Two major Hindu organisations in Fiji have issued a joint statement calling for urgent government intervention after a spate of attacks on temples, saying they need “protection, safety and assurance, not just wishes.”
The Chairman of Trustees of Shree Baba Ragho Dass Vishnu (SBRDV) Temple in Sawani, Govind Singh, and the President of Sanatan Dharam Mahamandal (SDM) Vunimono, Rohitesh Chand, said the most recent attack, where the SBRDV Temple was stoned on Tuesday shows a pattern of targeted acts against Hindu places of worship.
“It started with the Shiv Temple in Samabula, then the case in Wailailai Kuti and now at our temple. This clearly shows offenders know they can get away with such evil acts,” they said.
“We are calling on the government to take a serious stance. Otherwise, it creates fear and continuous trepidation among followers of Sanatan Dharm.”
The temple leaders said while they appreciated festive greetings from national leaders during the start of Ganesh Utsav, it was not enough.
“We are in more need of protection, safety and assurance than wishes,” the joint statement said.
“Such attacks shake the efforts of our national leaders in building a peaceful and multi-racial society.”
They cautioned that if no action is taken, they will consider convening a legally sanctioned gathering to demand accountability.
“We cannot sit idle while our faith is attacked. If the government fails to act swiftly, we will take this further through proper legal means,”
Both leaders said their organisations have always promoted peace and unity but will not allow these incidents to be swept under the carpet.
“We are raising this alarm now, before more temples are targeted. If this call falls on deaf ears, we will explore other options,”