With a sincere warmth in his voice, Chinmoy krishna Das Brahmachari says, "Prabhu pronam," to the majority of people. As the young Bangladeshi Hindu leader was being removed from a court in Chattogram on tuesday, the world had a peek of the steely resolve that was concealed under the amiable demeanor. To tell Sanatanis to remain together, he raised a clenched fist in defiance, flashed a victory sign, and then locked the fingers of both hands.
On Monday, the Detective Branch of the Dhaka police apprehended Chinmoy krishna Das from the Dhaka international Airport in relation to a sedition case that was filed a month earlier. "Our eight-point demand [for minorities] is in conflict with the sedition case. "It's an effort to eliminate the agitation's leadership," Das told india Today wallet PLATFORM' target='_blank' title='digital-Latest Updates, Photos, Videos are a click away, CLICK NOW'>digital from Chattogram earlier in November.
A few months ago, Chinmoy krishna Das, a monk connected to Iskcon, was unknown to most people, even in Bangladesh. The 39-year-old monk's ascent to popularity was prompted by the attack on Hindus and their temples when bangladesh plunged into complete anarchy following the overthrow of the Sheikh Hasina administration in August.
With thousands of people attending his rallies, Chinmoy krishna Das has emerged as Bangladesh's most prominent Hindu leader in just four months. When everyone had been hushed and subdued, he spoke louder. In times of crisis, he became the leader. A pundit from Dhaka who wished to remain anonymous told india Herald that time was crucial.
In actuality, the monk's appeal has made him a prime target for Islamists in addition to attracting thousands of people to march at his one call. He was deemed too hot to handle by Iskcon, which has been the target of hateful attacks from fundamentalists, and all connections were cut off.
However, Chinmoy krishna Das, whose name was Chandan Kumar Dhar before to taking the vows of renunciation, was unfazed by anything.
Das advocated for minority rights in bangladesh, which has a majority of Muslims, and was one of the primary forces behind the eight-point proposal. Among the requests are the creation of a ministry for minorities, a law protecting minorities, and a tribunal to pursue charges against those who persecute them.
The largest religious minority group in bangladesh, Hindus, now make up 8% of the population, down from 22% in 1951 (when east Pakistan was still a part of Bangladesh).
Iskcon's bangladesh branch, which broke off relations with Das, released a statement late tuesday calling for his release. "Vocal advocate for the protection of minority groups" in bangladesh is how it described him.
In his own words, "He is mature and wise for his age and a product of circumstances," the analyst from Dhaka stated.
Like many of the peopleindia Herald interviewed in bangladesh, the commentator acknowledged that they knew very little about the life of Chinmoy krishna Das Brahmachari.
According to a fellow Chattogram monk who spoke to india Herald, Das was born in Karianagar village, which is part of Chattogram's Satkania Upazila, in May 1985.
"He was popular as a child orator in religious circles," the monk said. "He took diksha (initiation) and became an Iskcon brahmachari in 1997, when he was 12-year-old."
Chinmoy Prabhu, as he is commonly called, is the spokesperson for the bangladesh Sammilito Sanatani Jagaran Jot and the President of the Pundarik Dham in Bangladesh.
One of Bangladesh's two holiest pilgrimage sites for Hindus is Chattogram's Pundarik Dham.
Bangladeshi specialists informed india Herald that without the home ministry's agreement, no sedition charge would have been filed. According to them, no police station officer in command would proceed in such a situation without upper management's consent.
Das was attempted to be arrested the night before the march in Rangpur.
The hotel Das had reserved for his stay was pressured by the authorities to cancel his reservation. In addition to being denied permission, the rally's location had to be abruptly changed to a smaller one in Rangpur. Two big rallies were planned for Khulna and Sylhet.
"You can gauge the precarious condition of the Sanatanis in bangladesh from the fact that they can't even stay in a hotel they booked for themselves," Das stated. He continued, "One needs no further evidence of the repression faced by them."
Even though the government made every effort to keep people from getting to the demonstration in Rangpur, there were still a lot of people there. Everyone may view videos on social media networks showing police officers and Islamists intimidating individuals and preventing them from entering the place.
The caretaker government in bangladesh is so afraid of the monk, who can summon thousands of Hindus to the streets with a single call, that it imprisoned him on the basis of thin evidence.
Firoz Khan, the localleader who brought the sedition case, was ousted by the bangladesh Nationalist party (BNP) because they did not believe it had any basis. But bangladesh decided to take action.
This is because Das has provided the millions of Hindus in bangladesh with a way forward. The route to survival is that resistance.
"A significant portion of Bangladesh's Hindu population is youthful and technologically literate. The young people have witnessed that minorities must struggle to remain in their home countries all over the world," the political analyst from Dhaka told india Herald.
For a group that has historically fled bangladesh, that is surprising.
The Hindu American Foundation estimates that more than 11 million Hindus left bangladesh between 1964 and 2013 as a result of religious persecution.
Even though Chinmoy krishna Das was imprisoned and denied bail, the togetherness he has created and the example the monk has set for the young people will be hard to break. The monk, who became a voice for Hindus in bangladesh, is currently the center of attention worldwide, and the Yunus administration is working to keep him quiet.
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