SUVA, FIJI, September 20, 2006: In the face of increasing attacks, Hindus in Fiji have hired security to protect temples. Three attacks on temples in five days led to an emergency meeting of the Hindu religious organization, the Sanatan Dharam. The meeting discussed security for their temples after Senior Superintendent Jahir Khan said they should provide their own security because police could not be at every place of worship 24 hours a day. The Howell Road Temple in Suva has hired a security guard by day and engaged a security company to provide protection by night. Its priest, Chandar Shekar, is quoted as saying, “It is a disgrace that the creator of the world is under threat by the people he created.” The national president of the Sanatan Dharam, Surendra Kumar, says the authorities must come down hard on people who are disturbing the peace and harmonious relations. A church or temple is a place of worship where people can come together on an allocated day to worship with their leaders and such places should not be destroyed. Catholic Church vicar general, Father Beni Kaloudau made the comment after the desecration of two Hindu temples in less than 24 hours at Calia in Baulevu and Koroqaqa in Nausori. “If we understand our lives as human beings, then we should know that our greatest need is to worship and praise God,” said Father Beni. “With faith, we build holy places where people can worship together.”
In a second article, here, it said that in a statement, assistant police spokesperson Corporal Prashila Narayan said a person had been identified in connection with the temple attack at Chadwick Road in Narere and an arrest was imminent. She said four officers were conducting door-to-door interviews at Calia in Baulevu and an inquiry had started with regard to the latest case at Koroqaqa in Nausori even though nothing was taken. “All places of worship are sacred and deemed to be a place of sanctity where such acts of theft, vandalism, break-ins or robbery should not take place, but they do,” she said. “Sacrilege is also a crime of opportunity and we note that most of those temples that are broken into are the smaller settlement-based ones, which are at most times located away from the residential area. These venues are also less frequently used then other worship sites, hence the ability of likely offenders to note vacant times with greater accuracy.” Corporal Narayan said the offenders were most likely to be from the same communities where these places of worship were located. Narayan said sacrilege was an emotional issue and police were appealing for calm among members of the community affected by the acts. She said sacrilege was a felony under the Penal Code and such acts were against the State meaning that it was serious and would be investigated thoroughly by police. Corporal Narayan said in the first six months of this year, 29 reports of sacrilege on temples, churches and mosques were received from around the country. The Rewa branch president of the Sanatan Dharam, Chengaiya Naidu, encouraged private and public temple members meet to discuss protection for the places of worship.
In a third article, here, Mr. Naidu says the Sabha fears there is a campaign to wipe out Hinduism in Fiji and described the attacks and the desecration of temples as unpardonable. The National Federation Party has called for the formation of vigilante and community protection groups to protect temples and fight back against rising crime. The party’s general secretary, Pramod Rae, says offenders are not punished severely enough for sacrilege and people cannot be blamed if they take the law into their own hands. Mr. Rae says for far too long people have taken advantage of the tolerance of Hindus.