7/7 backlash on Hindus & Sikhs

London (PTI): Faith hate crimes against Hindus and Sikhs have increased sharply here since the July 7 bombings, more than those against Muslims, the Hindu Forum of Britain has claimed.

There have been 932 hate crimes against Indians, predominantly Hindus and Sikhs, compared with around 600 such instances against Pakistani and Bangladeshi Muslims, according to Ramesh Kallidai, secretary-general of the forum.

Leaders of the forum met the assistant commissioner of the metropolitan police, Tarique Ghaffour, and spoke to him about the increased vulnerability of Hindus to faith hate crimes and expressed concern over absence of government recognition of this.

Forum leaders said most of the crimes took place because of mistaken identity in the 7/7 backlash.

“As Asians, we all look the same and are equally vulnerable to any backlash,” Kallidai said. “However, our greatest concern is that there is no official recognition yet that Hindus and Sikhs are more vulnerable than the Muslim community.”

SC blow to capital’s hawkers

New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court has refused to relax the ban on hawking in Chandni Chowk area of the capital during Ramazan and Dusshera.

The court dismissed a plea of hawkers and part-time shopkeepers to modify its earlier order declaring the stretch from Jain Mandir to Fatehpuri in New Delhi a no-hawking zone.

On August 25, the court had directed police to remove all hawkers and squatters from the area.

Dental college

Kuala Lumpur (PTI): India will set up a dental college, touted to be among Asia’s biggest, in Malaysia, E. Ahamed, the minister of state for external affairs, said here on Thursday.

Malaysia was keen for India’s cooperation in setting up higher education institutes, Ahamed said. The college will be set up by Salem-based Vinayaka Mission Research Foundation Deemed University, jointly with a local partner.

Killer disciple

Muzaffarnagar (PTI): The disciple of a tantrik has allegedly murdered his teacher as part of a sacrifice to Goddess Kali. Pawan Kumar allegedly killed Ganga Ram with a trishul and subsequently drank his blood near Chamunda Devi Mandir at Bijnor in Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday.

Freak fire

Jammu (PTI): A Central Reserve Police Force jawan was killed when his ser-vice rifle accidentally went off at the CRPF headquarters in Bantalab in Jammu. The bullet pierced through jawan’s skull, killing him on the spot on Wednesday night.

A film on Anish Kapoor, an Indian- born British sculptor, will be screened in Dhaka as part of the British Cou-ncil’s efforts to popularise contem- porary British art in Bangladesh.