‘Hindu is peace’: UK Indians protest biased Leicester clash reporting & hinduphobic op-eds
In an Op-ed titled ‘What is Hindu nationalism and how does it relate to trouble in Leicester?’, The Guardian associated Hindutva with “right-wing extremism”.
Protestors have gathered outside the office of the British newspaper The Guardian in London over its coverage of the communal clashes in Leicester, Birmingham and other cities. Dozens of protestors carried “Hindu Lives Matter”, “Stop spreading fake news”, “Hindu is peace” and “Stop putting lives at risk” posters.
In an Op-ed titled ‘What is Hindu nationalism and how does it relate to trouble in Leicester?’, The Guardian associated Hindutva with “right-wing extremism”. The report also blamed Hindus for instigating communal violence in Leicester.
Violence was reported in Leicester last week where organised gangs were seen vandalising and terrorising Hindus. The matter turned worst when a man targeted a Hindu temple and pulled down a flag outside the temple on Melton Road, Leicester. Videos also showed glass bottles being hurled and religious symbols being attacked. The cycle of violence was purportedly triggered on August August 28 after India defeated Pakistan in the Asia Cup T20 match.
After Leicester, communal clashes were also reported in Birmingham and Smethwick regions where protestors were seen climbing on the temple walls and chanting inane slogans. Several arrests have been made in connection with the happenings.
On Monday, Indian High Commission in the UK condemned the violence perpetrated against the Indian community and sought immediate action against those involved in the attacks.
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Fed up with all the negative press,’ says protestor
“The reason I’m here is that I’m absolutely fed up with all the negative press that has been saying about us Hindus. We have been crucified for the last 40 years. We have kept quiet. Now it’s time for us to wake up and show the world that we will not take it anymore. Stop damaging our temples,” one of the protestors said.
Another said, “we are here to show the world that we are the most peace-loving people…We don’t accept biased journalism. We are victims, not extremists.”
RSS ideologue Ratan Sharda said that Hindus are an influential community in the UK for a long time and are known for discipline, hard work and dedication. “The way they have responded to this (Op-ed). This must give some kind of sense to the biased leftist media supporting the Islamist violence that this is what Indians are. They will protest but at the same time maintain law and order nor will they turn violent.’
Political analyst Rajat Sethi said that the way events unfolded over the past few days is alarming for the Indian diaspora. “We are seeing that fundamentalists outside the country are trying to use their connections to speak into the editorial chambers of dominant papers to colour facts on the ground. I think there should be zero tolerance and no-nonsense approach to this,” he said.
BJP leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa said that the few media houses in the UK give different colour to the actual situation on the ground. “Everybody is aware of what happened there, everyone knows who did it. In spite of that, the way this newspaper has carried the news and blamed the Hindu community for the violence.”
