Sheena Patel reports on some of the issues surrounding one of the most emotive and longstanding issues for Hindus in the UK.

In the last month, a long-standing and emotional issue for British Hindus and Sikhs entered the national press, namely the pressure that many Hindus and Sikhs, especially young women, undergo to change their religion to Islam.

The London Metro, Daily Times, Daily Mail and 'This Is London', amongst several other papers carried articles on the issue of religious intimidation of Hindus and Sikhs by certain sections of the Muslim community, particularly with regards to 'conversion pressure tactics.'

The story was picked up as a result of the 'Hindu Security Conference', which took place last month, during which the police agreed to pay more attention to Hindu concerns. At the conference, it was alleged by some delegates that there is a widespread and systematic attempt to convert Hindu and Sikh women, and that in many cases there was considerable monetary reward for Muslim men who managed to do this.

Muslim organisations, as well as the selectively vocal civil liberties group, 'Awaaz South Asia Watch' (Awaaz SAW), responded angrily to the publication of the story in national newspapers, as well as by the support that police chief Sir Ian Blair had given to the Hindus who raised these concerns. They said that the issue of "aggressive religious conversions" is being blown out of proportion, as there is no real evidence that they represent a wide spread problem.

Time to talk facts

Last year, Hindu Voice UK carried a real life story from a young lady, Natasha Jalota, who had been the victim of such "pressure to convert", which had severely affected her life. This story turned out to be hugely influential, representing the first time a first hand account of a victim had been published. To date, the article has had over 250,000 page views, and has been republished in numerous publications, including The Times, who did so without our permission or acknowledgement. The presence of this story has gone some way in silencing critics who challenge the Hindu community to produce real-life examples.

The issue of systematic efforts to convert young vulnerable Hindus through pressure and intimidation is a big concern amongst Hindus. Virtually every Hindu will know of some examples of this first hand.

The need of the hour is to actually encourage the individuals who have suffered in this way to some forward, so that accurate data can be collected, as well as appropriate networks be offered for affected people to discuss their problems and gain support from.

Unfortunately, the organisations, who organised the 'Hindu Security Conference', have done nothing to help in this direction. Their allegations at the conference were based on popular Hindu perception and hearsay, but little real homework. While there may be much truth to some of their allegations, they need to work towards actually documenting their evidence as well as providing confidential support networks to actually help young Hindu women who may be facing such situations.

Otherwise, their comments will serve as to create momentary hysteria, but have no substance, and their intentions can hardly appear to be sincere rather aiming to grab a bit of media and political limelight. Furthermore, it will be easy for Hindu-unfriendly groups such as 'Awaaz SAW' to make a mockery of any Hindu concerns, dismissing them as exaggerations.