UK Hindus Attacked:UK Gov has no response

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Press Release 10th Oct 2002 Hindus in Bradford are attacked during the Worship

of Sacred Navraatri Festival - Lack of Police Protection is a major concern of

Hindus - Once again, Hindus are under a state of siege and without a voice

Every year Hindus of Bradford celebrate the sacred festival of Navraatri

peacefully as it is celebrated in other British Cities. The difference here is

that during every celebration Hindu worshippers are under constant threat of

attacks from other minority community. Every year the Deepawali Lights are

wantonly damaged, temple worshippers are confronted with severe abuse and

hostility, Women and children spat at, Mandirs and Elderly Day centres are

arson attacked and our youths are under severe intimidation. In the face of all

these assaults Bradford Hindus have shown remarkable restraint, as this is

second nature to them. However, after yesterday's attack on their peaceful

celebrations, Hindus are feeling a sense of neglect by the authorities. Dr

Suresh Tailor, a senior officer of the World Council of Hindus (Yorkshire),

said, " for how long do you expect Hindus to be attacked each time they are

going on about their peaceful celebrations and why are we not accorded the same

protection as others. Why are we treated like second class citizens?" He

expressed fear for the remainder of celebrations after yesterday's incident.

Satish Shah, another organiser of the festival who received injuries in the

attack was furious with the attitude of these thugs who went on attacking the

Hindus time and again. " Is there no parental control on these mindless thugs

who are ruining the image of Bradford", he said. Mr Balubhai Patel, President

of Bhartiya Mandal said " this attack was racially motivated. These Asian

lawless misfits should not get any sympathy from any quarter and should be put

away for a long term to protect Hindus in the city. They are making our lives

miserable in the city. Such intimidation cannot be allowed to go ahead". Mr

Ashwin Mistry, Secretary of Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh said, "this attack is

reminiscent of continuous harassment and abuse Hindu elderly and youth are

facing daily in Bradford. Our elderly day centre is under constant attack and

the members feel as if they are living in a no go area." Yesterday's attack is

the limit of Hindu tolerance in the City. A vanload of these Asian youths came

to create trouble. They exposed indecently to the worshippers and desecrated

our festival. When confronted they ran away, only to return half an hour later

to cause havoc. The prayers had just been offered and the devotees were leaving

when they resumed their religious hatred by showing disrespect. As the

worshippers were leaving, the miscreants panicked and wanted to make a speedy

exit. But due to the rush of cars leaving, they could not make an easy exit and

started driving back and forth with purposeful intent of ramming their way out.

In this process, they almost ran over a few of the organisers who were trying

to make it safe for other devotees who were in real danger of being run down.

The miscreants rammed 5 to 6 cars, severely damaging two, and got away. It was

the quick thinking of the organisers that we are so lucky not to have a

fatality. A firing inferno was averted that could have had disastrous

consequences among the women, children and the elderly of the Hindu community.

Bradford Hindus are more concerned at the lack of Police Protection, although

they were promised a regular onsite patrol of all the venues of the festival as

in the previous years. Hindus are also very concerned at the manner in which our

politicians go on about pampering the offending community by criticising the

judges for passing deterrent sentences against these religious bigots. The

authorities should empower the police to protect Hindu minorities who are a

minority within a minority and make the parents of the miscreants accountable

for the action of their irresponsible youths. Nothing short of this is

acceptable to Hindus of Bradford. The recent history of assault on Hindus in

Bradford is not a happy story. Over a decade a catalogue of wanton destruction

and attacks on Hindus and their properties exposes their vulnerability. Some of

them are : · 5 temples were firebombed in 1992 · A Hindu businessman was shot at

on his property · Elderly day members abused and assaulted on a regular basis ·

Festival lights wantonly damaged every year in the city · Women and children

spat on when attending weddings and festivals · Our youths are intimidated and

attacked in schools and youth centres · During 1995 riots, all businesses

damaged and firebombed were non-Muslim. Many Indian businesses left the areas

of attack · Hindu family living over the business premises attacked with all

the glass windows smashed and the fear of burning down the property was real ·

During riots of 2001, Hindu businesses burned down; elderly day centres

attacked and guests at a Hindu wedding reception were saved by the grace of God

from near death. Not a single Hindu was involved in the rights · Temple on

Laistridge Lane firebombed at night. The police responded after 3 hours of

pondering. · These assaults continue and the Hindus are under siege and without

a voice. These are the questions that are worrying the Hindus of Bradford: · To

what degree does the Hindu community retain faith in the authorities to protect

them and make them feel safe as equal citizens? · Why are the police and the

politicians not able to identify differences in the behaviour pattern of many

communities that make up the Asian community, for clearly Hindus are poles

apart from others in the way they contribute to the education, economy,

cultural enhancement and law &; order? Why were the police not able to

anticipate such an attack? Even the most primitive database would have given

this information to them. · Why do they always have excuses to offer when the

Hindus are attacked - are they any less than equal than others? · Here are the

Hindus who, despite the setbacks of riots, were giving a positive image of

Bradford through a Live World transmission on BBC who were broadcasting the

international phenomenon of the Navraatri Festival from Mumbai (Bombay),

Chicago, Brisbane and Bradford. Is this the reward Hindus get from the Local

Politicians and the authorities for making sure that Bradford's bid for capital

of Cultures in 2008 is successful? These are serious issues that needs urgent

redress, for if the Hindus are not treated with fairness, then they will

express their disapproval by slowly withdrawing from active promotion of the

City. They will also ensure the safety of their own, with or without the

support of the Police and the Politicians. They may not have a vote bank, but

make no mistake they surely have nerves of steel to face the circumstances.    

End: 

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