Daily Times

Sir: There has been a recent wave of violence triggered by irrational masses attacking Hindu temples in Larkana, Hyderabad and Badin but the attack in Tharparkar district has doubled the worries of the Hindu community. As much as 33 percent of Tharparkar’s population is non-Muslim. This serene region is rich in diversity and culture, where all religions have lived together in communal harmony and peaceful coexistence for centuries. However, the recent gruesome attack on a temple at Faqir Par Braham’s ashram in Verhijhap is one that cannot be condemned with empty words. The culprits should be brought to book and charged for dishonouring such a holy place.?Feelings of hurt and bewilderment are being witnessed in the shape of protests and long sit-ins at various press clubs. Why are minorities hurt time and again?

I recall one of the best observations of Khushwant Singh, an author who recently passed away, when he rightly pointed out that the cause of disintegration and vulnerability in the subcontinent is its religious bigotry. I have witnessed myself, during two precious years in Tharparkar, the brain drain that has taken place of rich and intelligent Hindus due to insecurities in Pakistan. This brain drain causes a shift of resources and increasing intellectual death in the region.

NASIR-UD-DIN SOOMRO?

Hyderabad