What’s our take?

When this article is being written, two phases of the West Bengal State Assembly Election 2011 have already completed and the third is round the corner. The following ones will take place soon and the final result will come to the fore by the upcoming 14 th May. But this is not all; there is also a strong buzz across the state – 2011 election will witness downfall of the reigning Left Front.

Surely, if this gets true, there would be the rise of TMC (Trinamool Congress), strongest Left adversary at the moment. This is the law of nature – nothing remains vacant, all are replaced by the new ones.

Nevertheless there is another question as well. What would be the fate of Hindus in Bengal amidst all these? This question remains unanswered as usual, even if its positive or negative outcome would impact majority of the state’s populace. It is to be noted that religious persecution on Hindus in Bengal, with silent (often vocal too) support of political parties and effete state administration, is in full swing. Not a day passes when there is no torture on Hindus and all these are getting intense more and more.

Can there be any benefit to Hindus then? This is the most disregarded issue though of no less importance. Hindus, as a whole, were in a stable position till the advent of Left Front in 1977, responsible for exponential demographic changes, especially in the border districts of Bengal. Their fate began to be sealed from 80s and the cat is out of the bag by now. TMC has also become a part of this culture and truly, a war is going on between the two to woo Muslims.

No organization or political party is even ready to reckon Bengali Hindus and this, beyond any doubt, is due to incapacity, lack of assertion and frame of mind to struggle of the community. Both general people and principally Hindus have forgotten that Hindus do also have the right to exist and its existence is at stake within 65 years of the nation’s independence.

What can be done in this terrible situation? Hindus have just two strategies – either to steer clear of election en masse or opt for tactical voting. Is any of these two possible? To be precise, even if Hindus go for the next one, there can’t be any relief once and for all. Bengali Hindus have got to be aggressive and not defensive any longer and plunge into the ensuing struggle.

Notably, during partition, there were 55 Muslims against 45 Hindus among every 100 Bengalis in the Indian subcontinent. The situation has changed drastically by now and against 30 Hindus, there are 70 Muslims at the moment. The situation is clear by now – either struggle or perish for the eternity.

The election is of no issue to Bengali Hindus; it has no take on the whole. Well, if tactical voting is used, it can be useful to some extent. But to do the same, there is the need of moral fiber and strength.

Are you ready?

Kashmiri Pandits must become hawkish to procure citizenship in Kashmir

One fact must be made clear in the beginning. Plights of Kashmiri Hindus, generally identified as Pandits, even if known across India but in a cloak-and-dagger mode, happen to be one of the most disregarded catastrophes in the realm of South Asia and as a result, their anguishes unlike their Muslim counterparts have failed to draw in the attention of global intelligentsia and human rights bodies. There can be several other factors behind this apart from the religious persecution and exodus of Pandits from the Kashmir valley owing to Islamic extremism initiating in 1989 leading to imbecility and befuddlement. Audacious leadership among Hindus has always been the greatest casualty.

Pandits have taken shelter in Delhi and Jammu and are struggling immensely to keep their customs and traditions alive. It is to be noted that there are less than 4,000 Pandits still in the valley and up to 400,000 Hindus either fled or were driven out from Kashmir by the end of 1980s. What will be their fate then? Would they continue to languish as refugee in their own land? Future remains unknown yet but it’s sure unless Pandits group themselves and plunge into an active struggle there is no hope at all.

Struggle or a vigorous attempt to attain the objective can be of different forms; it’s not necessary to be violent all the time. It can also be to establish own identity through claiming back own cherished properties and none more than temple can be dearer to a Hindu.

Fortunately, a section of Pandits is engaged with the same at the moment. In accordance with Mr. Sanjay Tickoo, president of the Kashmiri Pandit Sangarsh Samiti, an NGO, following mass departure of Pandits, more or less 98 per cent of the temples were not attended. Only 23 temples have remained in unremitting use. The NGO, at the moment, is trying its best to restore other temples too and preserve the community’s rich tradition continuing from a remote past thus.

The question remains whether they can have the support of Muslims to make the dream fulfilled. As per both Muslims and Hindus, whether it is fraternity or interactions between people, everything remains better at the personal level. Same was the situation during pre-militancy era in Kashmir and nothing has changed in all these years. And surely it is getting more difficult; Islamic militancy in Kashmir has been inherited by the present generation and inheritance can never be compromised.

What is the way then? Benevolence and gentle stances of Kashmiri Hindus can never resolve problems. They have to make an all-India confederation with like-minded organizations like Hindu Samhati in Bengal and others hailing from various states. No demand is ever met without struggle and unless it becomes hawkish, there is no hope.

Hindus withering in Pakistan stealthily; who’s next?

Religious persecution of Hindus has been unabated from the days of partition (even if Hindus remained witnesses to the same in the preceding centuries) in the modern times; both Pakistan and Bangladesh have been trampling Hindus and the declining populace in each country depicts the same testimony. Truly, the saga of human rights violations of Hindus in Bangladesh has become quite exposed by now and the credit, in this sphere, goes to an assortment of human rights advocacy groups along with individuals and their tireless jobs. Hidden secrets within Pakistan must be brought to the daylight in the same manner.

Do you have any idea of the Hindu populace in the past and at the moment there? In accordance with quite a few and precise researches, Hindus formed 22% of the population in Pakistan whereas it has come to staggering 1.7% these days. All these have taken place owing to mounting persecution through years, forcible conversion along with arson, targeting women and the exodus of Hindus to India to get rid of all these. What is in the destiny of Pakistani Hindus inhabiting regions like Balochitsan, Sind and Punjab? There is simply no other option. Even if minority members of the Pakistan National Assembly have averred (at times) Hindus are being maltreated, and also hounded, the State administration prefers to remain reluctant.

If you are in need of more info, learn the latest facts that scores of most venerated Hindu places are in a ramshackle condition. The majority of the remaining ones have already been transformed into educational institutions, business centres and certainly hotels. As said by the National Commission for Inter-Religious Dialogue and Ecumenism, Pakistan is home to 3.9 million (39 lakh) Hindus. The majority of members of the minority community belong to impoverished agricultural families. Bigot administration performs the ideal role of felon in this context.

While Hindus were being deprived of all avenues of essentialities, these days they are being robbed of worshiping in their own religious institutions too. One of the best specimens, in this regard, is Ismail Khan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Local Hindus allege that a group has acquired the 700-year-old Kali Bari Mandir there unlawfully and is, these days, making use of it as a lush hotel.

There are some other refulgent evidences as well. You can take a temple situated at Saidpur model village in Islamabad (capital of Pakistan) into consideration. Hindus simply remain devoid of any access to the temple. There is also the Raam Kunday Mandir in Islamabad. It was regarded as a venerated site for Hindus at one time and these days, it is being changed to a picnic spot only.

You may not believe but a few local traders have already appropriated a Kali temple in Peshawar and nowadays, it is being converted to a lofty building. Islamic clerics have been found to use Sheeran Wali Mandir (in Bakkar city of Punjab) as a madrasa.

Such reports are endless and the greatest criminal, in this respect, is the administration remaining reluctant to the entire episode.

Can Hindus or Hindu culture live in Pakistan after all these? The dearth of a strong voice across the globe seals their fate forever. Hindus have to move to India, their only option making the culture a thing of the past.

Pakistan and Bangladesh have shown the world the best way to kick Hindus out from their ancestral lands. The latest wave in the Middle East will conform to the same notion and annihilation of age-old Hindu culture there depends on time only.

How Much More For Hajjis ?

A very revealing fact has been obtained from the Indian government's External Affairs Ministry Office through the RTI (Right to Information) Act. As per this information, the Indian Government has spent a staggering sum of 2,891.77 crore rupeess (28,920,000,000 Rs = US $ 672,558,140) for muslim Hajj pilgrimage in the last 5 years.

The editor-in-general of "Suchana Adhikar Manch" in Patiala, Punjab, Mr. D.C. Gupta and the publishing editor Mr. Kumar Sarin asked the Indian Government's External Affairs department about Hajj subsidy through the RTI Act on July 31, 2010. The External Affairs secretary Mr. Manbir Singh replied in writing that the Central Government has been providing this Hajj subsidy since 1991.

Mr. Manbir revealed that in just the last 5 years, a total of 2,891.77 crore rupees have been spent for 640,792 Muslim Hajj pilgrims. He also mentioned that between the years 2008 and 2009, 121,695 Muslim pilgrims went to Hajj from the country. The Government provided subsidy of 70,238 rupees (US $ 1,634) per person and a total of 864.77 crore rupees (US $ 201,162,791) was spent in just one year.

The ministry has also informed that the Indian Government does not provide any subsidy for pilgrimage for any other religious group.

As per a Hindustan Times news article published on April 10, 2010, it was disclosed that the Central Govt. spent 367 crore rupees (US $ 85,348,837) on 2006, 390 crore (US $ 90,697,675) on 2007 and 826 crore (US $ 192,093,023) on 2008 as subsidy for the Hajj pilgrimage.