Hindu protestors reach Katas Raj Temple

Around three thousand people of the Hindu community reached Katas Raj Temple in Chakwal on board 94 busses to perform religious rituals on Saturday.

They had come from all over the country, particularly Sindh, to stage a sit-in outside the Indian High Commission in Islamabad against the alleged murder of 11 members of a Hindu family from Pakistan in India last month.

After registering their protest, the members of the Hindu community grabbed the chance to visit one of the most reverd sites of Hinduism, the Katas Raj Temple in Chakwal. The temples' pond is said in the Puranas, Hindu sacred book, to have been created from the teardrops of Shiva, after he wandered the Earth inconsolable after the death of his wife Sati

Pakistan Hindu Council Chairman Dr Ramesh Kumar led the convoy of around 100 vehicles. Rescue 1122, fire brigade, and ambulances plied with the motorcade in case of a mishap. The local and international media were stopped from coverage due to security threats.

The Hindu protesters were received by the Chakwal Deputy Commissioner (DC) Bilal Bin Hashim, District Police Officer Muhammad Bin Ashraf and other district officials. Katas Raj Temple was cordoned off by the security personnel even before the convoy arrived in the city.

Evacuee Trust Property Board had made accommodation and food arrangements for the visitors who had come from across the country.

The locals took selfies with Dr Kumar and chanted slogans in favour of Pakistan.

After performing rituals, the worshippers left for their respective destinations.

Interfaith Harmony

Further, the meeting of the National Commission for Inter-Faith Dialogue was held at Lahore Cathedral Church.

The participants condemned the killings of Pakistani Hindus in India and demanded New Delhi provide post-mortem reports.

Pakistani Roman Catholic Archbishop Sebastian Francis Shaw expressed grief over the mysterious killings of Pakistani Hindus in India.

He said that persuading Pakistani citizens for espionage and killing them on refusal had unveiled India’s vicious face before the world.

The participants said that the Pakistani High Commission must be given access to probe the incident. They also called for the United Nations (UN) to take notice of the brutality, expressing dismay on the silence of the International community.

The participants said that they would stage protests on the Pak-Indo border with white peace flags if they were not served justice.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 27^th, 2020.