Anti-Hindu hate continues in Britain but when will it be recognised and acted on? – This is the overriding question at the heart of a new report released by the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for British Hindus recently.
The event, in a packed Committee Room at the Palace of Westminster in London, was attended by members of the British Hindu community, interfaith community leaders, several parliamentarians and members of the House of Lords.
Bob Blackman, Conservative MP and Chair of the APPG for British Hindus, even raised the issue in Parliament in the context of Holi.
He said: “The shocking rise in antisemitism and anti-Muslims hatred has been well publicised but what has not been well publicised is the anti-Hindu hatred occurring on our campuses and across our country.
“The all-party group, which I have the honour of chairing, on British Hindus, has recently published a report on that hatred, and clearly action is required all round.”
The report and its case studies highlight that the Hindu voice was misunderstood, ignored or, worse, distorted by media, policymakers and British institutions in various ways. At the event, academics, experts and community members spoke passionately about what this meant on an individual and collective level for British Hindus and how British values will be judged globally to the detriment of the UK generally.
Prerna Bhardwaj on the panel of experts commented: “As a Hindu whose religion is based on peace, harmony and viewing the world as one family, it is disheartening to see the increase in abuse that Hindus and Hindu places of worship here in the UK face.
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“It is a welcome move to define, educate and put on equal footing any legislation that exists for other faiths. Parliamentarians and policy makers should not delay on how they can implement the recommendations irrespective of if they wish to express it as ‘Hindu hate/Hinduphobia/anti-Hindu hatred’. Ultimately, without understanding the Hindu voice, the problem has grown in Britain and reflects today in both direct and indirect examples of discrimination that continue to be ignored by the media, policymakers and British institutions.
“We must work together to tackle this and make the UK not only a safe place for Hindus to live and worship, but a place where they are not denying their identity or affiliation to Indian cultural heritage.”
Dr Rishi Handa noted that Hindus naturally align with British values, and exhibit model conduct in the UK, leading to their issues being overlooked.
He said: “Furthermore, the way Hinduism is taught in schools often fosters ridicule and contempt, perpetuating anti-Hindu sentiment. As a result of their calm demeanour in responding to all this, Hindus are misconstrued as weak, yet their standing against mistreatment labels them as extremists.
“This dichotomy hampers their grievances being addressed. The Hindu stance is a defensive (rather than an offensive) one, and stems from preserving Hindu culture, not with any motives of aggressive proselytisation as with communities driven to convert others. Addressing these issues requires listening to Hindu concerns and understanding their perspective.”
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Charlotte Littlewood who worked on a recent report on Hindu hate in schools added: “Recent reports on anti-Hindu hate in the UK have shown a deplorable lack of understanding of the phenomenon leaving victims feeling alienated and without redress. Since the publication of the first report into anti-Hindu hate in UK schools last year, nothing has been implemented, from ensuring teachers are trained to updating school bullying policies.
“What the proposed definition allows for is the first step into being able to ensure greater awareness and progress towards tackling this under-recognised yet deeply damaging bigotry.”
