Washington, Jul 9: A prominent advocacy organisation for the Hindu American community yesterday urged the Indian government to provide ample security to places of pilgrimage throughout the country, a day after 10 low-intensity serial blasts rocked the historic Mahabodhi temple at Bodh Gaya in India.
“We are highly disturbed by this callous attack on Bodh Gaya and pray for the speedy recovery of those injured,” said Swaminathan Venkataraman, director of India strategic relations of the Hindu American Foundation (HAF) here. “Although the temple itself was not damaged, we call on the Indian authorities to quickly seek out those responsible and bring them to justice,” he said.
Samir Kalra, HAF director and senior human rights fellow said, “It is imperative for the Indian government to provide ample security to places of pilgrimage throughout the country”.
“Additionally, we hope that temple and pilgrimage site administrators will heed warnings from government officials in an effort to prevent such attacks,” he said. Near coordinated ten low-intensity serial explosions inside and outside Mahabodhi Temple complex early morning yesterday left two monks injured.
The temple's sanctum sanctorum and the Bodhi Tree, under which Lord Buddha is believed to have attained enlightenment, did not suffer any damage in the blasts which shook the holy town frequented by lakhs Buddhist pilgrims from Sri Lanka, China, Japan and the whole of southeast Asia each year.
