Will the Minister of EXTERNAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state:-

(a) whether incidents of discrimination against Hindus in South Asian countries are on the rise and if so, the details thereof;

(b) whether the Hindus, Sikhs and other minorities in Bangladesh and Pakistan are being discriminated against all matters and women are being forced to undergo religious conversion and if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether the Bangladesh Government has made Muslim occupation of Hindu proper ties lawful vide Vested Properties Return (Amendment) Bill, 2011 and if so, the det ails thereof;

(d) whether incidents of occupation of Hindu properties have gone up thereafter;

(e) if so, the details thereof; and

(f) the steps taken by the Government in this regard?
ANSWER : THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS (SHRIMATI PRENEET KAUR)

(a) & (b) Government is aware of reports regarding incidents of unfair treatment to members of minority groups, including Hindus, residing in Bangladesh. Similarly, Government has from time to time also come across reports on the problems faced by members of the minority communities in Pakistan. Incidents of persecution and intimid ation of the Hindus and Sikhs have also been reported.

(c) to (e) The Parliament of Bangladesh has passed the Vested Property Return (Amendment) Bill-2011 in November 2011 for restoring the properties seized from minority groups. The Government of Bangladesh is formulating rules for implement ation of the Act.

(f) It is the responsibility of the Governments of Bangladesh and Pakistan to discharge their obligations towards their citizens, including minorities. The Government of Bangladesh has reiterated its commitment to safeguarding minority rights. Based on reports of persecution of minority groups in Pakistan, Government had also taken up the matter with the Government of Pakistan. The Government of Pakistan had stated that it was fully cognizant of the situation and looked after the welfare of all its citizens, particularly the minority community.

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Miscellaneous

South Asia