In a distressing incident that shook the community, the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha (SDMS) is now calling for justice after yet another of its Hindu temples was brutally attacked. This time, the incident occurred at the Bharatiya Abhyas Mandali, situated on Watts Street in Curepe, Trinidad and Tobago. On the morning of Wednesday, May 8th, a group of unidentified individuals forcefully entered the temple premises and carried out acts of vandalism.

The temple, which is under the administration of the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha, witnessed the destruction of six sacred idols. Each of these statues, known as murtis, stood four feet tall and were shattered into pieces in what the community describes as a heinous act of violence. The SDMS expressed its anguish over the event, emphasizing the severity of the attack with the following statement: "Six murtis sized four feet were destroyed, and smashed to pieces in the most violent manner. Once again a place of worship was attacked. Obviously, this is not the unholy work of a vagrant or a band of vagrants."

Local law enforcement, including the St. Joseph Police and the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), have begun an investigation into this alarming crime. They are working to identify the perpetrators who desecrated the sacred space, leaving the community in a state of shock and fear.

Vijay Maharaj, the General Secretary of the SDMS, condemned the incident, labeling it as the "worst form of sacrilege committed." This attack has not only damaged physical property but has also inflicted deep spiritual wounds on the Hindu community in Trinidad and Tobago.

The attack on the Bharatiya Abhyas Mandali Hindu temple in Curepe took a violent turn when the perpetrator, armed with a sledgehammer, scaled the temple's perimeter fence. The assault occurred in the early hours of the morning, around 4 a.m., a time when the neighborhood was quiet, and the sounds of destruction echoed through the streets. Neighbors were awakened by loud pounding noises emanating from the temple, signaling the havoc being wreaked within its sacred walls.

In response to this alarming incident, executive members of the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha (SDMS), including Chaguanas West MP Dinesh Rambally, promptly visited the vandalized temple. They assessed the extensive damage and publicly condemned the act. They labeled the vandalism as a calculated and pointed attack on the Hindu community. MP Dinesh Rambally, in his remarks, highlighted the nature of the intrusion: "This wouldn’t be any ordinary person seeking to jump this fence to come in here. Our information from our own investigations thus far from the neighbours is that at about 4 to 4.30 am they started hearing some noises, pounding noises. They didn’t know what was really taking place," he explained.

He further detailed the severity of the vandalism: "The outer part of the temple, as you can see, houses a lot of very beautiful murtis. They have all been destroyed, desecrated. A lot of them, you can see that the heads have been decapitated. The actual heads for all of these murtis are actually on the ground. They have been decapitated at the necks."

This recent violation follows a series of similar attacks on other temples managed by the SDMS. As a result, the organization has begun to implement additional security measures, including the installation of CCTV systems at various locations, aiming to deter such brutal attacks and aid in the swift identification and apprehension of the perpetrators.

The response plan involves not only practical security enhancements but also spiritual recovery. Addressing the spiritual damage, an essential part of the community's healing process involves rituals of atonement. These rituals are meant to seek forgiveness and make amends for the desecration inflicted upon the sacred space and the deities it houses.

MP Dinesh Rambally articulated this sentiment, emphasizing the dual approach to addressing the incident: "Once we have made atonement, and a lot of that was basically seeking forgiveness, making atonement for any harm that would have probably been brought to a religious place and the gods. On this occasion, we will make atonement, but I have already put in my personal recommendation. Once that period of atonement and that ceremony is over, there will be some swift retribution that will have to be undertaken from a religious perspective."

Amid these discussions, there is a palpable sense of frustration with the authorities' response to the attacks. Pundit Rishi Maharaj, secretary of the Pundit Parishad within the SDMS, expressed dissatisfaction with the way national leaders have treated the situation. He criticized both the Prime Minister and the Opposition Leader for seemingly underestimating the severity of these acts, which he argues should be recognized as deliberate sacrilege rather than the misdeeds of destitute individuals.

Pundit Maharaj's concerns underline a broader issue: "What has happened here is a clear indication to us that even those in authority are not understanding and they are failing us to a great extent because we have echoed in the past that these are acts of sacrilege and desecration. If you look at it, all indications, no attempt to have the place robbed, as we say, to enter into the inner parts of the mandir. It is clearly not a robbery but clearly a well-organised act by whomsoever the persons may be," he said.

While the community grapples with these challenges, the St. Joseph Police continue their investigation, hoping to uncover the perpetrators behind the calculated desecration of the Hindu temple.

Legal Perspectives on the Temple Vandalism Incident in Trinidad

In a clear and forceful statement, Dinesh Rambally, the legal adviser to the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha (SDMS) and Member of Parliament for Chaguanas West, addressed the media and community at the Curepe mandir. He outlined his conviction that the recent acts of vandalism are not random but are instead deliberate attacks targeted at the Hindu community. "The members of the executive of the Maha Sabha are convinced by what we have seen over a period of time, and culminating with this act of desecration, that this is targeted at the Hindu community," he expressed firmly during his speech yesterday.

The targeted deities in these attacks—Hindu gods Shiva and Hanuman, along with the goddess Durga—were not merely vandalized but were decapitated in a manner that Rambally describes as beyond ordinary sabotage. "The murtis – which included the Hindu gods Shiva and Hanuman, and the goddess Durga – were decapitated and were 'no ordinary acts of sabotage'," he explained, emphasizing the severity and specific nature of the desecration. Rambally went on to classify the incident unequivocally as a hate crime. "It is not just vandalism. This is a desecration which is targeted to cause division. It is a hate crime," he stated, highlighting the underlying intent to incite discord within the community.

In his remarks, Rambally also addressed the responses of national leaders to these incidents. He expressed a polite but firm disagreement with the interpretations offered by Dr. Keith Christopher Rowley, the Prime Minister, and Mrs. Kamla Persad-Bissessar, the Leader of the Opposition, who have previously suggested that such acts of desecration might be the work of homeless individuals. Rambally contended that the evidence pointed to a more organized and malicious intent. "Asked if he believed these acts to be committed by a band of vagrants, he said the evidence proved otherwise. 'I have to say, very politely, that I disagree with the honourable Prime Minister and the honourable Leader of the Opposition...first and foremost, I have to side with what I call my dharma, my religion. And in standing with my dharma, and in standing with my people, I want to make the point very clear that I disagree with Dr. Keith Christopher Rowley and Mrs. Kamla Persad-Bissessar when they say that all of these acts of desecration are somehow to be simply relegated or diminished and just attributed to simply somebody who is a vagrant that want to take a toll on some holy shrine. The evidence does not point to that. I don’t know where they drummed up that from. I don’t know on what basis they are saying it,' he said.

Dinesh Rambally, in his capacity as both legal adviser to the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha (SDMS) and Member of Parliament for Chaguanas West, continues to address the recent acts of vandalism against the Hindu community with a balanced perspective. He clarified that while the SDMS does not claim that Trinidad is an intolerant nation, there is an urgent need for careful handling of such incidents. He warned that a failure to address these issues adequately could tarnish the nation's image significantly. "Rambally said while neither he nor the SDMS had said that the nation was intolerant, there needed to be 'careful' treatment to deal with incidents of this nature. Failure to do so, he added, could result in 'a bigger, broader, bad image for the country'," he pointed out during his talk at the mandir.

In response to the attack, the SDMS plans to undertake a "period of atonement," involving various rituals intended to restore sanctity and peace to the desecrated temple. Rambally emphasized the importance of these rituals in healing the community and reaffirming their spiritual resilience. "He said the SDMS will engage in 'a period of atonement' where rituals will be conducted to 'return the auspiciousness' to the premises. Following these rituals, he said there would be 'swift retribution that will have to be undertaken from a religious perspective'." These statements reflect a commitment to both spiritual recovery and a call for justice within the frameworks of their religious beliefs.

Moreover, the urgency and gravity of the situation were further reinforced by Rambally's strong message to the wider community and authorities: "This cannot go on. On behalf of the Hindu community, we will not be taking this lightly," he declared, signaling a robust stance against such acts of violence and desecration.

Echoing Rambally's calls for action, Pundit Rishi Maharaj, secretary of the Pundit Parishad (council of pundits), also spoke out about the attack, emphasizing its implications for the community and the authorities' role in preventing such incidents. Maharaj described the attack as "a clear indication" of the authorities' failure to protect religious sites. "Maharaj said the attack was 'a clear indication' that those in authority had failed in preventing the desecration of mandirs," he reported during his address at the mandir.

"We have said before and we say again that we are of the firm belief that these acts are targeted...it did not happen by any coincidence. We have echoed in the past that these are acts of sacrilege and desecration. And you look at it, all indications, no attempt to have the place robbed as we say, to enter into the inner parts of the mandir and it’s clearly not a robbery but clearly a well-organised act," stated a community spokesperson, reiterating the sentiment that these incidents are not random but are intentional attacks on their places of worship.

While the community respects the rule of law and the processes it entails, there is a growing impatience and concern over the lack of results from past investigations into similar incidents. He said while he left the 'law of the land' to take its 'natural course', he hoped the matter would not be ignored.

"We do hope that something will come out of this particular incident because all the incidents that occurred before nothing has really materialised out of those in terms of anyone being brought to justice or charged,'" he expressed, highlighting a desperate need for effective law enforcement and judicial actions following these violations.

The gravity of the situation was underscored by the response of the United National Congress (UNC), one of the major political parties in Trinidad and Tobago. After being contacted for comment, the party acknowledged the incident and condemned the vandalism, signaling a political awareness and disapproval of the acts. "The Express yesterday reached out to the United National Congress (UNC) for comment. In response, the party said it were aware of the incident and condemned the attack," reported a local news outlet, indicating a level of political engagement with the issue.

This incident is not isolated. The Hindu community has suffered similar attacks in the past, with the most notable recent incident occurring last December at the Munroe Road Temple. During that attack, donation boxes containing cash and gold jewelry placed on Hundi murtis were stolen, further proving that these attacks can sometimes involve theft, though the primary intent often seems to be the desecration of sacred items and spaces. 

On the 15th of October last year, the Kali Maa Temple in Carli Bay was subjected to a severe act of desecration when acid was reportedly poured on the floor and the statue of Kali Maa itself. This shocking event is part of a disturbing pattern of attacks targeting Hindu temples across the region.

In the same month, further vandalism was reported at the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha (SDMS) D’Abadie Maha Vishnu Mandir on Mausica Road. These acts of vandalism are increasingly alarming the Hindu community, prompting calls for more robust security measures.

Another significant incident occurred last October at the Pranavananda Ashram on Temple Street off Beaucarro Road in Freeport. During the celebration of the Navratri festival, specifically while the Kanya Kumari pooja was being performed, assailants hurled stones and other objects from the temple’s rooftop. This violent act not only disrupted the religious ceremony but also resulted in the damage of five vehicles parked nearby.

This series of targeted attacks culminated in widespread outrage within the Hindu community and broader society in Trinidad and Tobago. Opposition MP Indra Singh characterized these events as the "latest anti-Hindu attack in South Couva." This statement came shortly after an attack on the popular Ramleela site at Tarouba Recreation Grounds, where attackers not only stole tents but also destroyed props used in the Ramleela production. Earlier, in September, the Williamsville Hindu temple had also been vandalized.

On the 28th of September 2022, the Hindu community in Trinidad faced another egregious attack when the Kali Mata temple in Carli Bay, Couva, was targeted by vandals. The assailants forcefully entered the temple during the night, committing acts of desecration against the sacred space. The idol of Goddess Kali was not only damaged but also disrespectfully smeared with olive oil. Adding to the severity of the assault, the attackers left a provocative message on the temple walls, referencing a biblical verse with implications critical of non-Christian faiths. The message, 'Read Exodus 20:3-4', was scrawled in big red letters on the outer walls, an act that seems to convey a warning against idolatry according to the perpetrators' interpretation of Christian texts.

This distressing incident occurred shortly after another Hindu temple experienced similar hostility. Just a week prior, on the night of 22 September 2022, the Ganesh Mandir in Penal also suffered vandalism. There, the statue of Ganesh was broken, and various garments adorning other deities were removed and strewn about. The vandals left behind a cigarette butt, an act of disrespect that compounded the sense of violation felt by the community.

These consecutive attacks on Hindu temples underscore a disturbing pattern of religiously motivated vandalism that not only damages physical property but deeply wounds the spiritual and communal harmony of Trinidad's diverse population. The specificity of the attacks, marked by the desecration of religious icons and scriptures, points to an underlying intent to intimidate and offend the Hindu community.

The recurrence of such incidents within a short span highlights an urgent need for local authorities to strengthen their efforts in protecting religious minorities and their places of worship. It also calls for an inclusive dialogue among community leaders across religious divides to address and mitigate the root causes of such intolerance and prevent future occurrences. The Hindu community, while shaken by these events, continues to call for peace and mutual respect among all religious groups in Trinidad and Tobago.