause.

The second part of the event began on a somber note. It was dedicated to raising a voice against the violence faced by Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh such as Christians, Buddhists, and Ahmadiyya Muslims. Posters and banners displayed at the event embodied this sentiment. Quoting Nobel laureate and Bangladesh’s interim government chief, Muhammad Yunus’s recent address on August 9, one poster read: “‘Homes are being set on fire. Properties are being burned and looted. Offices and courts are being attacked. Minorities, including Hindus, Buddhists, and Christians are being attacked. We need to protect them’ - Mohammad Yunus.” Other posters brought the plight of Bangladeshi Hindus to the forefront with words such as “All Eyes on Hindus in Bangladesh” and “Save Hindus in Bangladesh.”

A one-minute silence was observed to honor the innocent victims, especially women and children. This was followed by heartfelt speeches by Prof. Yogesh Rathi, Mona Roy, Indian Wing Commander (Rtd.) Parthasarathy, and Biswajit Saha.

A professor at Harvard University and a resident of Lexington for the last 12 years, Yogesh Rathi reminded the community that while celebrating the freedom of India, people need to come together to stand up against the violence of innocent minorities in Bangladesh. “Several Hindus, Christians and Buddhists have been uprooted from their homes and are facing atrocities. We need to at least be aware of that and support the victims,” he added, highlighting the role of Sewa International, a nonprofit that is collecting funds to help Bangladeshi victims for which he volunteers. Dr. Rathi also leads his own non-profit, called the Dharma Center of America that provides free weekly healthy meals, education and yoga classes to the underprivileged.

Mona Roy, an attorney, a racial justice activist and a Lexington resident since 1999, recounted her father’s escape in 1947 from Bangladesh (known as East Bengal at that time) at age nine to avoid being forced into a madrassa (Islamic seminary) – as so many boys were. “I only learned this during the last six months of my father’s life when he shared it with my 10-year-old son,” she remarked while fighting back tears. Roy also spoke of other distressing life episodes from her mother and her parents’ friends now in their old age, telling stories about people who survived the escape from East Bengal, as well as those who didn’t. She emphasized the importance of confronting uncomfortable histories to prevent its repetition.

Describing the current mayhem in Bangladesh, Biswajit Saha, a Bangladeshi Hindu narrated a first-hand account of the horrors his family and friends are going through in his village. He was born in Bangladesh in Chittagong district and has been living in the US for the past 28 years. Saha referred to the violence during the 1971 war in which three million people were killed, majority of them being Hindus. 

In a moving speech Saha revealed, “Our temples have been burning. In my own village, a new temple that we constructed is being guarded by Hindus. They haven’t slept in two weeks. We have been facing violence and discrimination for decades. With any election in Bangladesh or whenever a new government is formed, Hindus are attacked. It happens every four years, every year and every day. We faced a lot of violence in 1947, and then again during the war of 1971. The population of Hindus in Bangladesh has seen a sharp decline from 28% in 1940 to 8% in 2011. So, where do we go? We need your help. Bangladeshi Hindus would like to live with dignity in their own country.”

Through this event, many Indian American residents of Lexington found a collective voice to speak against the atrocities on Hindus and other minorities (Christians, Buddhists, Ahmadiyya Muslims) in Bangladesh and to show their support.

The event ended on a healing note with the chanting of the Shanti Mantra. The whole community stood together, offering prayers for a harmonious and peaceful world.

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