India Post News Service
WASHINGTON DC: To mark the 50th anniversary of the 1971 Bengali Hindu Genocide, which began on March 25, 1971, Hindu American Foundation (HAF) has launched a new online portal to remember the lost and celebrate survival.
Not yet recognized as genocide by the international community, the West Pakistan military’s Operation Searchlight left 2-3 million ethnic Bengalis dead, 200,000-400,000 women raped, and more than 10 million people displaced. The overwhelming majority of victims were Hindu.
“The international community needs to affirm the 1971 Bengali genocide, showing that they stand against all genocidal violence now and in the future,” stated HAF Director of Human Rights Deepali Kulkarni. “HAF’s 1971 portal offers resources for all people to inform themselves about the horrendous events that began half a century ago in the hopes that such violence never happens again,” Kulkarni added.
As part of the 1971 Bengali Hindu Genocide project, HAF is collecting stories of Bengali Hindu Genocide survivors into a digital archive, and seeking contributions for a commemorative art project.
HAF is encouraging supporters to urge members of Congress to make a statement commemorating the genocide that heretofore has not been done. HAF’s 1971 Genocide project is done in partnership with: Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council USA, HRCBM, and ISPaD Project.
