Thursday, October 1, 2015

Increasing attacks on Hindus in India

The Shamli train incident which sent chilling reminders of Godhra The Shamli train incident which sent chilling reminders of Godhra
 
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India is a Hindu majority nation but Hindus have come under attacks on several occasions in different states. This is a tragedy that the whole media covers only stories involving minorities.
In the news of attacks on minorities, Hindus are blamed. There is no coverage or analysis of attacks on the places of worship of Hinduism. Political parties take advantage of such incidents to garner support and votes from the minorities in elections. But no political party or media channel or news paper takes a stand for Hindus. The U.S. President Obama visited India and gave a sermon to protect minorities. So, the international image of our country is that minorities are not protected in India.
Hinduism faces attacks on temples, thefts, vandalism and land grab with respect to temples. How many times we come across news of attacks on temples? Or loot of temples? Or killings of Hindus? This is the time to introspect. This is the time to listen to the problems of majority community.
Let us look at the numbers:
According to a research, between 01 October 2014 and 31 March 2015, there were 145 incidents of attacks on temples in India. There has been a spread of attacks on Hindu temples across India. The states where maximum number of attacks took place are Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Telangana and Karnataka. South India and West Bengal have witnessed the worst attacks on temples. Temples are targeted more frequently that Churches. There are so many attacks on the Hindu temples that it is not possible to cover all the news in one article.
Media coverage:
According to a research, On an average, the English media reported about 46.25 news articles per incident of attack on Christian places of worship whereas it reported a mere 2.02 news articles per incident of attack on Hindu places of worship. The given figures show that media is not religion- neutral. The same ratio also shows that the English media is unfair in its coverage.
  1. Attack on people celebrating swearing in of PM Modi:
After some BJP supporters celebrated Narendra Modi's oath-taking ceremony, they were attacked by Trinamool supporters in North 24- Parganas, West Bengal. This attack injured 22 BJP men. The Trinamool supporters had threatened them in advance not to celebrate. All the attackers were Muslims as the names suggest - Aklhtar Mollah, Majid Mollah, Karbullah etc.
  1. Killing by cow smugglers:
On 15.05.2014, in North 24 Parganas Bangladeshi cow smugglers attacked and killed Nirmal Ghosh, a constable of Rail Police. His elder brother Paran Ghosh was injured when he tried to save his brother.
  1. Communal Clash in Nadia Dist, West Bengal:
Under Kaliganj police station in Juranpur and Naoda villages, serious communal clash occurred on May 5, 2015. A Hindu religious procession was attacked in front of a mosque in Juranpur village. Reportedly 4 Hindus were killed. Villagers could not move injured Hindus to any hospital as all the roads are reportedly blocked by Muslims. This led to high number of causalities among Hindus. The incident took place after a Hindu convoy was on its way back from Dharmaraj Mela at Jamalpur in Purbasthali to their village. As they passed by a mosque in Juranpur village, they were attacked by a group of men, reportedly Muslims.
  1. Violence in Shamli:
Kandhla town in Shamli district witnessed communal tensions from May 2 to May 5, 2015. People resorted to violence in protest against the alleged assault of 5 Muslim men in a train. The crowds blocked road and rail transport and also roughed up policemen who tried to stop them. According to reports, almost 16 police personnel were injured by the Muslim mob. The Samajwadi Party MLA from Kairana, Nahid Hasan along with other locals, blocked rail and road transport to protest against the incident. The crowd even set a few vehicles parked in the station on fire. The social media and local Whatsapp groups were abuzz with messages claiming a Muslim conspiracy to perform “another Godhra” in Shamli. The crowd threw stones at trains at Kandhla after which the Railway Police had to resort to lathi charge. In past too there have been many incidents of attacking the Hindus:
Targeting Hindu women and rapes:
In many Muslim dominated cities like Bhopal and Meerut Hindu women are dragged into cars and are raped. They are returned after two three days when these poor females are totally worn out. In most of the cases people do not report to police to avoid more trouble. When a nun is raped the whole media stands out for covering such a news but when it comes to Hindu girls strangely, no media is interested even in reporting such an incident.
  1. On 28.05.2014, 11 year old Hindu girl was gang raped by Motahar Seikh, Bapan Seikh and Pande Seikh, all residents of Bahadidanga village.
  2. On 16.05.2014, one Hindu housewife aged 25 years was kidnapped and raped for 5 days by Sabid Ali, Usuf Ali and Pochu Mohammad in the house of Mir Mohammad.
  3. On 20.05.2014. in Dattapara village, North 24 Parganas a newlywed Hindu woman was raped by Baharuddin & Saiful. Her husband works in Dubai. Now he is reluctant to accept her back. The incident took place when she was at her widowed mother’s house.
  4. On 29.04.2014, in North 24 Parganas there was a gang rape of a 15 year old SC Hindu girl. The accused were Osman Mollah and his 5 other goons. Before raping her, the Muslim miscreants looted Rs.20,000 cash, gold ornaments, 2 water pumps and other expensive items.
  5. Hindus deprived of last rites in West Bengal:
In this Hindu majority nation, Hindu organizations are seen with deep rooted suspicions. They are some times called “Hindu militants”. In West Bengal the Hindus are denied their rights of cremation in a 200 yrs old Shamshan Ghat solely possessed and owned by the Hindus. Muslims of the state are trying to grab the land of Arjunpur Hindu cremation place step by step.
  1. Attack on Funeral Party:
On 10.05.2014 in Murshidabad local Muslims attacked a Funeral Party from Hajarpur village with bombs and gunfire. Bikash Pal and Kesto Pal were injured. The party had to flee abandoning the half-cremated body of late Biren Pal to save their lives. The Muslims want to encroach the Hindu burning ghat at the Arjunpur village. Muslims threw the half burnt body in the Ganges.
Police did not make even a single arrest in the case. Police issued an instruction to Hindus to give information about any death in the locality so that Police may accompany with the dead body for safe cremation at Arjunpur Shamshan ghat. In other incidents of cremations, Muslims pelted stones on Hindus and Police could do nothing. Now the Hindus cremate bodies in other far away places.
  1. Attack on Basanti Puja festival:
On 09.04.2014, in Dhalaghat village, South Dinajpur, Muslims attacked the Basanti Puja festival. They also broke the Basanti deity by kicking it. Muslims ransacked the Puja pandal, fractured Dilip Murmu’s head, injured many persons, and molested women. All victims were Hindus belonging to the ST. Notorious Anikul Islam, Sadikul Islam and Minarul Islam led the rampaging mob. There are hundreds of such cases to breaking the idols but all cases are not reported.
  1. On 29.03.2014 in Dist. South 24 Parganas, a renowned businessman and leading personality of Hindu society Kartick Methia was brutally murdered by Muslim goons of Md. Raja Seikh. Kartick Methia was leading local Hindus to resist the effort of illegal construction of a mosque on a Hindu ground named “Raasmath”.

  1. The issue of marrying Hindu girls:
A very serious problem all across the country is Muslims marrying Hindu girls. In many cases when the girls refused to marry, they were attacked with blades and acid attacks. In many cities girls are directly abducted and forced in to marriage. According to an estimate the TMC government has been paying more than 30,000 imams in the state Rs. 2500 per month and over 15,000 muezzins Rs. 1500. Burning crores of tax payers’ money mostly collected from Hindus.
  1. Durgapuja procession attack:
In 2013, in Dist – Birbhum of West Bengal, armed Muslims provoked by loudspeakers of the local mosque attacked Durgapuja immersion procession.

  1. Cow slaughter:
 
In 2013 in a provocative move, about 5-6 Muslim families slaughtered five cows for the first time in the presence of the BDO and Police. Hindus protested. In retaliation Shajahan Seikh’s goons ransacked Hindu shops at Rampur Bazar and beat up Hindus.
 
  1. Attack on temple in Agra:
In April this year, a 50-year-old temple was attacked by unknown youth. The temple was situated at Syedpara area in Lohamandi police station area of Agra. In this attack valuable ornaments of Goddess Durga and Parvati were stolen. The idols including the Shiv Ling were damaged. The damaged idols were taken into custody and replicas of them were ordered to be placed in the temple. The culprits are still to be nabbed.
  1. Attack on Shiv Ratri:
In another incident in March 2013, two Shiva temples were attacked on Shiv Ratri and the idols of the temples were damaged. This attack also took place in Agra. Again, in Sita Nagar, a Shiva temple was attacked, where the idols were broken and thrown into the Yamuna river. Even in this case no arrests were made.
  1. Attack on priests in Chennai:
This year two temple priests were attacked in Chennai. Their poonal (sacred thread) was cut. Police arrested six men in connection with the attacks. Some aged priests were beaten and thrown on roads for being associated with Hindu temples.
  1. Amarnath pilgrimage massacre:
In this massacre, around 30 -40 Hindu pilgrims were killed by Kashmiri separatist militants. The pilgrims were on their way to Amarnath cave temple on annual pilgrimage. Militants struck again killing 27 labourers hailing from UP, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh in two separate attacks at Mirbazar-Qazigund and Sandoo-Acchabal in Anantnag district. Another group of militants struck in Sandoo-Acchabal where they shot dead seven brick-kiln labourers after segregating them from women and children. Such selective killings of Hindus have not got their deserved space in media coverage.
  1. 2001 Kishtwar massacre:
2001 Kishtwar massacre was the killing of 17 Hindu villagers in village Ladder near Kishtwar in Doda District of Jammu and Kashmir by militants of Lashkar-e-Taiba on 3 August 2001. A group of 10 militants swooped on the village and dragged 20 males belonging to the Hindu community out of their houses. They were taken to the adjacent rocky mountain belt and shot dead. Similar treatment was awarded to Kashmiri Pandits in the valley. They were threatened from the loudspeakers of the local mosques. They were ordered to leave the valley or face the consequences. Selective killings of Hindus and slaughtering of cows belonging to Hindus forced Kashmiri Pandits to leave the valley. Issue of Kashmiri Pandits is such a big issue that it needs a separate article on this issue.
  1. 2013 Canning riots:
In 2013 Canning riots of West Bengal again Hindus were targeted. Muslim mobs burned down more than 200 Hindu houses in the villages of Naliakhali, Herobhanga, Gopalpur and Goladogra villages in Canning police station area. Around 24 Hindu-owned shops were looted after a Muslim cleric was killed by unidentified assailants.
  1. State sponsored riots against Hindus in West Bengal:
In Jan. 2015, Muslims vandalized Hindu areas and businesses in West Bengal with the help of a State Minister Giyasuddin Molla. Hindus were under attack from organized Muslim mobs in Usthi Bazar, Kuleshwar, Deyarak, Nainan, Deaula, Gholar more, Bholerhat, Mandir Bazar, Hatugunj,and other adjacent areas. Muslims were instigated to join the rioting through Masjid loudspeakers. Hindu shops were looted, ransacked, and gutted.
On many occasions, Hindu festivals and poojas are attacked by Muslims of the state. In 2013, a Durgapuja immersion procession was attacked by armed Muslims provoked by loudspeakers of the local mosque.
  1. Acid attacks on Hindus in M.P.:
In April this year, at least 25 people suffered heavy injuries including 10 of severe acid burns at Jawad town in Madhya Pradesh’s Neemuch district when some Jihadi miscreants pelted stones and threw acid bulbs at a Hindu religious procession being taken out on the occasion of Hanuman Jayanti. The incident happened when the procession reached Khurra Chowk Mosque where Muslim miscreants targeted the Hindu people in procession from different sides. Heavy violence flared up, with Muslim mob setting fire to residential buildings, vehicles and the shops which left many people, including police personnel, injured.
  1. Cow stealing:
In an incident on 30.03.2014 in Dist. Malda a Muslim thief was caught red handed while stealing a cow from a Hindu house. But a Muslim mob of 200 led by local Congress leader Zakir Hossein attacked the village Sihipur inhabited by SC Hindus. More than 40 Hindus were injured, women were molested, money and valuables were looted by the Muslim mob. There are many such cases when Muslims steal cows and smuggle them to Bangladesh for slaughter.
  1. Clashes in Lucknow:
On May 30, 2015, tension prevailed in Lucknow after Hindus and Muslims clashed with each other. Heavy police force was deployed at the spot. Police said a function on bhajans was being held at a Hanuman temple in the area where the organisers also distributed sherbet to devotees. Initially, the quarrel started when local Muslims objected to the use of loudspeaker at the temple at the time of azaan for Friday prayers. Later there was a fight due to left over glasses. The two groups were soon joined by others from their communities and both sides reportedly opened fire.
 
  1. Looting of temples:
In Barabanki, in Feb. 2015, Hindu temple was looted. Three 'ashtdhatu' and five brass idols worth crores of rupees were stolen from a 200-year-old temple. Similarly, in 2014 the 17th century priceless idols of Lord Raghunath along with four other idols were stolen from a temple in Kullu. About 10 kg of silver ornaments and 1 kg gold ornaments were also missing.
In March this year, three people came in the grab of devotees and robbed 11 panchaloha idols from Papagni temple in Chikkaballapur.
In Jan. 2015, miscreants stole 'ashtadhatu' idols of Lord Ram and Sita worth Rupees one crore from a temple in Katihar district of Bihar. The idols were around 90 years old.
In 2014, two antique idols of Goddess Saraswati and Durga were stolen from Karnataka’s Nageswar Temple. The idols were stolen from the 800-year-old temple.
In April this year, six brass idols and a spear were stolen from the 1,000-year-old Adhi Ratneswarar temple at Tiruvadanai in Ramanathapuram district of Tamil Nadu. But no arrests have been made in this case.
There are thousands of such cases of loot in Hindu temples. But rarely, we have come across any concrete action taken by the police. When any church is attacked it makes front page headlines in all papers. Ask yourself about how many looted Hindu temples do you know? No body knows about any investigation in these cases. Such is the pathetic state of affairs when it comes to “Hindus of Hindustan.”
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