Hindus are concerned about the
reported incidents of racist violence against people of Indian descent in Ukraine. Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a
statement in Nevada (USA) today, said that if Ukraine
could not ensure the safety of people of Indian descent from such incidents,
Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) should withdraw the 2012 UEFA
European Football Championship (Euro 2012) from Ukraine.
Euro 2012, the 14th European
Championship for national football teams organized by UEFA, is scheduled to be
held at Kyiv, Donetsk, Kharkiv and Lviv in Ukraine (besides Poland) from June eight to July
one. Sixteen teams are said to be participating.
According to reports, horrified
Indian students faced vicious racially motivated assault in Metalist Stadium in
Kharkiv few weeks back. In capital Kyiv; an Indian man was attacked near
Libidskaya metro station in front of many people in December last, another
Indian was beaten at Maidan Nezalezhnosti in March, while another was attacked
near his apartment in April, reports suggest.
Zed, who is President of Universal
Society of Hinduism, urged leaders of the majority Orthodox Christian Church
and other religions/denominations in Ukraine to openly come out against
racism, because religion told us to help the helpless. Authorities needed to
monitor hate crimes closely. This reported abuse of people of Indian descent,
just because they looked different, was not acceptable, Zed stressed.
Rajan Zed urged personal
intervention of Ukrainian President Viktor Fedorovych Yanukovych and Prime
Minister Mykola Yanovych Azarov on the issue of reported racism. Europe’s second
largest country and world’s third biggest grain exporter and the country of
Zbruch idol, Saint Sophia Cathedral, musician Mykola Lysenko and legendary
pole-vaulter Sergey Bubka should be more welcoming of the foreigners who looked
different, Zed added.
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