Terrorists are targeting Hindus: Swamy

New York, Aug 15 (UNI) Janata Party President Subramanian Swamy has said anti-India terrorists are targeting Hindus within the country and that a unified action is the only antidote against the menace.

''Who is the target of terrorism in India? It's the Hindus,'' he told a gathering of Hindu community in New York over the weekend.

''A united retaliatory action can repel terrorism aimed at Hindus in India.'' In Kashmir, nearly half of the Pandits were forced to leave their ancestral homes since the late 1980s, when the insurgency was revived. And in more recent Mumbai blasts, almost all the victims were Hindus, Dr Swamy stated.

He pointed out that 32 per cent of present-day Bangladesh population in 1947 was Hindu, and now it has been reduced to a mere 7 per cent.

Mr Swamy dismissed the notion that poverty was the root of terrorism, saying terrorists -most of whom were rich -- have political objectives and they should be defeated through democratic and secular means.

The day of the function was designated as 'Hindu Sanghathan Diwas', which marks the coronation of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

Dr Swamy was the chief guest on the occasion and he spoke on a topic titled ''Hindu Society under Siege: the Way Out.'' The four-hour event, sponsored by several individuals and associations, was organised by Hindu leader Narain Kataria, who is president of the Indian American Intellectuals Forum, a New York body. About 300 Hindus not only those hailing from India, but those originating from other parts the world also attended the event.

Urging members of the community to be more courageous, the former central minister said, ''We're lions, but behave like cats.'' He reminded the audiences of the sacrifices made by Guru Gobind Singh, Rana Pratap and Raja Mansingh for India's dignity and independence.

According to him, Hindus have also become targets of religious conversion taking place in India. ''A little Hindu consolidation is enough to fight such conversions. If 83 per cent of the population is consolidated, we don't have to worry about anybody,'' Dr Swamy noted. ''Even if 40 per cent is united, Hindus will form the government.'' Uniform civil code should be applied to followers of all religions, he said.

''Indians are one and caste has no relevance at all,'' he observed.

Calling for making Sanskrit teaching compulsory, the five-time parliamentarian said, ''Efforts to make everybody learn Sanskrit should be made. Malayalam has 90 per cent Sanskrit terms and Bengali has 85 per cent. And even Tamil has 40 per cent Sanskrit vocabulary. And Hindi should become more Sanskritised.'' In 1987 the Journal of Artificial Intelligence published by NASA, America's space agency, said scientific information should be stored in Sanskrit as it is the most perfect language, he said.

The August 12 event was also addressed by Sadhvi Ritambhara, who spoke on the subject ''Hindu Values and Culture.'' She said the prospective Ram Mandir to be built Ayodhya would reflect the self-respect of all Indians.

''Indians have become refugees in their own land because of Islamabad-sponsored terrorist activities,'' the Sadhvi said, adding that no part of Kashmir would be given to Pakistan.

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