Bangladesh violence: ISKCON devotees hold protest in Bengaluru against attacks on Hindus

The devotees of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), Bengaluru on Saturday held a silent march as a mark of protest against killing the minorities in Bangladesh. According to the news agency, ANI, the peaceful march was started from the Hare Krishna Hill area of Bengaluru in which thousands of followers participated and staged their displeasure against the situation in  Dhaka.

Notably, this comes after a mob of at least 500 people attacked the ISKCON temple during the Durga Puja celebrations. Furthermore, attacks were carried out on Puja venues in Hajiganj on October 13 and, two days later, attacks on Hindu temples in Naokhali took the lives of two more people. 

Meanwhile, the protest in Karnataka's Bengaluru was a part of a worldwide protest organised by ISKCON at about 700 ISKCON temples across 150 nations on Saturday. The protesters also took placards reading 'Justice for Bangladesh minorities' and 'Protect our temples in Bangladesh'. However, they refrained from chanting any slogans against the Bangladesh violence.

"We express our pain and anguish on the unprovoked attacks on the ISKCON devotees, Hindus, and other minorities in Bangladesh. We unitedly stand in support and solidarity with them and pray for their safety and well-being," said Madhu Pandit Dasa, President, ISKCON Bangalore.

"We urge the Government of Bangladesh to immediately ensure the protection of the affected minorities and take steps to prevent such incidents in the future. We also request the Government of India to work with our neighbouring countries and protect the rights of minorities in the region," he said.

ISKCON devotees hold protest in Pune

In a similar protest, ISKCON devotees also staged a silent rally in Pune on Saturday. Many other organisations like Vishwa Hindu Parishad and RSS's Muslim Rashtriya Manch also joined the protest. Earlier on October 23, the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) penned a letter to the international bodies including, the UN and UNHRC, and demanded immediate action against those involved in the atrocities against the Hindu community in Bangladesh. In the letters, the head of international affairs of VHP, Swami Vigyananand urged to set up an international enquiry commission and send a fact-finding mission to Bangladesh at the earliest. Also, the organisation demanded the international bodies to pressurise the Bangladesh government to ensure security, justice and compensation to the victims.

US condemns Bangladesh violence

Earlier on Tuesday, VHP demanded a fact-finding team of Indian parliamentarians be sent to Bangladesh for a probe into the recent incidents of violence against Hindu minorities. Amid rising protests in India and Bangladesh, US Department of State spokesperson Ned Price, tweeted, “We condemn the recent violent attacks on Hindu temples and businesses in Bangladesh during the Durga Puja celebrations. Our thoughts are with the Hindu community as we urge authorities to investigate fully. Freedom of religion or belief is a human right.”

With inputs from ANI

Image: ANI