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Introduction
Using the Babari Masjid-Ramajanmabhumi controversy as a pretext, Muslim mobs went on a rampage all over Bangladesh. They attacked and burnt down Hindu houses and business establishments in many places, murdered some Hindus and inflicted injuries on many others. Hindu temples and monasteries invited their special attention everywhere.
Starting on October 29, 1989, the mob fury reached its climax on November 9 and 10 after the Shilanyas ceremony at Ayodhya. Many temples were demolished or burnt down or damaged in various ways. Images of deities were broken and thrown out. Temple priests were beaten up.
The Government of Bangladesh kept on looking the other way for almost two weeks. Then it called off the operation. It also ordered repairs to a dozen temples in order to maintain the pretence that what had been done was not a command performance.
We reproduce below a report received by us.
INCIDENTS OF COMMUNAL REPRESSION IN BANGLADESH
Occurred on the Pretext of Babri-Masjid / Ram-Mandir
Situation in India
(Translated from original in Bengali published by the Hindu, Buddhist and Christian Unity Council, 53, Tejturi Bazar, Dhaka, Bangladesh)
Authors
Shri Arun Shourie
Shri Harsh Narain
Shri Jay Dubashi
Shri Ram Swarup
Shri Sita Ram Goel
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