Peaceful S Asia requires pluralistic societies

The South Asian people can live peacefully if they maintain pluralistic societies, ignoring nationalism, communalism and fundamentalism, a regional conference was told yesterday.

Despite facing challenges to establish communal harmony, people of the region have demonstrated that it is possible to live together in multi-racial, multi-religious, and multi-cultural societies, the speakers told the third South Asian Conference, which started at Nabab Nawab Ali Chowdhury Senate Bhaban of Dhaka University.

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The two-day conference on "Fundamentalism, Imperialism and Women's Resistance in South Asia" has been hosted by Dhaka based socio-cultural organisation Banglar Pathshala Foundation.

Educationist Prof Ajoy Roy said there was no alternative to adopting a society based on mutual tolerance, cooperation, understanding of each other's problems both individually and collectively and trying to solve each other's problems based on equity and justice.

He laid emphasis on establishment of a judicial system, which will ensure social and legal equality and justice for all citizens, regardless of their race, culture, social and economic background, caste, religion, and gender.

In his speech on "My Dream: How I Want to Vision South Asia", the DU professor said the states in South Asia must ensure the right to enjoy freedom, individual security and to live according to people's own choice.

"The state must ensure that none should be exposed to police or other law enforcers or administrative persecution and exposed to inhuman and cruel behaviour because he/she belongs to minority or indigenous or underprivileged community," observed Prof Roy, also father of slain writer-blogger Avijit Roy.

He said none should be arrested or driven out of the country without showing the lawful order; every citizen had the right to move freely without fear within the country and to live anywhere they liked.

He expressed frustration at the "failure" of the administration and law enforcers to save the lives and properties of minorities.  The roles of the political parties and civil society are also disappointing, he added.

Prof Dr Ratan Khasnabis of Calcutta University criticised the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party government for "controlling the liberal voices".

The secular India cannot be ruled with a communal agenda, he said, adding that there must be a resistance against communalism and imperialism everywhere in the region.

Educationist Prof Pabitra Sarkar observed that women in this region were oppressed by fundamentalists on the excuse of religious sermons, thus they did not have the basic rights to live equally in the society.

Without education, there is no emancipation for women, he said.