'Stop Violence on B'deshi Hindus': Airline Banner Over Hudson River Calls For Awareness of Genocide

New York: Amid the ongoing violence and genocide faced by Bangladeshi Hindus, the Hindu-American organisations made a strong appeal globally to take immediate action, by flying a massive airline banner to raise awareness about the issue.

The large banner flew over New York's Hudson River and circled the Statue of Liberty, a global symbol of human dignity, freedom, and equality.

The banner campaign serves as a desperate cry for help, urging international leaders and human rights organisations to intervene and protect the vulnerable Hindu minority in Bangladesh .

Sitangshu Guha, from the Bangladesh Hindu Community and one of the event organisers said, "Hindus in Bangladesh are on the verge of extinction. Hopefully, this will raise awareness among the civilised world and prompt the UN to take action to save the victims of militant Islamic forces in Bangladesh. If Bangladesh becomes Hindu-free, it will become Afghanistan 2.0, and militants will spread to neighbouring India and other parts of the world, including the West. This is everyone's problem."

Another activist, Pankaj Mehtas said, "It is time for the UN Human Rights Council to put aside politics and officially recognise the 1971 Bangladesh genocide, the largest genocide since World War II. Three US-based organisations--The Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention, Genocide Watch, and the International Coalition of Sites of Conscience--have already recognised the atrocities committed by Pakistani occupation forces and their Islamist allies in 1971 as genocide, primarily targeting the Hindu minority. The UN must follow suit and take steps to prevent another looming genocide."

According to the data documented by the US Congress Resolution HR 1430 in 2022 the 1971 genocide, claimed lives of 2.8 million lives and at least 200,000 predominantly Hindu women raped, leaving an indelible mark on the region.

Meanwhile, recent reports of almost 200,000 Hindus being targeted for kidnappings, and forced job resignations along with property seizures, posing a serious existential threat to the 13 to 15 million Hindus living in the South Asian country.

Since August 5 this year, there have been around 250 verified attacks and more than 1,000 reported incidents, ANI reported.