The LIC is deeply concerned about the tensions we are seeing in Leicester against the Muslim community.
Since coming to power in 2014, the fascist BJP party and its leader, Modi have been responsible for whipping up hysteria amongst Hindutva extremists who have been openly calling for the genocide of India’s 200 million Muslims to form a new Hindu state. The BJP has doggedly pursued a regime to deprive Muslims of their rights, criminalising the consumption of beef, bulldozing the homes of Muslims and attacking mosques. All this, whist its propaganda machine is systematically attempting to rubbish the great contribution and presence of Muslims in India and endorsing propaganda films that depict Muslims as bloodthirsty traitors – not a far cry from Nazi films like ‘Jew Süss’.
The concern now is whether we are seeing India export this hate filled Hindutva to the streets of the UK.
In 2015, an ITV documentary revealed hatred and extremist views in charities including the Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh UK based in Leicester,
where an undercover filming showed children as young as 13 being taught at a summer camp organised by the charity that the number of good Muslims “can be counted on fingers”. This resulted in a Charity Commission investigation which found that whilst the trustees did not condone the views expressed, they had failed in their due diligence which enabled a speaker to bring the charity’s name into disrepute. There is nothing to suggest that the charity is involved in the recent tensions.
Only recently, the UK tour of Hindutva extremist Sadhvi Ritambhara was cancelled after vociferous protest, and we therefore call upon the government and police to take similar immediate and urgent action to quell the disturbance we are seeing and to restore harmony and peace to the streets of Leicester.