Incident of demolition of a 500-year-old Hindu temple in Noakhali, Bangladesh has come to light. The action was allegedly taken on the “orders” of Bangladesh Prime Minister Tariq Rahman. If this incident had happened at a mosque in India, it would have probably drawn a barrage of reactions from the international media, human rights organizations and social media criticizing it as a Muslim atrocity. It is natural in a democratic society to raise questions on the rights of any community and make governments accountable. But an important question is relatively rarely asked, is the situation of Hindus, Sikhs and other religious minorities in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan formed after the partition of India, discussed with equal seriousness and sensitivity? If human rights are universal, then they should also be evaluated on the same criteria for all countries and all communities.

To find the answer to this question, it is enough to look towards Rawalpindi. Before partition, Rawalpindi was counted among the major temple cities of North-West India (present-day Pakistan), where many temples, dharamshalas and religious institutions were the center of cultural and social life of Hindu society. The Lal Kurti Valmiki Temple is still in existence with limited religious activities, while the Maharishi Valmiki Swami Temple, Gracey Line, which was the center of faith especially for the Dalit Hindu community, has long been in a dilapidated state. The Kalyan Das Temple at Kothari Bazaar, which was constructed in the nineteenth century, is now being used as a government school for visually impaired children. The historic Raghunath temple complex of Bagh Sardaran, which comprised three temples and two gurudwaras, has been closed for a long time. The Mahadev temple of Sarafa Bazaar has been partially converted into shops. The Ramlila temple at Kanak Mandi was used for other purposes after Partition, while the Mohan temple at Lunda Bazaar and the........

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