THE latest news reports of the ‘dacoits’ attacking a Hindu temple with rocket launchers(!) in Southern Sindh and authorities demolishing a 150-year-old Hindu temple in Karachi, both the places in Pakistan, comes as no surprise given the Islamic country’s continued encouragement to bigotry. In the past some years, this bigotry has become more pronounced with persecution of non-Muslims in Pakistan. It seems that despite being left with begging for aid from other countries and International bodies, Pakistan has continued the pursuit to self-destruction with roots in ideological hatred for non-Muslims. As has been common knowledge now, an overwhelming majority of temples of Hindus and places of worship of Sikhs, Sindhis and other non-Muslim communities at the time of the Partition do not exist today in Pakistan. The successive political leaders and military dictators of the Islamic country made it a point to keep the flame of particularly anti-Hindu bigotry alive for own gains. In the process, they not only subverted the democratic principles but also trampled the human rights of own citizens. Also, their such actions rooted deeply in anti-India hatred, have led their own country and population into deep morass as radicalisation dominates sanity there. There are ample records of the time available in public domain that speak of how mobocracy rules the roost in Pakistan’s provinces. Often, the mobs attack Hindus and even Sikhs.

 

A survey by All Pakistan Hindu Rights Movement a few years ago had highlighted that 408 of 428 temples inherited by Pakistan as shared common heritage at the time of the Partition were converted into restaurants, toy stores, and even Government offices. Following the survey, the Pakistan Government had assured to restore the temples and ask the occupants to vacate. However, barring a few instances, nothing much has been achieved on this count because of the opposition of the fanatical elements in polity. Leave alone restoration of temples of Hindu minority, Pakistani establishment has often failed in protecting the honour and dignity of the non-Muslims. There are several recorded cases of kidnapping of Hindu women and children, looting of Hindu property, several forms of discrimination, forcing the Hindus to keep a low-profile and put up with persecution. Despite mounting of propaganda, Pakistan cannot hide the ugly truth of how it has been engaged in erasing the identity of its minorities. It cannot escape the responsibility for instigating violence against the minorities.

 

Since the return of Taliban to power in Afghanistan, and Pakistani leaders banking upon it to further own goals, attacks on Sikhs in Pakistan have increased. Not long ago, there were back-to-back killings of Sikh persons. Christians, which constitute second-largest minority group in Pakistan, also have faced targeted killings, forced conversions, destruction of places of worship and graves. Had Pakistan been a real democracy, with honest commitment to protecting the rights and dignity of minorities, the picture could have been different. Positive action and open-minded approach could have seen the minority communities as participants in progress of Pakistan. Unfortunately, this is not the case. With each passing day, Pakistan appears to be getting more radicalised. Already, it has earned a bad name internationally as safe haven for jehadi terrorism. Poverty, misery, and lack of development are contributing more to its domestic problems and leading it to implosion. Sadly, official sanction to bigotry will play a major role in this implosion.