This is Britain, NOT Bangladesh

For many years, the Sanaton Association (a group that promotes Bengali and Hindu culture in East London) has organized Durga Pujas at the Toynbee Hall in Aldgate.

The Durga Puja is a joyous festival celebrated during the Navratri period by Bengali Hindu communities in India, Bangladesh and the rest of the world.

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Unfortunately this year the peaceful celebrations were disrupted twice, by Muslim youths, who attacked an elderly devotee on one occasion and then tried to smash the Murti of Mother Durga as it was being led out at the end of the festival. The elderly people present there were frightened and some of the children were in tears as they witnessed this harassment, whilst the younger worshippers confronted the attackers and a fight broke out between them, which only dissipated when the police arrived.

The aggressors shouted that the area was “their patch” and that they would “not have Hindus worshipping their gods” there. Yet, in the UK, there are no such things as “Muslim areas” or any other exclusive ghettos for that matter. Algate and Whitechapel happen to have a striving BANGLADESHI community, and that means both Hindus and Muslims.

This incident is not the first, as a few years ago a very similar incident occurred, when attackers attempted tried to break into the hall at night, wanting to destroy the Murties of the deities. Attacks such as these are commonplace in Bangladesh where temples and puja pandals are routinely destroyed, Hindus harassed and intimidated into not performing their joyous Durga Puja at all.

But in Britain, a land of religious freedom and respect for diverse cultures, one would think that this would be a place where Hindu Bengalis would be able to practice their religion free from harassment. But the same religious bigots yet again show their intolerant nature and insist on carrying on the same intimidations on UK soil as well.

We can only hope that the police investigations will find the culprits and that they will be appropriately punished in a court of law for their abhorrent and intolerant behavior.

Fra Hindu Voice UK

Limewoody

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