Australia least prepared to fight Hindu 'extremism', admits diaspora NGO group

Tiranga rally in Sydney: Cause of stir among diaspora

By Our Representative 
The Australian Alliance Against Hate and Violence (AAAHAV) has said that Australia is “least prepared” to counter the allegedly “rising threat of Hindu far right extremism”. Calling upon politicians, federal and state governments to “urgently recognise the threat far-right Hindu extremism”, it asks “to take concrete steps to address this threat.”
AAAHAV represents civil society activists and organisations that include Hindus for Human Rights, Turbans 4 Australia, Australian Federation of Islamic Councils, Pax Christi Australia, the Humanism Project, representatives of the Indian Ambedkarite community and Basmala Australia.
“The call from AAAHAV is in response to a number of incidents of social tension driven by far-right Hindu extremist elements allied with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in India”, an AAAHAV statement says. “Their actions are perpetuating targeted attacks and online hate speech against Sikhs, Muslims, Christians, Indian Ambedkarite community (Dalits) and mainstream Hindus living in Australia.”
“In the past month, these far-right Hindu extremist elements have attempted to disrupt Sunday services at the Glenwood Sikh temple and were involved in two separate attacks on Sikh youth in Harris Park and Granville areas. This follows an ugly street brawl between these far-right Hindu extremist elements and Sikh youth, a few months ago”, the statement notes.
It continues, “These groups infiltrate community organisations under the guise of multiculturalism, set up sub-cultures and micro-networks and drive social discord in a coordinated and discrete way. Most worryingly their growth has been made possible through foreign funding from India.”
While the statement quotes Tanvi Mor the Hindus for Human Rights as saying, “For Hindus, the core of our faith is encapsulated in these vedic verses, ‘vasudhaiva kutumbakam’ (the world is one sacred family)”, it adds, Amar Singh, President Turbans 4 Australia, says, the “evil of far right extremism and hate mongers especially online” have long-term implications to the “multicultural and peaceful subcontinent communities in Australia.”
It also quotes Dr Rateb Jneid, president, Australian Federation of Islamic Councils, as calling “Hindutva extremism” among the “deadliest in the world” and Parag Bhagat, Indian Ambekarite asserting, condemning “religious extremism by the Indian diaspora or otherwise.”
The statement quotes Father Claude Mostowik MSc, President of Pax Christi Australia, while in India, since the rise of the Bharatiya Janata Party, there has been widespread suppression of dissent, attacks against farmers, human rights defenders and environmentalists” these attacks have “now spread to the Sikh and Muslim communities in Australia.”