In a letter signed by 180 British Indian organisations from across the country this week, UK Prime Minister Liz Truss has been warned that tolerating intolerance was breaking Britain in the wake of violent clashes on the streets of Leicester and Birmingham and called for urgent action against hate crimes directed at the Hindu community.
The campaign led by Insight UK diaspora group is backed by the likes of City Hindus Network, Friends of India Society International (FISI) UK, East Midlands Hindu Samagam, Edinburgh Hindu Mandir & Cultural Centre and Global Hindu Federation Ltd, among several other organisations.
The letter reads: “The Hindu community is one of the most law-abiding, as evidenced by the imprisonment statistics.
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“Yet, today, we feel like a community that is under siege. As a last resort, we write to you to draw your attention to our plight, and the long-term consequences of what is unfolding.”
Appraising her of the violence in Leicester and the aggressive protests outside a temple in Birmingham, the letter also flags “vicious attempts” to harass the Hindu community in Nottingham and outside London’s iconic Sanatan Mandir in Wembley, north London.
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The appeal lays out six key actions that would go a long way in restoring trust and safety within the community:
to ensure that the police are actively investigating the most recent crimes against the Hindu community as set out in this letter
To declare and ensure financial support is provided for the victims of these riots, including businesses in Leicester that have been vandalised during the riots
To commission an independent investigation into anti-Hindu hatred and its causes, which will go a long way in raising awareness of this problem amongst the key institutions of our society
To recognise the threat of British homegrown extremism and how certain parts of Britain have become hubs of radicalisation
Help us fund training for teachers so that they are aware of and can identify and deal with anti-Hindu hatred in schools
To ensure that sufficient security is provided to the Hindu community both in the short-term and the long-term, including sufficient security during the celebration of Diwali around the UK.