Pakistan has made yet another move against its minority Hindus. Centuries-old Hindu temple near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border has been demolished to make way for a commercial complex. Measured by its lack of revenue details, the ‘Khyber Temple‘ in Landi Kotal Bazaar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province was a victim of cultural vandalism due to lack of ‘jizya’!Â
Drunk on power and instigated by Islam, Pakistan is happily denying its roots and heritage! While Hindus of the world boil in outrage, the damage is done and irreversible. A precious piece of the civilizational history of Akhand Bharat is lost. Let’s discuss this brazen act that erases a tangible link to the region’s rich history and also highlights the status of minorities in Pakistan!
Hindu Temple: Historical Significance and Existence DeniedÂ
Despite many media attempts to downplay its historical significance, a tribal journalist named Ibrahim Shinwari affirms the temple’s presence since ancient times. In a report by News Bharati and Deccan Herald, Shinwari recalls the many stories passed down through generations where the temple played a central role in local heritage. The Pakistan Hindu Mandir Management Committee cites the 2016 law to question the government’s obligation to protect such sites of historical importance.
In 1992, when the Ayodhya Babri Masjid was demolished in India, Islamic seminaries led mobs to attack this temple.
The temple’s dilapidated condition can be attributed to brick-by-brick vandalism for many years now. However, it seems the wilful ignorance of the authorities led to the temple’s demolition. It seems that Pakistani authorities only uphold laws that safeguard the Majority’s rights. The minority Hindus are ignored or denied safety in any form!
Pakistani Authorities – No Jizya, No Value?
PESHAWAR: A historical Hindu temple (Khyber temple) has been demolished by PAKISTAN govt/authorities in blatant disregard of minority rights and to rub salt on the wound, construction of a commercial complex has started at the site in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province pic.twitter.com/55S9UfCSCw
— Megh Updates 🚨™ (@MeghUpdates) April 13, 2024
The officials from the Landi Kotal administration feign ignorance about the temple’s demolition. Moreover, they pretend to be unaware of the existence of the temple in the region. They state that the land belongs to the government to deal with as they want. Additionally, they quote the lack of revenue records on the temple to shrug off their indifference to this cultural crime.
It seems that the temple was of no value to Pakistan as it did not generate the required ‘Jizya’!
The builder who demolished the ancient temple had a ‘No Objection Certificate’ by the authorities. Therefore, he had the permission of Pakistani authorities to begin the construction in the region. Even at the cost of demolishing the cultural legacy of Hindus! Therefore, where once stood a historical Hindu temple, soon a commercial complex will stand in Pakistan!
However, the attitude of Pakistani officials underscores the systemic oppression faced by Hindus in Pakistan. Many reports state that Hindus, Christians, and Sikhs have to pay unofficial ‘Jizya’ as protection money to radicals. Extra money has to be spent by the minorities to gain permission to celebrate their festivals safely. However, the value of monuments, places of worship, and cultural heritage of minorities is subtly linked to their monetary revenue value in this semi-Islamic nation. Consequently, minorities are often targeted by the Pakistani maulvis for forced conversions while the authorities look the other way. Therefore, minority rights become the sacrificial lamb to favor commercial interests and political agendas in Pakistan.Â
Condemning Pakistan’s Cultural Vandalism
Many reports claim that since the temple was abandoned in 1947 by migrating Hindus, its demolition should not be questioned.
However, how many temples in Bharat are celebrated as an architectural marvel? Thousands! Could Pakistan not preserve this ancient temple as a symbol of the region’s civilizational identity? Was the temple devalued in the eyes of the authorities due to its link to Hindus? Who knows!  Â
The demolition of the ‘Khyber Temple’ is not just an isolated incident. It is a symptom of a sick society that prefers to ignore its roots and civilizational truths. Pakistan is known for minority oppression and discrimination. Hindus and Christians are marginalized by the ‘one-book’ flat-earthers!!!
In the face of such blatant disregard for Hindu rights, where is the outrage by ‘secularists’? Why is the world media silent on this act of insult to Hindu minorities in Pakistan? Are they silently accepting such acts of cultural vandalism by Pakistan? We hope not! Thus, we ask all the liberals, leftists, and seculars in Bharat to voice concern over ‘minority oppression’ in this morally bankrupt nation! Do you think we see the ‘West’ and our ‘Toolkit’ stage protest for the rights of Hindus in Pakistan? Will ‘secularists’ condemn the demolishment or condone it?? Who knows!