'Don't wear saffron and tilak': ISKCON Kolkata to Bangladesh monks amid rising attacks on Hindus

ISKCON Kolkata has issued safety advisories for its monks and followers in Bangladesh amidst growing violence against Hindu minorities and ISKCON members. Radharamn Das, Vice-President of ISKCON Kolkata, has urged members to practice their faith indoors and exercise extreme caution when outside.

Kolkata: ISKCON Kolkata has advised its members and followers in Bangladesh to refrain from displaying saffron attire, wearing tulsi beads, applying tilak, or leaving their heads uncovered to avoid potential conflicts amid rising tensions in the country. These precautions come in response to increasing violence against Hindu minorities and ISKCON monks in Bangladesh.

Radharamn Das, the vice-president of ISKCON Kolkata, stated that he is advising monks and members of the organization to continue practicing their faith within temples and homes, while urging them to exercise extreme caution when venturing outside.

"I have been advising all monks and members that in this hour of crisis, they must be very careful to protect themselves and avoid conflict. I have suggested they avoid wearing saffron clothes and vermilion on their foreheads. If they feel the need to wear saffron strings, they should wear them in a manner that remains hidden inside clothes and not visible around necks. If possible, they should also cover their heads. In short, they should take every possible measure that doesn't stand out as monks," said Das as quoted by TOI.

Das mentioned that the advisories were issued after several monks and ISKCON members were reportedly threatened and attacked in public over the past week. Additionally, 63 ISKCON monks, all Bangladeshi nationals dressed in saffron, were blocked from crossing into India by Bangladesh immigration between Saturday and Sunday, despite many others being allowed to pass.

ISKCON monks in Bangladesh have been facing attacks following the arrest of Hindu leader Chinmoy Krishna Das on sedition charges. Two of his junior disciples, who had gone to deliver medicine to him, were also detained. Additionally, Das mentioned that Chinmoy's secretary has been unreachable by phone.

The incident occurs amidst growing scrutiny of ISKCON in Bangladesh. On November 27, Hindu leader and ISKCON spokesperson Chinmoy Krishna Das was arrested at Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on charges of sedition. Authorities accused him and others of raising a saffron flag above the Bangladeshi national flag during an October 25 rally in Chattogram.

Das’s arrest has sparked protests among his supporters, culminating in violent clashes in Chattogram, which led to the death of a lawyer. In response, Bangladeshi authorities froze the bank accounts of 17 individuals associated with ISKCON, including Das, for a 30-day period.