President Ram Nath Kovind will inaugurate a renovated Hindu temple called Ramna Kali Mandir, which was destroyed by Pakistani forces during the 1971 war.
Dhaka: India is celebrating Vijay Diwas on Thursday, a day to commemorate the victory of Indian armed forces over Pakistan in the 1971 war. This victory led to the creation of India’s neighbour in the east Bangladesh.
President Ram Nath Kovind, who is in Dhaka to be a part of Bangladesh’s Victory Day ceremony, will inaugurate a renovated temple named Ramna Kali Mandir of Goddess Kali on Friday. But why this temple and what is its importance for Bangladesh?
As both India and Bangladesh celebrate the 1971 victory over Pakistan, the Ramna Kali temple is a reminder of the horror and torture the minorities faced in East Pakistan (as Bangladesh was known then) by the armed forces of Pakistan.
The 1970 Pakistan election saw the rise of Awami League’s Sheikh Mujibur Rahman (fondly called Mujib by his supporters). He was in direct contest with Pakistan Peoples Party’s Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. As Awami League won parliamentary election in East Pakistan, Bhutto decided to crush the Opposition. For this, he sent the Pakistan Army to target Mujib’s supporters.
The Ramna Kali temple was one of the sites identified and attacked by the Pakistan forces during the infamous Operation Searchlight.
On March 27, 1971, the army attacked the temple complex, which also housed Maa Anandmoyee Ashram, at night and killed the people inside. Over a hundred people, including women and children, were killed and the temple was turned into rubble.
In 2021, the temple is ready to welcome devotees with its inauguration by an Indian President. The rise of this temple seems symbolic of the united fight against the terror propagated by Pakistan in the name of religion.
This move by the Bangladesh government seems like an assurance to the minority Hindus living in the country, who recently saw their temples vandalised and religion attacked.
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