Dear Editor,
The pen is a very potent weapon to create awareness of situations and unfolding incidents. Hopefully awareness will galvanize people into nonviolent but effective action, which is much harder to accomplish. The threat against Hindus in Bangladesh has been festering even before that former Indian territory became a State separated from Pakistan in 1971. Since 1947 the Hindu population in East Pakistan began dwindling rapidly through aggressive intimidation, brutal conversion and migration. Exactly the same thing has been occuring in West Pakistan (now a diminished Pakistan) to the extent that substantial Hindu populations in those territories have been reduced to a trickle. The frightening thing about the rapidly changing situations in these two majority-muslim countries is that the decimation of Hindus is occurring as India, sandwiched between them, watches on helplessly or rather without a spine (excepting for the recent actions by the Indian Government to give asylum to those Hindus, Christians and Jews persecuted in the aforementioned countries).
It is a lesson for Hindus all over the world but more so for those in Guyana, where Hindus are shooting themselves in the foot. We are the only people who submit to conversion easily through a lack of pride in our own identity, and an absence of curiosity to examine the profundity of our shastras, and the energizing strength of our culture. All of that is attributable to the squabbling among Hindu organizations to gain political favor; a dearth of sincere, dedicated leaders; the unfortunate hesitancy of Hindu men to play a more committed role in propagating their Dharma, instead turning to “leisures” that result in the breakdown of family values, and the absence of proper role models; the quickness with which “entertainers” fill the void for self-aggrandizement; the lack of institutions outside the temple environment that could be used to plan and executive programs for the benefit of Hindus; and the shortage of support from the business community to aid the spreading of Hindu culture and education; These are just the tip of the iceberg of issues that need to be addressed.
Yours Truly,
RS