ON Wednesday, a raucous mob descended on the shrine of a Hindu saint in Teri village, on the outskirts of Karak, KP. Soon, videos of men — old and young, even children — tearing the building apart and setting it ablaze began circulating online. Unfortunately, Pakistan is no stranger to mob violence. According to witnesses, this horde was led by a local cleric and religious party leader. Police have now arrested 14 people in connection with that day’s rampage, while Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed has taken notice of the disgraceful incident. Shri Paramhans Ji Maharaj’s samadhi has been in the news before. Built sometime in the early 20th century, it was a pilgrimage spot for the Hindu community, but was demolished in 1997 by another mob. In 2015, the Supreme Court ordered the provincial government to restore the shrine. Five years later, it lies in ashes again. What support will the government offer to the beleaguered Hindu community and how will it ensure that such attacks are not repeated?

Only a few months earlier, religious hardliners had obstructed the construction of the Shri Krishna temple in the nation’s capital. It seems like the government’s attempts to show religious tolerance are futile when large sections of society are steeped in bigotry and some have not even spared Muslim shrines; our leaders rarely demonstrate the kind of resolve that is needed to eliminate intolerance. Even if the Shri Paramhans Ji Maharaj’s samadhi issue is rooted in a land dispute — and not religion, as claimed by some — it is far too easy for anyone to use faith as a cloak to hide behind, or as a weapon to coerce, harass, and eventually kill off ‘weaker’ members of society. The previous year has been marked by grief and trial for many, and there have been a number of violent attacks against minorities. One can only pray that the new year brings peace to all — in particular the vulnerable and marginalised sections of society.

Published in Dawn, January 1st, 2021