PRESS RELEASE
The Frightening Phenomenon of Human Rights
Violations in South Asia
“From
the perspective of a knowledgeable outsider, South Asia presents a picture of a
region with nations that use the language of human rights extensively but
remain silent at arguably the most extensive record of accepted major human
rights abuses in the world. We have
numerous examples of inter-communal violence perpetrated against Ahmadiyya in
Bangladesh, Hindus in Kashmir, and Muslims in Gujarat, just to name three. Radical Islamist terrorism has been targeting
non-Muslims with growing frequency in cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Jaipur, and
elsewhere. Ethnic cleansing is being
practiced against Hindus in Pakistan and Bangladesh with government complicity;
and in Bhutan by the government. Even the region’s tiny Jewish population has
been victimized with Christians in Northeast India preventing the Bnai Menashe
from emigrating to Israel.
“Because
South Asia is home to the world’s second, third, and fourth largest Muslim
populations, more than 95 percent of the world’s Hindus, and close to one in
four people on the planet; this phenomenon is frightening not only for South
Asia but for the entire world,” said Dr. Richard L. Benkin, a Human Rights
Activist from the US, while giving a talk on “Human Rights in South Asia”,
jointly organized by Open Space and CCYRCI (Circle for Child and Youth Research
Cooperation in India) at the Academic Staff College, Lucknow University on
Saturday.
Author
of a monograph on Bangladeshi Hindus, titled A Quiet Case of Ethnic Cleansing, Dr. Benkin drew attention
particularly to the plight of Hindus in Bangladesh. He said, “Governments
and populations alike seem paralyzed to take effective action. The thing most likely to galvanize both is a
specific issue behind which every moral individual and entity can get. The wanton destruction of the Bangladeshi
Hindus is one such issue. From almost
one in five Bangladeshis to less than one in ten today; Bangladeshi Hindus have
been murdered and raped in ritual fashion and had their property legally plundered, while lower level
official participated in the carnage and successive governments remained
passive. Moreover, the world remained
silent. Where was the government of
The programme was presided over by Prof. Nishi Pandey, Director, Academic Staff College, Lucknow University. The CCYRCI was represented by its Executive Secretary Dr. Vinod Chandra and Organising Secretary Dr. Sanjay Singh, while Open Space was represented by its Fellow Dr. Navras Jaat Aafreedi. The talk was well attended by academics and research scholars of the Lucknow University.
Dr. Navras Jaat Aafreedi Open Space Fellow in Lucknow Centre for Communication &
Development Studies, Pune Mob: 9936425234 http://openspacelucknow.blogspot.com www.ccds.in Dr.
Vinod Chandra Executive Secretary Mob: 9415189200 & Dr.
Sanjay Singh Organising Secretary Mob: 9450768961 CCYRCI (Circle for Child & Youth Research
Cooperation in India) ccyrci@rediffmail.com