Surely, this is not what the government wants.
Recent video evidence clearly showing direct police involvement in the torching of Santal houses should cause outrage in anyone with a conscience.
Such an incident should sound alarm bells within the government and all other citizens.
The video, which shows the police kicking down doors in the abandoned Santal village and then setting the entire village on fire, is a shameful representation of how we treat minorities in this country.
The government cannot stand for this kind of behaviour on part of our law enforcement personnel.
It would seem that corrupt elements within law enforcement have already taken sides against the Santals. These elements need to be punished to the fullest extent of the law.
A full investigation is also needed to find out what led up to the actions in the video, and identify all the culprits behind the attack.
Whether or not the land belongs to the Santals is not the pressing issue at this point. The pressing issue here is that a whole community, rightful citizens of Bangladesh, are being systematically oppressed, assaulted, and displaced, with the authorities being complicit in all these human rights abuses.
Santals have, for a long time, been living in woeful conditions, without proper shelter, food, or health care.
With the latest incident of arson, things really have gone too far.
The abuses must stop.
The government must bring to book all the perpetrators of this shameful attack, and take seriously the job of protecting the Santal people.
