Response to ill-conceived, ill-timedHearingsin US Congress on “The Plight of Religious Minorities in India”

April 7, 2014(NOTE: This letter was sent to the Commission on April 7, 2014.)

TO: Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission

“In 3000 years of our history people from all over the world have come and invaded us, captured our lands, conquered our minds. From Alexander onwards the Greeks, the Turks, the Moguls, the Portuguese, the British, the French, the Dutch, all of them came and looted us, took over what was ours. Yet we have not done this to any other nation. We have not conquered anyone. We have not grabbed their land, their culture and their history and tried to enforce our way of life on them. Why? Because, we respect the freedom of others. That is why my FIRST VISION is that of FREEDOM.” Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalama, Former President of India.Since “the mission of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission is to promote, defend and advocate internationally recognized human rights norms in a nonpartisan manner, both within and outside of Congress,” members of Global Hindu Heritage Foundation across the globe were surprised, shocked and saddened to read LTHRC held hearings in the UNITED States on April 4, 2014 in the Rayburn Building “on the rights and freedom of religious minorities in India,” under the title “The Plights of Religious Minorities in India.”

Global Hindu Heritage Foundation (GHHF) would like to express its dissatisfaction and disappointment for conducting the hearings in the manner, which theywere held for the following reasons:

    As Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, the first ever Hindu member of the House of Representatives, said, “I fear that the goal of this hearing is to ultimately influence the outcome of this election,” and this could undermine the shared interest between the U.S. and India. Some of the members of LTHRC are more interested in influencing the public opinion in India since it was conducted only few days before the elections were to begin.
    The fact that they had conducted hearings on the eve of elections in India, it appears that the Commission was politically influenced by the so-called minorities such as Muslims and Christians along with liberals. They shed the image of impartial, balanced and open discussion on the issues.
    Since the mission of the Commission is concerned about the human rights issues, why is it concerned with only religious minorities? Have they defined human rights issues to mean only religious minority issue?
    Do they know that minorities in India have more rights, more privileges and more incentives than Hindu majority? Hindus are sacrificial lambs in the government, which openly supports the minorities over the majority Hindus. The commission has blatantly ignored the plight of Hindus in the hands of Christians and Muslims who engage in deceptive, fraudulent and alluring conversion tactics and terrorist activities day in and day out.
    It appears that the commission has become pawns in the hands of minorities who muddied the minds of the committee members intothinking that Narendra Modi, if elected as Prime Minister, will be a threat for their fraudulent and terrorist activities.

REQUEST HEARINGSWe request the TLHRC to hold hearings on the government policies in India that were pampering the minorities and plundering the Hindu majority, delighting the religious minorities while dampening the Hindu majority, favoring the religious minorities while disfavoring the Hindu majority, granting special privileges to the minorities while usurping the rights of Hindus, allowing total freedom for minorities to manage their religious institutions while denying the Hindus to manage their Hindu Temples, sending thousands of minorities to Mecca and Vatican by using the government treasury and denying the same privileges to Hindu majority, and granting government funds to build minority religious institution while depleting the Hindu Temple money and lands.

Since the mission of TLHRC is to promote and advocate human rights, it would have beenmore appropriate to hold hearing on THE PLIGHT OF HINDU MAJORITY, the vicious effect of “Secularism” on majority Hindus and how it slanted to benefit the minorities, mainly Christians and Muslims.  In 1976, the Constitution declared India to be a sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic republic, assuring its citizens justice, equality, and liberty, and endeavors to promote fraternity among them. Secularism has come to mean anti-Hinduism, pro-Muslim and Pro-Christian. They have used secularism to deny the Hindus the freedom, justice and liberty, control their educational and religious institutions, tamper with the meritocracy of the citizens, and fill the rank and file position with unqualified minorities. Every conceivable policy is devised to direct against Hindus and Hinduism.

What the Religious, Political and Dignitaries said about Hindu Tolerance

For centuries Hindu have welcomed by almost all the religions with open hands, respected them and allowed them to practice their religion.Jewish people openly declared that India is the only country that has not discriminated. Like wise Parsees, the descendants of Zoroastrians, were thrown out from their homeland, Persia, to be welcomed by India. Jains, Sikhs, Buddhists, and many others religions lived peacefully. Hindus have no history of killing, raping, rampaging, terrorizing, decimating and destroying other religions and annihilating the civilizations.  It is worth remembering the former Presidents words we quoted earlier.

In fact, on December 1, 2011 Sri Dalai Lama proudly announced that “I consider myself as a son of India” and carried the message of ahimsa across the globe and says that the country’s spiritual leaders should promote love and harmony in India and outside. Further he observed “that India has so many languages and dialects, yet remains strongly united because there is the freedom of speech and rule of law.”

Jewish people lived in peace without any discrimination for more than 2000 years.Gary Weiss observed that in India the ethnic diversity “is a historical fact. Much as we in the West may resent it, India has a lot to teach us when it comes to religious tolerance.

To my mind, the best example of that can be found in the remarkable story of a tiny minority–India’s Jewish community. India may be the only country in the world that has been free of anti-Semitic prejudice throughout its history.

That’s really a bit astonishing, if not ridiculous, when you think about it. Compare that with any Western nation, be it France or Russia or even the U.S., where discrimination against Jews in housing was a fact of life as recently as the 1950s. But in “backward” India, from the beginning, the Jewish communities have not only been free of discrimination but have dominated the commercial life of every place where they have settled–something that has fed traditional European anti-Semitism.

Why has India remained free of this scourge? Various reasons have been advanced for that–such as, the Hindu religion does not seek to convert those from other faiths. What we do know is that anti-Semitism seems alien to the Indian character.”

Shah Rukh Khan, the Muslim movie actor said, “that we in India are extremely safe and happy. We have an amazing democratic, free and secular way of life. In the environs that we live here in my country India, we have no safety issues regarding life or material. As a matter of fact it is irksome for me to clarify this non-existent issue.”

Chief Justice of India, S H Kapadia, observed, “I am proud to be an Indian.India is the only country where a member of the minority Parsi community with a population of 167,000, like myself, can aspire to attain the post of the Chief Justice of India. These things do not happen in our neighboring countries.”

2002 Gujarat Riots

For political motives, a select group of Muslims keep harping on Gujarat riots in 2002 blaming Narendra Modi for failing to contain the riots following the torturous deaths of Hindu pilgrims caused by Islamic terrorists. As much reputation as US Congress has in investigating the subject that comes before the Commission, it is disheartening to know that the Gujarat riots were brought up as an issue to be heard.  Would the Commission pay heed to the people who have vested interest in rattling the issue forever or pay due respect for the Supreme Court of India?

Please look at the facts/statements:

    A Supreme Court-appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT) said on February 9, 2012, that it has no evidence that Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi had any role in the 2002 deadly religious riots in the western Indian state, a local court reviewing the report said.
    “No evidence has been found against any of the 62 accused as per the SIT report,” as said by the City Magistrate, M.S. Bhatt, on local television news channels.
    SIT examined five different speeches given by Mr. Modi and concluded by saying that it established his commitment to punish the guilty and uphold the law.
    After discussing a number of events, the SIT concluded: “In the light of the afore mentioned discussion, the interpretation made on alleged illegal instructions … appear to be without any basis,” because, “everywhere the genesis and intention was one and the same, i.e., to punish the culprits responsible for the Godhra incident in an exemplary manner, so that such incidents did not recur ever again.”

            The Commission should have decided to be on the side of Supreme Court that has investigated the Gujarati riots rather than people who have vested interest in maligning Modi for political and religious jealous motives.Christian and Muslim Agenda – Destabilize India through CONVERSION

Of so many minority religions, why do only Christians and Muslims keep complaining and talk about the plight of religious minorities? Both believe in conversion.  These two religions profess to be exclusive while rest of the religions are inclusive. If you do not belong to one of these two religions, you will be a sinner or kefir and condemned to eternal hell. It is a big business and with so much support from their religious countries. Christians and Muslims want to destroy the only remaining ancient civilization, which is Hindu religion. Convert and destroy at any cost and with any means is their goal.

Deception, Deception and more Deception

In order to convert the innocent, uneducated people into Christianity, Christian leaders would go to any length to use merciless methods, deceive as many people as possible, kill any number of people, lure any way they can, entice people with money, sex, jobs, and education, dress like sadhus to trick people, destroy the Hindu icons, tear down the Hindu Temples, demean Hindu Gods, hack Hindu leaders to death, grab lands from the gullible innocent people, pretend to be Hindus while practicing Christianity, go to Hindu Temples with Bindi on their forehead only to use Temple money to support Christian activities, do Arthi to the Mary and Jesus idols, change the names to appear as Hindu saints, recite Sahasranama (thousand names) in Sanskrit to Jesus, build churches over the illegally occupied Temple lands, annihilate civilizations,  devastate the ecosystem, fabricate Hindu scriptures and the list goes on.

Pope John Paul II came to India on November 8, 1999, and told his faithful (sheep), ignoring the sentiments of the vast majority of Hindus, as follows: “The first millennium saw the Cross planted in the soil of Europe and the second in America and Africa. May the third millennium witness a great harvest of faith on this vast and vital continent”. It is abundantly clear that the Christians are targeting India and doing the utmost damage to undermine the Hindu Temples and Hindu fabric.

Terror, Terror and more Terror

Similarly, Muslims have vowed to break up India through terror and infiltration into three countries – Mughalisthan, Dalitisthan and Dravidisthan. They are working relentlessly to complete what they call “unfinished business” of converting India into Islamic States. Muslims are inflicting untold misery, terror, and killings on Indian soil to go to paradise as promised in the Quran to enjoy waiting sensate objects.

It is worth remembering the agony of Robert D. Blackwill, the former US Ambassador to India. Before he came to India, he kept a count of deaths that Muslims were causing in Kashmir. “India’s death toll from terrorism mounted as the snow fell and melted in Cambridge … Innocent human beings murdered as a systemic instrument of twisted political purpose. Terror against India that rose and fell with the seasons, year after year after year… All snuffed out by the killing hand of terror. On September 11 in America. Nearly every day in India….No respectable religion could excuse these merciless acts. No moral framework could sanction these abominations. No political cause could justify these murders of innocents. And yet, they go on.”

Why Minorities are given first Priority?   

Prime Minister’s assertion is more than excessive secularism when he said:”We will have to devise innovative plans to ensure that minorities, particularly the Muslim minority, are empowered to share equitably the fruits of development. These must have the first claim on resources.” This statement denotesdivisiveness, deception, communalism, and sectarianism, undemocratic, unethical, partisan and discriminatory practices. Poverty, sickness, economic needs do not discriminate based on caste, creed and religion. The most deprived in society irrespective of religion should benefit from the governmental policies. Benefits should be provided to individuals based on economic needs instead of religion.

Secular means a Hindu is Perpetually criminal

The proposed Communal Violence Bill is so hateful toward Hindus that any time atrocitiesare committed in India; the perpetrator is always a Hindu. In order to stay in power, the secular government perpetuates the vote bank politics.  If this Bill becomes an ACT, it will be an assault on the very foundation of liberty and justice for Hindus by legitimizing the criminal misdeeds of the minorities.  In the guise of protecting minorities, it condemns, denounces and attacks Hindu rights.What nearly ten centuries of foreign rule could not do to dismantle the Hindu edifice, the deadly combination of Atrocities Act and Communal Violence Act will wipe out last vestiges of Hindu morals, ethics, and culture which all foreign travelers, scholars and philosophers so eloquently glorified.

Secular means drive away Kashmiri Pandits; make them homeless

Article 370 has been the center of controversy for decades. During the Independence time, it was passed on temporary basis by giving ‘special status’ to Jammu & Kashmir.  It was never meant to be permanent.  The powers of the state were supposed to be transferred to the Union subjected to the modifications and expectations of the state. All the interested Muslims moved to Pakistan while the rest who remained in India were supposed to abide by the Indian Constitution.  The first step toward secularism should be to repeal Article 370.

The Muslim leaders argue that “special status” provision was given to maintain the State’s Muslim majority character and should continue to remain the same. This argument resulted in ethnic cleansing.  Jammu and Kashmir has become a country within a country. Central government totally failed in incorporating the state into the country by not repealing the Article 370. The Muslim terrorists, backed and trained by Pakistan, have engaged in molestation, kidnapping, gang rapes, murder, arson, extortion, looting and conversion to create fear and subjugation. They did not even spare the government officials, political leaders, members of judiciary, and media persons.  Prominent citizens have been threatened, attacked and killed. Majority of Hindu Temples were attacked, stoned, bombed or burned by Muslim terrorists in Kashmir. Numerous public build
ngs and private properties were destroyed. More than 600 secular state schools were destroyed. Nearly 500,000 Hindus had to flee their homes in the valley and live in tents as refugees in other parts of their own state and country. The secular government has not addressed the issue and never helped the displaced Hindus to return to their homeland. No Hindu is allowed to own property in Kashmir; they operate Kashmir as if it is a separate country.

Has the Prime Minister and his Secular Party ever did anything to curb the terrorism, prevent the destruction, bring the culprits to justice, shelter the Kashmiri Pandits and take any action against Pakistan which trains and sends the terrorists to Kashmir to create instability?  Secularism for them means protection of terrorists and deny the rights, freedom and justice to Hindus.

Secular means NO Action against Terror Training Camps.

The most shameful, humiliating and ignominious jihadi attack on India was the Mumbai Massacre on November 28, 2008. Hundreds of people were killed as the nation stood still for three days with the disgraceful hateful terrorist attack by a group of Muslims who came from Pakistan. The government totally shirked it’s responsibility to find the source of this terror attack and take befitting action against terror camps in Pakistan.  In attempts to appease the Muslims and guard their block of votes, the government is sacrificing the country.

On August 21, 2013 the US government even identified the Ganj Madrassa in Peshawar as the training ground for these attacks in Bombay. Would Indian Secular government take any action to prevent further bloodshed? Failure to take appropriate action against the terror camps that are exported to India encourages Pakistan to train more terrorists to cross the Indian border to attack more frequently to make Indian government kneel down before them.

Would the government appoint a HINDU to Wakf Board?

Minorities are being appointed to make major decisions about Hindu festivals. For example UP state Minister Mr. Azaam Khan was appointed Chairman of the Maha KumbhaMela committee by the Chief Minister to appease the Muslims. Would anybody imagine a non-Muslim ever to be appointed to head the Haj committee or be vested with the major responsibility of organizing the periodic Urs, attended by thousands of Muslims from India and other countries? One of the Chief Ministers of Andhra Pradesh diverted money to other religious institutions, appointed Christian as a Principal of a Hindu College, diverted funds to conduct sports events in his father’s name. Did any Hindu politician complain?

Secular means Insulting National Flag and National Anthem

How many Muslims salute the Indian flag and sing the national anthem? Do you know how many Indian Muslims attend the Independence day celebration and the Republic Day celebration and salute the Indian National Flag while singing our National Song “Jana Gana Mana…?” This is the gratitude they show for all the special favors accorded by the secular government. They have no loyalty to India. They are here in India only to enjoy the fruits and fulfill their dream of converting India into a Muslim country.

Secular means No Action against people who issue Fatwas?

The Muslims who issue Fatwas against Hindu Deities and Hindus are never prosecuted and brought to justice, thereby encouraging them to repeat their activities with more blasts and multiple bombs, killing thousands of people.  They have even issued Fatwa against National song, yoga, Bhagavad Gita, Surya Namaskar, etc.  The Indian Mujahedeen had circulated an email on July 8, 2008, in which they unequivocally threatened the Hindus thus:

“(O Disbelievers). We are guiltless of you and whatever worship beside Allah, we have rejected you and there has arisen between us and you, enmity and hatred for ever – unless you believe in Allah and Him alone”  (Quran 60.4). After quoting verse from Quran the e-mail commanded the Hindus to convert to Islam in English in the following words:

“O Hindus! O’ disbelieving faithless Indians! Haven’t you still realized that the falsehood of your 33 crore dirty mud idols and the blasphemy of your deaf, dumb, mute and naked idols of Ram, Krishna and Hanuman are not at all going to save your neck, Insha-Allah, from being slaughtered by our hands”.

What action the government has taken against the IM who issued this Fatwa? Nothing. By not taking action against terrorists, Muslims who make hate speeches, Muslims who attack Hindus and Hindu Temples and stop the Temple activities, the central government is encouraging Muslims to openly express their hatred toward Hindu.

Secularism means Pamper Minorities; Few more Examples

If India is secular nation, why do minorities get the right to establish and administer educational institutions of their choice? Minority educational institutions can prescribe religious courses and appoint or dismiss a teacher/faculty member according to their whims, but rules and regulations are in force for the Hindu majority religious educational bodies. The various interpretations of the Supreme Court on Articles 29 and 30 have ensured such unholy scenarios.

If India is a Secular nation, why is it that a number of state governments have granted funds for minority educational institutions? Why did the Government of India and state governments provide funds for modernization of madrassas and Aligarh Muslim University?

If India is a secular nation, why don’t we have uniform civil code? Why do we have a separate code for Muslims, Christians and another one for the rest?

If India is a secular nation, why would the Central and state governments establish as much as 27 percent reservations for minorities in educational institutions and employment at the government level?

Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment Act denies the Hindu human rights

If India is a secular nation, why did the central government and state governments pass the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment Act to take over and control only Hindu Temples? This Act had bestowed several powers on the governments such as auditing temple funds, appointing archakas (priests), constituting a committee to monitor temple affairs, creation of a common pool fund, regulation of investment of funds and use of surplus funds. All appointments, property, finances, renovations, pujas etc. are monitored and controlled.

If India is a secular nation, why would the Indian government take over prominent Hindu Temples in North India through the passage of Specific Shrine Act? All well known Hindu temples including those at Puri, Kashi, Mathura, Ayodhya, Badrinath, Kedarnath, Vaishno Devi, Mumbai (Shree Siddhi Vinayak Temple), Shirdi, Amarnath, Puri Jagannath, Kamakhya Devi Temple are under government’s control.

If India is a secular nation, why would the state governments take over only Hindu Temples in the following states?  Is it for mismanagement and misuse of Temple Funds?

Andhra Pradesh: More than 32, 000 temples are under government control misusing and abusing the assets of Hindu Temples. As much as 25 percent of the Temple money is paid to the state government.  Many Raj Gopurams collapsed due to total negligence on the part of state government. Nearly 500-year-old Sri Kalahasti Rajagopuram was allowed to collapse.

Karnataka: Over a ten-year period nearly 75 percent of Hindu Temples’ money was transferred to Churches and Mosques resulting in the closure of 5000 Hindu temples per year.

Kerala: Guruvayur Temple money was used for government projects denying the renovations of the existing Temples; Ayyappa Temple money is taken over by the state government without providing adequate facilities for the pilgrims; thousands of Hindu Temple lands were taken over by the government without paying any compensation.

Tamil Nadu: More than 38,000 Temples were under government control; nearly 79 percent of the Temples were in shambles; Temples received only 25 percent income generated from Temple lands and shops; blasted historical ancient paintings of some Temples; and statues Hindu haters were installed in front of the most sacred Temples insulting Hindu sentiments.

The list of abuses to the word ‘secular’ by the government is too broad and extensive to list. The above few examples are sufficient to give the readers the extent of government’s abuse of the word ‘secular. ‘

Let us remember what Sri K M Munshi said in the early 60s: If, however, the misuse of the term `secularism’ continues… if every time there is an inter-community conflict, the majority is blamed regardless of the merits of the question, the springs of traditional tolerance will dry up… While the majority exercises patience and tolerance, the minorities should adjust themselves to the majority. Otherwise the future is uncertain and an explosion cannot be avoided.”

            GHHF requests the commission to hold hearings on the Plight of Hindus in India since it’s mission is to promote, defend and advocate human rights in India that includes all the religions, not just Christians and Muslims. By doing so, it will reestablish it’s credibility that was lost during these hearings on April 4, 2014.

            Has the Commission ever thought that there is no Hindu country, while you have about 58 Islamic Countries for Muslims, Israel for Jews and numerous Christian countries?  

            GHHF would be happy to participate in any of the hearings dealing with human rights in India whether it is on religious minorities or majority Hindus. It is better to have experts, academicians or experiencedpeople to speak on the pros and cons of the issue since the Commission in interested in a balanced viewpoints.

            We would appreciate your positive response. We will also be happy to furnish any relevant information regarding the proposed hearing topic,  “The Plight of Hindus in India.”  Hope to hear at the earliest.

Sincerely
Prakasarao V Velagapudi, PhD
President, GHHF
Phone: 601-918-7111
email: [email protected]
Website: savetemples.org