Rising ‘Hinduphobia’ in the US Raises Fears Among Hindus Globally
Indian foreign minister S Jaishankar has expressed concerns about “extremists and separatist forces” getting space in other countries, while commenting on the vandalising of a Hindu temple in the US.
SputnikHindu groups across the world have expressed grave concerns about rising ‘Hinduphobia’ in the US and other countries such as Canada, United Kingdom (UK) and Australia, a day after a Hindu temple in California was defaced with anti-India graffiti by pro-Khalistan radicals.
In a statement on Saturday, Washington-headquartered Hindu American Foundation (HAF) said that the mention of Khalistan terrorist “kingpin” Jarnail Singh Bhindrawale in the graffiti sprayed on Shri Swaminarayan Temple was “specifically meant to traumatise temple-goers and create a fear of violence.”
The Coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA), a grassroots advocacy group in the US and Canada, has also condemned the “targeted attack” on the
Shri Swaminarayan Temple.
“We are sad but not shocked—authorities, media and other groups have regularly downplayed or ignored the growing Hinduphobia in the region. For context, this is the same district where in August 2022, a Hindu man was assaulted in a Fremont Taco Bell and, so far, no action has been taken,” the group stated, a reference to an incident when an India-origin man was targeted by a pro-Khalistan activist.
In the United Kingdom (UK), another Hindu group Insights UK, said in a statement on Sunday that an attack on a Hindu temple represented an attack on the entire Hindu community.
“The past few years in particular have witnessed the same modus operandi in Australia, Canada and the UK with Hindu temples being attacked and vandalised by Khalistani extremists and Islamists,” the UK group said, noting a spate of attacks against Hindu temples in all the three nations.
It also referred to the threat by designated terrorist
Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, who this year
threatened Hindus in Canada to leave the country.
Pannun’s threat was made days after Canadian Prime Minister
Justin Trudeau linked Indian government “agents” to the killing of another designated pro-Khalistan terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, shot down by unidentified men in June.
“A Hindu temple was attacked by an Islamist mob in Leicester, UK on the 17th of September 2022. These incidents highlight a deeper pattern of anti-Hindu hate. Such incidents make law-abiding Hindus feel unsafe and under attack,” Insights UK expressed concern.
It also sought answers from the governments of US, UK and Canada as to what had been done to bring perpetrators of these anti-Hindu attacks to justice.
Meanwhile, India’s top Hindu group Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) has demanded a "quick investigation and prompt action against the vandals and terror supporters".
"Terrorism or promotion of terrorism of any kind can’t be tolerated in the garb of freedom of expression. Such anti-India activities in other countries should be stopped immediately," VHP spokesperson Vinod Bansal told Sputnik India.
The US Department of Justice (DoJ) last month unsealed an indictment alleging that US agents had foiled an assassination plot against Pannun which had been orchestrated by an Indian citizen at directions from an Indian official.
New Delhi has formed a “high-level” probe to look into the incident.
How has the US Responded to the Vandalism of California Temple?
The City of Newark Police Department in California has said that the incident was being investigated as a “possible hate crime”.
The State Department’s Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs (SCA), while condemning the incident, has welcomed efforts by police to hold the vandals accountable.
Prominent American-Indian Congressmen have slammed the vandalism of the Hindu temple in California.
Ro Khanna, the Democrat lawmaker in whose constituency the incident happened, has condemned the incident and called for accountability to be fixed into the matter.
Raja Krishnamoorthy, another Democrat lawmaker, has called for unity against “bigotry in all its ugly forms”.
Congressman Shree Thanedar, a founder of Congressional Caucus for Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs and Jains, has also backed calls for “swift action”.
“This desecration, marked by anti-India graffiti, strikes at the very essence of our diverse and inclusive society. I denounce such attacks of intolerance and call for a thorough investigation into this heinous crime,” he said.
However, there is growing scepticism in India about the Biden administration and US authorities’ efforts in investigating the anti-Hindu hate incident.
Brahma Chellaney, a prominent Indian strategic affairs expert, expressed concerns about growing “Sikh militancy” in Canada and California.
In a social media post, Chellaney said that the rising Khalistan fundamentalism has been fuelled by authorities’ “inaction” against those glorifying violence.
“Months after two separate attacks on the Indian consulate in San Francisco, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has made no arrests and is still investigating. Inaction is inviting more attacks, like the latest vandalism of a Hindu shrine in California,” the Indian expert stated.
According to estimates, there are over 4 million Indian-Americans in the US, constituting around 1.3 percent of the population.