WASHINGTON, D.C., August 7, 2007: On August 5, 2007, the landmark Siewdass Sadhu Shiva Mandir, also known as the Temple-in-the-Sea for its dramatic location just off the coast of the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago, was the site of a break-in, vandalism and attempted arson. The Hindu temple is internationally renowned, and recognized as the spiritual center for the Hindus that comprise nearly a quarter of the island’s population. The Hindu American Foundation (HAF), that highlighted growing religious tensions in the country in its third annual Hindu human rights report released last month, strongly condemned this latest incident today.
Ishanaa Rambachan, a lead member of the Foundation’s media team was on the ground in Trinidad at the time of the attack and provided immediate updates to the membership over the last two days. According to Rambachan and news accounts from the island, the temple administrators reported that the vandals had toppled and smashed murtis, or the representations, of four Hindu deities — Lord Ganesha, Lord Krishna, Goddess Durga and Lord Hanuman – and had used rocks to smash the glass window panes of the temple. They had also attempted to burn down the structure by setting fire next to the southern wall inside the temple.
“The damage to the Mandir, a treasured place of worship for this community, is truly heartbreaking and Hindus are in a state of grief, shock and remorse,” reported Rambachan from the scene. “If the outcry on all major radio stations and television programs is any indication, it seems that while there is a strong demand that the perpetrators be brought to justice, there seems to be just as strong an inclination to quickly restore the temple and re-consecrate the murtis.”
The Hindu American Foundation, in its latest human rights report – “Hindus in South Asia and the Diaspora: A Survey of Human Rights 2006” (Executive Summary) pointed out that the racial and religious animosity directed against Indo-Caribbean Hindu citizens has been increasing over the years, and that Hindus are now major targets of violence, hate speech and discrimination. Too often, according to the report, times of political instability, as with the upcoming elections in Trinidad and Tobago, lead to a spike in terror acts and attacks against a particular community.
“We continue to urge the Trinidad and Tobago government to do more to protect Hindus from violence, hate speech, and racial and religious stereotyping,” said Prof. Ramesh Rao, lead author of the HAF report. “That Hindus and their institutions are a targeted group cannot be denied, and we hope that this tragedy will focus the attention of the world on an important human rights situation in our nation’s very neighborhood.”