GLIMPSES OF BANGLA HISTORY

The First Bengali Book “the Charyapada“, exposes cover up behind anti-
Buddhist riots in the Sen Dynasty. Bengali speaking communities at home and abroad
respected the Centenary (1907 – 2007) Discovery Anniversary of First Bengali Literature
“The Charyapada (An Anthology of Buddhist Tantric Songs}”is the source of Assamese,
Marathi, Bangla, Punjabi, Hindi and Orissa languages and it was discovered by great
scholar Haraprasad Shastri from the Royal library of Nepal. It was sad time in the
Karnataka’s Hindu Sen dynasty and Brahmin rulers who destroyed Buddhist Pala dynasty
and the stronghold of Buddhist community. How did Brahmanism absorb Buddhism in
India? (Pandit J. Nehru’s book entitled Discovery of India indicates a professor of the
Paris University asked to Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru in 1941 in Paris, France).
The conspiracy of Halayud Mishra and Hari Sen with the Baktiar Khilj’s Army
and the carnage that followed in Bangladesh and other parts of India where infuriated
mobs went about killing, burning and looting of the Buddhist community. Naturally “The
Charyapada”, the ancient Buddhist literature is not what the people might call a general
Bengali book. Based on those horrible events the Buddhist poets and scholars decided to
plunge into a subject that cried out to be brought to light. Bangladesh Buddhist
community did not believe in the Vedic caste system. So in those days and nights that
followed, thousands of Buddhists monks and people were massacred as “retribution” of
caste system in a carnage organized by king Ballal Sen’s prime minister cum –
commander in chief Halayud Mishra, Hari Sen and Bakhtiar Khilji mafia as the great
writer Mr. Shaokat Ali explained in his Bengali books entitled, “Duskaler -Dibanishi”
and “Prodoshe Prakritjan.” There were survivors languished for months and later
millions of Buddhists were converted into Islam and received political support from the
Bakhtiar Khilji’s new kingdom Bangladesh. Bengali people are now reawakening to the
worst tragedy of the Buddhist Holocaust which was conspired by Brahmin mafia. Even
now questions are being raised and solutions are being sought. The history of Charyapada
was means to provoke, enrage, empower enlighten and most importantly open grounds
for discussion.
Even the millennium years later, holocaust victims Buddhist community are still
waiting for justice who destroyed Buddhist temples, monks and communities in the name
so called religions. The logic is “why bring up a history that is best buried and forgotten?
Why unearth the horrors of yesterday?” We don’t want to embarrass our Hindu, Brahmin
and Muslim neighbors and friends. But we have to share the pain of the events of the
historical holocaust. Buddhists have left deep wounds on both of our neighbors.
Charyapada’s poetry no 33 explained of regrets over Hindu fundamentalism.
Today the Rastriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP)
members took over the Buddha Gaya Mahabodhi Temple in the name of its management
committee. While basking in the glory of being “the world’s second fastest growing
economy, we should also ponder on why Indians are at the same time among the most
back- ward looking and feudal minded societies in the world. In India the peace loving
people and the Dalits convert to Buddhism for peace and social justice every day. How
will Buddhism survive in Bangladesh?
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In South Asia there are many people could not study Buddhism who are not
Buddhists. So the Indian Skeptic, a newsletter exposing many of the irrational goings on
relating to continuing superstition reigns. Sadly, few listen, because a bewildering variety
of Fakirs, Pir, Babas, swamis, priests and the like continue to exert a strangle hold over
the minds of the people. The tragedy of Hindu caste system and Islamic fundamentalists
do not allow Buddhism to preach in public places, temples and schools.
Dr. Syed Ali Ahsan said, “Carya means that which should be followed or
practiced and ‘Acarya’ which should not be. In fact these songs give instructions
regarding mystic practices.” UNESCO proclaimed that 21st February is the International
Mother Language Day in 1999 to honor the many languages in the world. The resolution
was sponsored by Bangladesh and adopted unanimously by the Member States of
UNESCO. To commemorate the historical occasion of Bangladesh every year UNESCO
proudly declared, “We pay tribute to the people of Bangladesh, whose passion for their
own language has inspired the designation of 21st February as the “International
Mother Language Day.”
Its history recorded that in 1948 being the father of the nation late Muhammad Ali
Jinnah declared in Dhaka (then it was East Pakistan), that Pakistan’s national language
will be Urdu. History speaks on this day of 21st February in 1952, when a number of
valiant sons of Bangladesh including Rafiq, Salam, Barkat, Jabbar and Shafiq sacrificed
their lives in Pakistani police firing to establish the state language of the erstwhile East
Pakistan which is today’s Bangladesh. After the series of movements, the Pakistan
government bowed down to the demand of the Bengali people and endorsed the Bengali
as one of the state languages. Time and tide wait for none and may all beings be happy.
International Mother Language Day and Nalanda University are gifts of Bengali
Minds to the world. Ancient Bengali book – the Charyapada was written around 8th –
12th century A. D. Hindu fundamentalists and Sen dynasty of Karnatak took over the
political power from Buddhist Pala kings of Bangladesh who established famous Nalanda
University in Bihar. At first Hindu fundamentalists confiscated native Buddhists and
neighbors mother language, books and survival. Hindu rulers and native Buddhists were
fighting continue. In the historical crossroads, during the 12th century Bakhtiar Khilji
attacked Bihar and Bengal and his Muslim Turks’ blazing fires reduced nine million
books of the ancient Nalanda Universtiy into ashes. Today in Bangladesh Muslims
fundamentalists dispossessed the Buddhists and indigenous people including Chakmas &
Marama of Chittagong Hilltracts as well as elsewhere of their ancestral land dwelling
houses by sending Muslim settlers accompanied by Bangladesh armed forces. Present Dr.
Fakhruddin Government does not take any of its political minister or advisor from the
Buddhist community of Bangladesh. Justice denied and persecution directly conducted
by the Jamat and Al-Quida Islamic fundamentalists. Bangladesh indigenous people
demanded their constitutional rights protect their democratic human development and
justice “without fear or favor.”
Bengali language is the source of power of people of Bangladesh as the Bengali
great scholar Atish Dipankar was the vice-chancellor of the Nalanda University who
established peace and educational systems in Tibet. There is a Tibetan translation of
Charyapada in Tibet. Pakistan government wanted to destroy the Bengali language in
1948 in East Pakistan which is today’s Bangladesh. Taliban and Al-Quida have destroyed
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Afghanistan’s Bamian Buddha statues in 2001. Many great Muslim minded people told
that Taliban is disgrace to Islam and human civilization.
As the Indian Mass media reported that recently China and Japan governments
propose the Indian government to invest millions of dollars to develop the great Nalanda
University. We have to request the Bangladesh government to participate in the
development of our ancient Bengali king Dharmapal’s Nalanda University where many
world scholars came to study including famous Chinese Buddhist monk Huen Tsang in
the 8th century. Unfortunately, Ramayana’s Ayudhya chapter, verse no 32 it is well
documented and recorded, “Buddha is like a thief, know the Buddha as an atheist.” Thus
the Hindu fundamentalists eradicated of Buddhist culture from India and even now
Buddhagaya Mahabodhi temple is controlled by Hindu system of the Management
Committee. Any Religious fundamentalists are the enemies of world peace.

Mr. Sona Kanti Barua
The writer is the President of Bangladesh Buddhist Council, Toronto.
barua_s@hotmail.com