Hindu forums demand investigation against anti-superstition body

The Hindu Vidhidnya Parishad and Hindu Janjagruti Samiti have demanded a probe into the alleged financial irregularities by Akhil Bhartiya Andhashraddha Nirmulan Samiti (ABANS), an organisation that works against supersition.
Advocate Virendra Ichalkaranjikar, president of the Hindu Vidhidnya Parishad said on Saturday that they have procured information under the RTI Act, which shows that ABANS has not submitted the complete details of their accounts and financial transactions to the government.
"Four days back, we had filed a complaint with the Charity Commissioner's office in Nagpur demanding a probe against ABANS," he said. Sunil Ghanwat of Hindu Janjagruti Samiti and Swami Govinddevgiri Maharaj were present at the press conference.
Dr Shyam Manav, founder of ABANS, said all allegations of financial irregularities are baseless. "Charity Commissioner's has found no financial irregularities in our organisation. This is not the first time that organisations like Sanatan Sanstha and HJS have made such allegations against us. Charity commissioner's office has done inquiries before and found nothing objectionable against us. We have no full time workers. Our activists spend money form their pockets for our programmes. We get very less funds."
Meanwhile, in a press release, Anand Jakhotia, spokesperson of Sanatan Sanstha said that the police should probe the involvement of those who were associated with the financial transactions of Dabholkar's organisation, his competitors and other possibilities. "The police questioned over 30 members of Sanatan Sanstha members including women and elders. The organisation however supported the police fully. The affidavit filed by Pune police in the HC shows that Sanatan Sanstha is not involved in this case. But the left-wing organisation considered Dabholkar murder as an opportunity to defame Hindu outfits."

Courtesy:indianexpress

Read More

Pakistan Hindus eager to exercise their franchise in Rajasthan polls

Saturday, Nov 30, 2013, 22:44 IST | Agency: PTI

With issues of their rehabilitation and citizenship figuring in poll manifestos of various political parties, over one lakh Pakistani Hindu migrants in Rajasthan are eager to participate in the upcoming Assembly elections and vote for the candidate of their choice.
Hindu Singh Sodha, President of Seemant Lok Sangthan, an organisation for welfare of Pakistani Hindu migrants, said the community was elated that their concerns and problems had been taken into consideration by the political parties.
Sodha said that earlier, they had unanimously decided to hit the 'NOTA' button in the state elections but after both, Congress and BJP, decided to count their issues in their respective manifestos, they changed their stand and have decided now to cast their votes for their favoured candidates. "These migrants have been struggling hard to get their issues of rehabilitation and citizenship resolved since long but they had been faced with consistent negligence. But this is for the first time when political parties have incorporated our issues in their poll manifestos and have expressed seriousness to our problems and issues," he said.
Sodha added that there was no referendum from the organisation to the community in favour of any party or candidate. There are about 1.25 lakh Pakistani Hindus, with Indian citizenship, in Rajasthan, who are in decisive position to influence the results on seven seats across the state, which include Barmer, Chohtan and Shive in Barmer district; Jaisalmer district; Kolayat and Khajuwala in Bikaner district and Soorsagar in Jodhpur district, Sodha said.
At these seats, they have the concentration from 8,000 to 25,000. Of these Chohtan has the largest concentration of Pak Hindus with 25000 votes, he added.

Courtesy:dnaindia dot com

Read More

Fear of another Jamaat attack haunts Hindus

Fears of recurrence of attacks continue to haunt Hindus of Lalmonirhat’s Patgram upazila despite the return of the male family members, the filing of a case and deployment of additional police.
On Thursday, at least 12 women and children were beaten up and at least five shops and two houses were torched and looted allegedly by Jamaat-e-Islami and Islami Chhatra Shibir activists at Ghoshpara village of Jongra union.
Taking place on the third day of the opposition-sponsored 71-hour blockade, the attack, the second one on Lalmonirhat Hindus by opposition activists, had prompted several male members of at least 23 Hindu families to flee the village.
“We are still fearful as the area is covered with Jamaat-Shibir men and they always have a hatred towards Hindus…They will become angrier if police make arrests,” one of the victims, Shilpi Rani Ghosh, told The Daily Star yesterday.
Nazrul Islam, member of local Union Parishad and former president of Shibir of Patgram upazila, has been arrested while police claimed they were conducting drives to arrest the rest.
Another victim, Subhas Chandra Ghosh, said, “We are innocent people…we are not involved in politics and have no enmity with anybody here over anything but still we were victimised…I do not know what will happen in the future.”
On the previous November 4 assault, the attackers had vandalised and looted several houses after villagers at Satpatki Majhipara in Sadar upazila had refused extortionists.
The case was filed by one victim, Dhanjit Ghosh Tapos, with Patgram Police Station, accusing three local Jamaat-Shibir men and 50 unnamed persons.
Expressing deep concern, Ain o Salish Kendra sent a letter to the Inspector General of Police on Thursday noon urging the perpetrators’ arrest.

Courtesy: the daily star dot net

Read More

Landlord kills Hindu girl in Umerkot

Friday, November 29, 2013  

 

SUKKUR: A landlord shot a Hindu peasant girl dead here on Thursday after she refused to develop illicit relations with him. Sources in police said in village Shadiply of Umerkot district, a landlord Khadim Shar used to force peasant girl Shirimiti Kapu Kolhi to develop illicit relations with him but when she refused the landlord shot her dead. The police shifted the body to a local hospital.

Meanwhile, Ramesh, father of the murdered girl, registered an FIR with the Shadiply police station against the landlord. He maintained in the complaint that Khadim Shar had been repeatedly forcing Shirimiti to submit for sexual relations and she kept refusing. Station House Officer Rasheed Chanio said a case had been registered and investigation was underway.

courtesy: thenews.com.pk

Read More

Hindu Outfits to Jointly Oppose Islamic University

Various Hindu organisations  which have been opposing the setting up of Islamic University near Tirupati, have decided to fight against the university under the banner of Tirumala Tirupati Pavitrata Samrakshana Vedika.

Sri Shiva Swamyji has been elected as the president of the body.

The vedika has expressed strong reservations against the Islamic university, which has been built on land belonging to a centuries old temple.  It has alleged that the university at Tondavada was constructed illegally and the district collector even ordered demolition of unauthorised floors on November 17.

Speaking at a press conference here on Wednesday, Shiva Swamyji deplored that the officials concerned have not taken any action to demolish the illegal floors even after 10 days of the orders of the collector.

“We will meet Tirupati revenue divisional officer on November 30 and submit a memorandum,’’ Shiva Swamyji said.

Vedika’s treasurer and Hindu Janajagarana Samithi leader Chetan Janardhan said they would continue their protests against the   university apart from bringing pressure on the officials to demolish the illegal floors. ‘’The land on which the university is coming up belongs to a Hindu temple and the temple land was encroached. We will not allow the Islamic University at a place like Tirupati considered pious by the Hindus,’’ Chetan Janardhan said.

The Vedika will also stage a dharna at the Tirupati Urban Development Authority (TUDA) office on December 20 in which various Hindu seers and swamijis and thousands of Hindu activists from across the state as well as Karnataka and Tamil Nadu will participate, he said.

courtesy: newindianexpress dot com

Read More

Arrests in post 9/11 'hate' attack on Hamilton Hindu temple

Hamilton police have arrested three men in the attacks on the Hindu Samaj temple and Hamilton Mountain Mosque that took place just days after the September 11, 2001 World Trade Centre terrorist attacks.
The case against the three would be prosecuted as a hate crime, police said. The Hindu temple was destroyed in the arson.
The three accused are Christopher Pollard, 33, Scott Ryan, 33, and Damien Marsh, 34, all from Hamilton. They are charged with arson, possession of incendiary materials and mischief under $5,000. All would have been in their early 20s at the time of the temple and mosque attacks. They appeared in court Wednesday and all were released on bail.

'"It was more than physical buildings that were destroyed that day.'- Police Chief Glenn De Caire

"In 2013, Hamilton Police Service received new information from the public," said Sgt. Matt Kavanagh of Hamilton Police as the arrests were announced at a press conference at the rebuilt temple. "The accused parties have been linked to both crime scenes."
Police used DNA evidence, but would not say what new information had been gathered to lead to the arrests.

Christopher Pollard, 33, of Hamilton. (Facebook)

The attacks on the temple and mosque took place in the early morning of Sept. 15, 2001. The incidents received international attention in the days following.

More than buildings

The significance of the crimes — and arrests — to the community were evident by the presence at the Wednesday press conference of Bratina, police chief Glenn De Caire and leaders of the Hindu and Muslim communities. 
"It was more than physical buildings that were destroyed that day,” De Caire said.

Scott Ryan, 33, of Hamilton. (Facebook)

The fire had a profound affect on the community, said Javid Mirza, who at the time was president of the Muslim Association of Hamilton.
“It was part of their 9/11, what happened here,” he said.
And those feelings extended internationally, as did the news coverage.
"This went around the world that Hamilton, Ont. had suffered this terrible occurrence," Bratina said. "If you ever felt you were not fully integrated into the fabric of Hamilton, you are now more than most of us."
Despite the horrific fire, community leaders agree there is a silver lining. It brought diverse Hamilton closer together. An umbrella organization meant to foster inclusion of all communities called the Strengthening Hamilton Communities Initiative was formed.

Arson changed city

“The temple fire, nobody wanted it but we ended up getting it,” said past president Narendar Passi. “The communities have supported us through and through and I cannot find enough words or appreciation for all these communities.”
Mirza said Hamilton has changed in the past 13 years – the many, diverse cultural communities know each other and work together – and it's time to move on from what happened on Sept. 15, 2011.
“At the end of the day, it was embarrassing,” Mariza said. “It was a bad day for the city of Hamilton. Now we have closure.”

Damien Marsh, 34, from Hamilton. (Facebook)

Mirza remembers getting an early morning call from the police chief to say one of the city's mosques had been damaged.
He drove at “100 km an hour” at 5:30 a.m. on Sept. 15 to rush to the Hamilton Mountain Mosque on Stone Church Road.
“The front was damaged,” Mirza said. “There were all kinds of police.”
The broken window at the front of the mosque soon paled to what was happening elsewhere in the city.
An officer told Mirza there was a major fire on Twenty Road. He figured out right way it was the Hindu Samaj Temple, and it was fully engulfed in flames.
“The whole front of the building had already burned by then. There were still flames coming out of the back,” he said. “It was ashes. There was nothing left. Just a few walls were standing. That was it.”
On Wednesday, when police announced the arrests and charges, the crowd of community and temple members applauded.
Kavanagh said none of the accused men were previously known to police.
The Hamilton men were charged in connection with both the fire at the temple and the broken window at the mosque.
DNA evidence and “technological advancements to law enforcement also helped lead police to the accused,” said De Caire.
Among their conditions imposed on them as a condition of release are a list of people they are not to communicate with. Marsh and Pollard will reappear in court Dec. 31. Ryan will be back Dec. 17.
Facebook shows the three men as Hamilton residents and Ticats fans, depicting them in smiling photos with family and friends. Pollard is listed as being a graduate of Humber College and Cardinal Newman, and working at Toyota, while his partner Victoria DiMarco is co-owner of a local cleaning service.
DiMarco wouldn't comment when reached by CBC Hamilton on Wednesday.
"I have nothing to say to you. Thank you," she said.
Investigators believe there are more people who have knowledge of the arson, and want them to contact Det. Dave Oleniuk at 905-546-3874.




Courtesy:cbc dot ca

Read More

Kanchi Sankaracharya Jayendra Saraswathi cleared of murder

Pondicherry: An Indian court on Wednesday acquitted a hugely popular Hindu seer of murdering a temple manager nine years ago in a case that stirred outrage among his millions of devotees.

Sessions Judge C.S. Murugan told the packed court in the southern city of Pondicherry that witnesses failed to support the case against the 78-year-old known as the "Hindu pontiff", the Press Trust of India reported.

The 2004 arrest of Jayendra Saraswathi, considered one of India's most revered Hindu leaders, at a monastery and seminary in the southern state of Tamil Nadu created huge anger among his followers who staged protests and fasts.

Saraswathi and his junior seer, Vijayendra Saraswathi, 44, had been accused of employing a hitmen to kill manager A. Sankararaman, who had earlier made claims of financial mismanagement against them.

Both seers were cleared of murder, while the court also acquitted 21 others charged in connection with the killing.

The 52-year-old manager, who had also previously worked as an accountant for the seer, was found dead from multiple stab wounds after being attacked in the temple that he managed.

Jayendra Saraswathi is head of the 2,500-year-old hugely wealthy Kanchi Kamakoti Mutt — Mutt means spiritual institution — the leading seat of Hinduism.

His followers consider him a divine incarnation.

The prosecution had accused him of carrying out a "heinous, calculated, well-designed and gruesome murder through rowdy elements on payment of money".

But defence lawyers said Jayendra Saraswathi, known as "the seer of Kanchi", had been framed.

During the trial nearly half of the 189 witnesses turned hostile, refusing to testify for the prosecution, while one of the accused was killed earlier this year. 

Courtesy: timesofoman dot com

Read More

Financial help for Hindu temples

SELANGOR government has decided to only award financial assistance to Hindu temples registered with the Malaysian Hindu Sangam.
In announcing the decision, Selangor executive councillor for poverty and estate affairs V. Ganabatirau said the Negri Sembilan, Perak and Malacca state governments had already implemented this.
“Hindu Sangam is the umbrella body to oversee the situation and work together with the temples.
“We have set up a committee to monitor the temples and Hindu Sangam will play an active role in it,” he said.
Malaysian Hindu Sangam president Datuk R.S. Mohan Shan said currently only 600 temples in the state were registered with the organisation.
Unofficial statistics, however, reveal some 2,500 temples in Selangor.
Both Ganabatirau and Mohan were at the 2013 Selangor Hindu Temples forum in Shah Alam, attended by some 400 temple committee members and Indian community leaders.
In his speech, Mohan said the temple should play a big role in recognising communities around the temple.
“Temple funds should be allocated for the teaching of human values and religious classes. The poor should be identified and help should be extended to them.
Hindu Sangam Selangor chairman K. Ganesh Babu Rao expressed disappointment over the absence of Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim.
“We want the government to look at the welfare of Hindu temples,” he added.
A hot topic discussed at the forum was land titles for temples in the state.
Many temple leaders stepped up to voice their concern over land issues and the sentiment was echoed by Ganesh.
He requested from Ganabatirau a list of all Hindu temple land that had been gazetted, for Hindu Sangam Selangor to keep tabs on the issue.

Courtesy:thestar dot com

Read More

Notice to Chief Secretary on PIL against Hindu succession Act

The Madras High Court Bench here on Monday ordered notice to the Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary on a public interest litigation petition seeking declaration of Section 29-A of the Tamil Nadu Hindu Succession (Amendment) Act, 1990, of the Hindu Succession Act, 1956, as null and void. The petitioner, R. Thangaraja, who runs the Mass Education and Action for Rural Development Society, an NGO in Virudhunagar district, said Section 29-A imposed a few restrictions on married daughters in inheriting properties. The amendment was in contravention to the Hindu Succession (Amendment) Act, 2005.

Mr. Thangaraja contended that the Hindu Succession (Amendment) Act, 2005, was enacted to remove discrimination between male and female heirs in inheriting properties. Section 29-A of the Tamil Nadu Hindu Succession (Amendment) Act was liable to be declared null and void because it was outdated, encouraged gender discrimination and ran in contravention to the Hindu Succession (Amendment) Act, 2005, he argued.

A Division Bench comprising Justices M. Jaichandren and S. Vaidyanathan admitted the case, ordered notice to the Chief Secretary and the secretaries of the Revenue and Law departments. The case has been adjourned by four weeks.

Courtesy:The Hindu dot com

Read More

Angola 'bans' Islam, Muslims, becomes first country to do so

According to several newspapers, the tiny African country of Angola has become the first country in the world to ban Islam and Muslims.

The Angolan Minister of Culture, Rosa Cruz e Silva was quoted by news agencies and Angola newspapers as saying, "The process of legalisation of Islam has not been approved by the Ministry of Justice and Human rights, their mosques would be closed until further notice."

As part of the ban, the Angolan government ordered the demolition of the mosques in the country.

According to Silva, the decision was the latest in a series of efforts to ban "illegal" religious sects in the country. Silva's statement was made during her appearance last week at the 6th Commission of the National Assembly.

According to the minister, the move was necessitated in order to fight the emergence of congregations whose worshipping is contradictory to the customs of Angola culture.

Not just Islam, many other faiths which have not been legalised will face closure of their houses of worship.

Silva further said, "All sects on the list published by the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights in the Angolan newspaper 'Jornal de Angola' are prohibited to conduct worship, so they should keep their doors closed," she was quoted by Cameroon Voice?.

"In addition, we also have a long list of more than a thousand legalization applications," she added.

Speaking about it, Angolan President Jose Eduardo dos Santos said, "This is the final end of Islamic influence in our country."

Courtesy:indiatoday dot intoday.in

Is The move right or wrong ? It can lead to social divide among people living in other parts of world whats your take?
The news is not related to hindus directly but indirectly it is since Hindus are minority in all the countries around the world except few countries

Read more at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/angola-first-country-to-ban-islam-muslims-mosques-demolished/1/326414.html

Read More

President of UK Hindu Forum Arjan Vekaria dies

Picture courtesy: sgadi dot com

Arjan Vekaria, President of Hindu Forum of Britain, has died, the organisation has said.
Vekaria died in India on November 23. He was 59 and was born in Kampala, Uganda.
He was expelled from the country in August 1972 by Idi Amin, the Ugandan dictator. He then went to India to continue studies until June 1974. He arrived in the UK the same year.
"It is with great sadness that we announce the news that our beloved Arjanbhai (Arjan Karsandas Vekaria) has left this world," the Forum said in a statement.
The funeral will take place at Madhapar, Bhuj, Gujarat tomorrow.
"The loss to the Hindu community in the UK and beyond is immense for he touched the hearts and minds of everyone he came into contact with."
"His tireless dedication towards community service was 'selfless seva' in its truest form and in this regard he was an inspiration to all," the statement said.

Courtesy:newindianexpress dot com

Read More

Christian Woman Jailed in Bali for Insulting Hindu Offerings

A Balinese woman carries an offering as she celebrates the religious festival of Galungan at a temple in Denpasar, on Indonesia’s tourist island of Bali on October 23, 2013. (AFP Photo)

A Christian woman residing in the Hindu-majority island of Bali was sentenced to 14-months in prison for calling Hindu offerings “dirty and disgusting,” the Supreme Court recently announced.

“The defendant Rusgiani, who is also known as Yohana, has been proven validly and convincingly guilty of purposefully and publicly expressing herself in a way to ignite conflict and defame a certain religion in Indonesia,” A.A. Ketut Anom Wirakanta said during the trial at the Denpasar District Court as written in the court ruling. “[The judges] have sentenced the defendant to one year and two months in prison.”

The ruling was published by the Supreme Court earlier this month, even though the ruling was delivered on May 14 in the Denpasar District Court. Rusgiani has been detained in Bali since January.
The punishment was lighter than the two years imprisonment demanded by prosecutors.
The incident occurred on Aug. 25, 2012. Rusgiani, a Christian who had only been living Bali for three months at the time, arrived at the house of Ni Nengah Suliati in Jimbaran to pray for Suliati’s mother-in-law, who was ill at the time.
As she left the house, Rusigiani reportedly saw Canang Sari laying in the street. The daily offerings — which generally include rice, flowers, bananas and betel leaf — are placed in the streets of Bali as a daily thank the Sang Hyang Widhi Wasa (the “All-In-One God”).
“God cannot enter this house because there is canang here,” Rusigiani said. “Canang is disgusting and dirty. My God is rich, He doesn’t need offerings.”
After receiving a report from Suliati, Bali police named her a suspect and charged her with Article 156 of the Criminal Code, which states that “a person who expresses feelings of hostility, hatred or contempt against one or more groups of the Indonesian population shall be punished with a maximum imprisonment of four years or a maximum fine of Rp 300 [$0.03].”
Neither side plans to file an appeal.
“The jail sentence is not for revenge or meant to torture [her], but it is a preventive, corrective, repressive and educative sentence to make the perpetrator realize what she has done and will not repeat it,” Anom said as he read out the ruling.
I Nyoman Kenak, head of Parisada Hindu Dharma Indonesia, said during the trial that Rusgiani’s statements could have insulted Hindu believers and encourage religious intolerance.
“The defendant’s deed has tainted Hinduism,” Kenak said.

Courtesy: thejakartaglobe dot com

Read More

Lack of funds causing Sanskrit's plight: Indologist

The deplorable state of Sanskrit learning in India has rendered inaccessible the knowledge that should otherwise be flourishing, said French-born Indologist Michel Danino, who is known for his works disproving the theory of Aryan invasion, here on Sunday. He was delivering the keynote address at the one-day national seminar on ‘Reflections of Swami Vivekananda on Sanskrit Language and Literature’ held in the city as part of Swami Vivekananda’s 150th birth anniversary year. “The lack of funding for Sanskrit learning, the paucity of students and scholars, have rendered much of the knowledge that should be flourishing today inaccessible,” Danino said.
“What we know of ancient Indian mathematics, astronomy and science is only the tip of the iceberg,” he said.
“One scholar has listed over 7,000 Sanskrit texts on these subjects in manuscript repositories in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Around 7 per cent of these only are estimated to have been published.”  Stating that the condition of Sanskrit education in the country was ‘dormant, if not completely moribund’, he said, “Had Swami Vivekananda been alive today, he would certainly have been shocked and angry at the pathetic condition of Sanskrit learning these days.”
“If we were to state numbers, there are only around 15 government sponsored learning institutions, not even one for every state,” he said. “In fact, Europe has more Indology departments with centres for Sanskrit which do more research than here in India.” The problem, Danino said, began at the school- level where Sanskrit learning is theoretically offered but not encouraged. “The explanation given is that it is ‘difficult to get marks’ and students take French or German instead,” he said.  “I am at a loss to understand why marks are more important than the fact that the students are not likely to gain fluency in the language since they end up learning by rote.” The govt, he said, is also to blame as its lack of interest with what is considered a “dead language” is leading Sanskrit departments in universities to go around with “begging bowls” which affects their output in terms of research and publications. “The number of students are low and countable on the fingers of our hands,” he said.  “In fact, if you go to any Indology dept in India, you come out in a state of depression,” he said. Bharatiya Vichara Kendra director P Parameswaran, who inaugurated the event, called for a revival in Sanskrit learning calling it the “language of culture and spirituality in India”. “Whenever Bharat flourished materially, it was because of the spiritual vitality of our people,” Parameswaran said. “Kerala too had witnessed a renaissance through Sree Narayana Guru and Chattambi Swamikal, both of whom were Sanskrit scholars.”

Read More

Vishwa Hindu Parishad protests against Pakistan singer Atif Aslam's Ahmedabad concert

Thirteen Vishwa Hindu Parishad activists, who staged a protest against Pakistani singer Atif Aslam's concert to be held on Saturday, were detained here today.
"They had not obtained permission for the demonstration. They were detained in the afternoon and were produced in a court before being released," a police officer said.
VHP's Jay Shah said the activists were protesting in a democratic manner, and demanded that the concert to be held at Sardar Patel Stadium be cancelled. "When Pakistan does not allow release of Indian films, why should we allow their singers to hold concerts in Gujarat?" Shah asked.
A Pakistani court yesterday imposed restrictions on the screening of Indian films in that country. Shah said VHP's protest would continue.

Courtesy:dnaindia dot com

Read More

1,600 sued over torching of Hindu locality in Barisal

November 19, 2013
At least 1,613 people were sued in two separate cases over the killing of a youth that led to an arson attack on a Hindu locality in Barisal sadar upazila on Friday.
A victim of the arson, Devranjan Haldar, lodged a case with Bandar Police Station early yesterday accusing 1,600 unidentified people for attack and torching houses.
On Thursday night, locals of Nomopara, a predominantly Hindu locality in Char Kawa village, and their neighbouring village Char Aicha clashed over a badminton game that left Parvez Gazi, 20, a college student of Char Aicha, dead and three others injured.
The following day, incensed villagers of Char Aicha torched at least 16 houses and two temples in the Hindu locality.
Selim Gazi, father of Parvez, on Sunday evening lodged a case with the metropolitan magistrate’s court against 13 people including nine named persons for murdering his son.
Accepting the case, the metropolitan magistrate, Rafiqul Islam, ordered the Bandar Police Station in-charge to register it as a regular murder case and take action as per law.
Meanwhile, some 30 panic-stricken minority family members yesterday visited local lawmaker Mojibor Rahman Sarwar, also BNP central organising secretary and city president, at his residence in Kawnia area of the city urging their safety and rehabilitation.
Most of the locals in affected areas fled their houses fearing persecution and fresh attack after police made several arrests in connection with the incidents, they told the lawmaker.
Their school and college going children and PSC, JSC candidates are the worst sufferers as they remained away from their houses and belongings including education materials, a victim said.
The lawmaker distributed Tk 5,000 and one sari to 24 affected females each, who visited his residence.
Officer-in-Charge (OC) Rezaul Islam of Barisal Bandar Police Station said police had already arrested four in connection with Parvez’s killing.
In addition, 21 people earlier arrested under Section 54 were shown arrested over the arson.
Leaders of different political parties, including BNP lawmaker Mojibor Rahman Sarwar and Hindu-Buddhist-Christian Oikya Parishad, and socio-cultural activists were trying to calm the situation, visiting the spot.
Barisal Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner (south) ATM Mujahidul Islam said they had opened a police camp in the locality assuring the locals of safety.
In protest of the arson in Nomopara, six cultural organisations formed a human chain in front of Chittagong Press Club yesterday. Leaders of the organisations demanded punishment for the perpetrators.
Chittagong Udichi coordinated the programme while Proma, Khelaghor, Bodhon, Samprodayekota Birodhi Tarun Udyog, and Mohila Parishad joined it.

Courtesy:thedailystar dot net

Read More

VHP, Bajrang Dal oppose anti-superstition Bill

November 18:

Expressing fear that the proposed anti-superstition Bill would endanger Hindu traditions, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal have said they would launch a series of protests and a legal struggle against the Bill.

A meeting of astrologers, temple administrators, and regional leaders of Hindu organisations held on Saturday on the demerits of the Karnataka Superstitious Practices Bill 2013, the draft of which was submitted by the National Law School of India University.

During the meeting, the astrologers defended their trade by citing ‘scientific principles’ behind their practice; temple administrators feared that certain traditions, including narrating tales of the miracles of gods and goddesses, would be prohibited; while others believed traditional dance forms of Yakshagana and Bharatanatyam would be banned.

Addressing reporters , VHP Karnataka Zone President M.B. Puranik, said the Bill was targeting the Hindu religion. “The Congress government has taken a few regressive practices of the religion, and exaggerated it. Not all aspects of belief are superstition. Temple administrators and astrologers should be taken into confidence before drafting this Bill,” he said. “There are a lot of legal problems with the Bill, and we will take it to the court.” 

Courtesy: the hindu dot come

Read More

Hindu locality burnt after a youth’s death

November 17, 2013:Govt probe says 15 houses gutted fully, seven partly; damage estimated at Tk 1cr; most Nomopara residents flee village; police deployed; meeting for amity held; some arson victims get money, tin sheets

It all started with a trivial matter on Thursday evening when youths gathered at the primary school premises in Nomopara, a predominantly Hindu locality in Char Kawa village, about six kilometres east of Barisal city, to play badminton in floodlights.
During the match, an altercation broke out between a Hindu youth from Nomopara and a Muslim from neighbouring Char Aicha. At one point, Pavel Das, Shohagh Das, Pijush and Dhiman all from Nomopara slapped the youths from Char Aicha, numbering about seven. Pavel and his followers then held two of the Muslim men.
The other youths from Char Aicha rang up their friends and sought their help. The moment reinforcement came from Char Aicha, the Hindu youths ran into their nearby homes and brought out sharp weapons and resisted the attackers.
Shortly afterwards, four men from Char Aicha–Parvez Gazi, 20, his brother Pavel Gazi, 18, cousin Jahirul Hawladar, 22, and another relative Shamim Reza, 22–lay profusely bleeding on the ground with grievous wounds. Later when they were taken to Barisal Medical College Hospital, doctors declared Parvez dead around 9:00pm. With teeth wounds, Jahirul was transferred to Dhaka Dental College Hospital.

It was one of more than a dozen Hindu houses, which were set afire on Friday morning by people from neighbouring Char Aicha village. Photo: Star

  The district administration immediately deployed eight armed policemen in Nomopara and set up a camp there. But on Friday morning, four of the policemen were withdrawn by Officer-in-Charge of Bandar Police Station Rezaul Islam, leaving the strength of the law enforcers at only four.
But things were boiling at Char Aicha. At around 9:00am Friday, a rumour was spread in Char Aicha about the death of Jahirul in Dhaka.
Over a thousand men from Char Aicha joined in to attack Nomopara at exactly 9:50am. As the four policemen watched helplessly, the men torched down whatever they found on their way.
“I could never imagine so many people would attack the village in such a manner,” said the OC, Rezaul Islam.
According to the probe report prepared by a three-member team with Additional Deputy Commissioner (education) of the district administration Abul Kalam Azad as head, 15 Hindu houses in Nomopara were gutted fully and seven partly, wrecking a damage of about Tk 1 crore.
Most of around 300 residents of Nomopara have gone into hiding fearing further attacks, said locals.
“I’m scared. I don’t know the whereabouts of my husband and two sons, who fled the house Thursday night,” said Purnima Haldar, 40, in tears, sitting by her razed house.
Police arrested five youths of Char Kawa village including Pijush. At Char Aicha village, 20 youths were held yesterday for the arson attack, said the OC.
A unit of 20 policemen was deployed in Nomopara.

A tin-roofed house in flames. Burnt Hindu idols in the temple in Nomopara. Photo: Star

  Last evening, a meeting of amity between the victims and people from Char Aicha was held in the affected locality in the presence of Barisal Deputy Commissioner (DC) Md Shahidul Alam and Divisional Commissioner Md Nurul Amin. The district administration gave some of the victims Tk 10,000 each and tin sheets to rebuild houses.

Read More