Day ahead of UNGA president’s visit to New Delhi, VHP sent letter to raise alarm for Rising Atrocities on Religious Minorities in Pakistan and Bangladesh
New Delhi : Expressing deep concern over the persistent human rights violations against religious minorities in Pakistan and Bangladesh, the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) has called upon the United Nations to undertake immediate and effective intervention.
A day before her visit to New Delhi, Advocate Shri Alok Kumar, International President of the Vishva Hindu Parishad, today written a letter to Ms. Annalena Baerbock, President of the United Nations General Assembly, highlighting instances of persecution, forced conversions, and violence being perpetrated against religious minorities—specifically the Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, and Christian communities—in both the countries.
Citing recent reports from UN human rights mechanisms and observations by experts, the letter notes a disturbing rise in cases of forced conversions and marriages involving minor girls in Pakistan. The majority of victims in these cases belong to the Hindu and Christian communities. Such incidents have been reported with particular frequency in the Sindh province. Victims are subjected to physical, psychological, and social abuse. The response of Pakistan’s law enforcement agencies to such cases has also frequently been described as inadequate.
Similarly, the letter cites numerous instances of violence and discrimination against religious minorities—particularly Hindus—in Bangladesh. According to reports, a large number of incidents of communal violence targeting minority communities were recorded during August 2024 alone.
In the letter released to the media by Shri Vinod Bansal, National spokesperson VHP, Shri Alok Kumar stated that the persistence and widespread nature of these incidents indicate that the existing mechanisms for protecting the rights of minorities are insufficient. He further underscored that it is the responsibility of the international community and the United Nations to take concrete and effective measures to halt these grave human rights violations. Alok Kumar has primarily put forward the following demands:
* An independent and impartial international investigation into forced conversions and violence against minorities.
* The establishment of a special mechanism to ensure the safety of victims and secure justice.
* Holding the concerned nations accountable in accordance with international human rights standards.
* The implementation of strict legal and institutional measures to safeguard women and minors.
The Vishva Hindu Parishad has urged the United Nations leadership to prioritize this issue and ensure concrete action, so that the lives, liberty, dignity, and rights of the affected communities may be protected. Copy of the letter has also been marked to the UN Secretary General shri António Guterres, PM shri Narendra Modi and the union minister for External affairs Shri S. Jaishankar.