The publication of the Rape Gang Inquiry report is a watershed moment for the United Kingdom. For those of us within the Hindu and Sikh communities, however, it is not a revelation; it is a long-overdue validation of a reality we have been speaking about for over two decades.
We, within the Hindu and Sikh communities, have raised our voices to highlight the predatory nature of these gangs, identifying them for what they are: predominantly Pakistani Muslim men targeting vulnerable young girls and boys. Yet, for too long, our warnings were met with silence, scepticism, or obstruction.
The cost of political correctness
One of the most frustrating aspects of this struggle has been the distortion of the truth by the British media. Under the guise of “political correctness” and perhaps driven by the fear of being labelled “Islamophobic,” the media has frequently utilised the blanket term “Asian” when reporting on these crimes.
This use of broad labels like “Asian” has had devastating consequences. By hiding the specific background of these gangs, it has not only obscured the truth about who is responsible, but it has also led to the unfair situation where the Hindu and Indian community are sometimes viewed as the perpetrators.
For us, this is a painful insult that cuts deep. We are a community that carries the generational trauma of centuries of brutal foreign rule, including the horrors of sexual slavery and displacement during the Islamic conquests of India. To have that history ignored is hard enough. But to then be grouped together with those who commit these crimes, all for the sake of “political correctness” and intellectual laziness, is a profound betrayal. It is a fundamental failure of the media to tell the truth, leaving victims silenced while the wrong people are cast as the villains.
Resilience against censorship
Our commitment to protecting our communities has never wavered. We have held over 30 seminars across the UK to raise awareness, educate parents, and safeguard our youth against grooming and coerced religious conversion.
This work has not been easy. The Hindu community has faced sustained efforts by extremist groups to shut down campaigns. These groups have frequently weaponised the “Islamophobia” card, attempting to smear our advocacy as hate speech in a desperate bid to get our events cancelled.
Nonetheless, their tactics of intimidation failed. Recognising the necessity of this work, the community stood firm, and our efforts continued to grow. In 2023 alone, the Hindu Support Network successfully conducted 20 workshops across the country, ensuring that the conversation remains focused on the safety and dignity of our children, while remembering the large magnitude of victims over the decades.
A call for accountability
While this inquiry is a significant step forward, we must now ask the difficult questions that have been ignored for too long. A serious challenge of unconditional accountability must be directed toward the Pakistani community and its leadership: Why has there been such a systemic failure to tackle this problem from within?
Silence is not neutral; in this context, it is complicity. True integration and community responsibility require addressing the uncomfortable truths that exist within one’s own sphere, whose implications have serious life-changing consequences for the wider British community, the families, but most importantly, the scars inflicted on the bodies and minds of these hapless, vulnerable girls and young women. We can no longer afford to let cultural sensitivities take precedence over the protection of the innocent.
The road ahead
The Rupert Lowe report is a vital starting point, but it cannot be the finish line. It is a diagnosis of a rot that has been allowed to fester for over five decades. Such a tumour was allowed to spread, protected as it was under political correctness, encouraged by a specific set of perverse ideas from a subset of the minority populace and fanned due to the apathy of multiple agencies, including the social services, the healthcare system, as well as the law and lastly the constabulary. A great deal of work remains to be done in our legal system, in our media, and within the communities where these grooming/rape gangs have operated with impunity.
We have spent 20 years speaking the truth. It’s not just about Indians – Hindus, Sikhs (amongst other Dharmic communities from South and Eastern Asia) being unjustly clubbed together as “Asian” with the Pakistani community but the lack of shame; much less repentance for their actions that excelled at deflecting it’s crimes commited on these girls but worse, to engage in victimhood after the full reality of these transgenerational crimes have been and continue to be unearthed.
In Hindu scripture (Vishnu Purana 1.19.41), a saying goes thus -“Sa Vidya ya vimuktaye” – meaning *Knowledge is that which liberates!*. Knowledge of human nature, its excesses, strengths and frailties. Knowledge of various societies and philosophies. Knowledge that ultimately leads to the betterment of human existence, through reform in ideological and religious thought aimed at the upliftment of the weak and needy, while protecting those vulnerable in society by the use of righteous force to retain social order and justice.
Now, we demand that the truth be matched by concrete action, genuine accountability, and a steadfast commitment to justice for every victim. We will not be silenced, we will not be maligned, and we will not stop until this scourge is eradicated.
