Outrage against a Hindu temple

ELEMENTS out to destroy communal harmony have again attacked a 150-year-old Himdu temple at Hossainpur upazila in Kishoreganj damaging idols of deities in it. This is the latest act of vandalism in series of assaults on places of worship of the Hindus and other minority communities since February this year.

Distressingly, miscreants behind the outrage are yet to be identified, far less nabbed and brought to justice.

The incident falls into a pattern. The evil quarters behind such despoiling of Hindu temples are trying to terrorise and create a sense of insecurity among Hindus and other minority religious groups.

After each such act of outrage, committees were formed by the administration to home in on and arrest the miscreants. But precious little could be done so far to stop these acts of barbarity against minority communities from happening. It is a very sad commentary on an administration that prides itself in being avowedly secular.

Notably, it is not just a matter of constitutional duty for the government to protect all its citizens including the minority groups. In fact, to be called a civilised society, we can ill-afford to abdicate this sacred responsibility.

The government cannot any more just watch, while the scandalous attacks against religious minorities continue. For effectively addressing the issue, the government needs to expeditiously implement last month's High Court Order to form a high-powered body to conduct investigations into these incidents and prepare a comprehensive report within the time line indicated.