![\"VHP](\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/thumb\/msid-130555853,imgsize-48138,width-400,height-225,resizemode-4\/vhp-flags-minority-atrocities-to-unga-chief-ahead-of-india-visit-.jpg\" "\\"<p>VHP")
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nVHP flags minority \u2018atrocities\u2019 to UNGA chief ahead of India visit <\/p>\n
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NEW DELHI: A day ahead of UN General Assembly president Annalena Baerbock\u2019s visit to India, the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) has written to her flagging what it termed \u201cpersistent atrocities\u201d against religious minorities in Pakistan and Bangladesh, seeking urgent intervention from the United Nations.In a letter dated April 27, VHP international president Alok Kumar cited instances of forced conversions, violence and systemic discrimination targeting Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists and Christians. \u201cThe scale and persistence of these grave human rights violations point to systemic discrimination,\u201d he wrote, urging the UN to take \u201caffirmative action to safeguard the lives, the rights, the dignity and the properties of minorities\u201d.Referring to findings of UN human rights experts, the letter said that in Pakistan, \u201cabout 75% of the women and girls affected by forced conversion through marriage were Hindu and 25% Christian,\u201d with \u201calmost 80% of incidents\u201d occurring in Sindh province. \u201cAdolescent girls between 14 and 18 are particularly targeted\u2026 Women and girls\u2026 face coercion\u2026 abuse and severe trauma,\u201d it noted. It added that authorities often \u201cdismiss complaints\u2026 fail to investigate or prosecute\u2026 or neglect to properly assess the age of victims\u201d.On Bangladesh, the VHP cited reports submitted to the UN Human Rights Council, stating that \u201cfrom the 4th to the 20th of August, 2024 alone\u2026 2,010 incidents of communal violence\u201d were recorded, \u201cpredominantly targeting Hindus\u201d. The letter also referred to concerns over the safety of indigenous communities in the Chittagong Hill Tracts region.Kumar said assurances of equal rights to minorities post-Partition had \u201cunfortunately\u2026 reversed\u201d, alleging continued persecution. The VHP has sought an independent international investigation, a victim protection mechanism, and accountability under international law.Copies were marked to UN secretary-general Ant\u00f3nio Guterres, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and external affairs minister S. Jaishankar.<\/div>\n