Karnataka - Bijapur   

NGOs protest destruction of Buddha statues in Pakistan

BIJAPUR: Members of various non-governmental organisations (NGOs) on Monday protested against the destruction of a Buddha statue in the Peshawar region of Pakistan by Taliban militants recently.

They took out a procession in the city before staging a demonstration in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s office.

Speaking on the occasion Hashimpeer Walikar, president of the State Human Rights Board, an NGO; Dalit Sangharsh Samiti leader Nagaraj Lambu and representatives of other organisations urged the U.N. to initiate steps to protect all heritages sites and historical monuments in Pakistan and other countries, including Afghanistan.

They said Buddha dedicated his life for the cause of universal brotherhood and peace.

The statue had a great history behind it and its heritage value was invaluable. It was everybody’s duty to protect and preserve such monuments.

However, religious fanatics razed it down, which was condemnable. Such acts would only affect communal harmony in various countries. Moreover, it had hurt the religious feelings of Buddhists.

They said that several such statues had been destroyed by Talibans in Afghanistan. What dismayed the people was that the U.S., which usually wanted to play the role of global police was silent on the matter.

The Union Government should pressure the U.N. to take control of the heritage sites in danger.

They submitted a memorandum addressed to Prime Minister, to Deputy Commissioner V.B. Patil.

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