We would however like to stress how sad and hurt we are that even in this day and age we cannot live in peace in western society without fear of hatred and abuse towards Hindus merely for having a separate faith to the majority.

We would also like to express our concerns regarding the actions of the Police Service of Northern Ireland on the night of 15 June 2009. Bidit Dey, office manager at the Centre said, "Police did not actually stop by or call in to see her after the attack." This was after the Priests wife was alone in the premises and the youths were throwing stones at the property and trying to remove the metal railings which covered the window. The police have reported that they attended the scene within half an hour, but the family have said that no police officer came out of the car to ask if everything was okay and give reassurance that they were in the area.

Some of the other abuses suffered by the Belfast Hindu Community are also so shocking that it is hardly surprising that they were looking to move out of the area. The youths even went as far as chasing the part time manager’s son and daughter when they were returning home from work.

After a phone call conversation with a member of the Hindu Community in Belfast, who refused to disclose his name, we were happy to hear that the police have had an increased visible presence as well as giving reassuring advice for the future to the Priest and his family. There are over 200 Hindu families who use the community centre, some of which have been there for almost six decades, who feel that the majority of the host community are very welcoming and that there is only a small fraction of community who are responsible for these events.

We would like to express our sympathy and support to all our spiritual brothers and sisters in Belfast and hope that they can once again live without fear of discrimination based on their beliefs.

We at NHSF (UK) are intolerant towards the rise in racism in the UK, especially in the light of the recent BNP rise, and are willing to work with any organisation that will help us build community cohesion rather than outwardly not doing anything about it. NHSF (UK) in light of their next annual conference entitled the ‘Hindu Times’ are willing to engage the daily politics in the UK and are opening up a dialogue of change for the future generation of the Hindu community in the UK.