Press Release
Vishwa Hindu Parishad
Bradford
October 10, 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.
