UK Hindu groups dismiss SOAS report on 2022 Leicester riots that blamed Hindus and ‘Hindutva’

Hindu groups in the United Kingdom have dismissed the findings of a new SOAS inquiry that seeks to blame the followers of the religion of Hinduism and the ideology of ‘Hindutva’ for the 2022 Leicester communal violence.

The Hindu organisations have alleged that the inquiry report, named ‘Better Together’ and published Monday, unfairly puts the blame on Hindus and Hindutva for much of the riots while ignoring attacks on the Hindu community.

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The inquiry was conducted by an independent commission led by academics from SOAS (School of Oriental and African Studies) University of London, along with the London School of Economics (LSE) and the Monitoring Group.

The Hindu groups have raised concerns about the probe’s impartiality, funding, and even its constitution.

The Hindu Community Organisations Group (HCOG), Leicester, which claims to represent over 50,000 Hindus, said most of the Hindu groups had not taken part in the so-called ‘Independent Commission of Inquiry’.

The report mentions that the inquiry was funded by the Open Society Foundations.

According to HCOG, billionaire philanthropist George Soros, who it said has critical views “on India and Hindus”, gave funding of GBP 620,000 to the inquiry panel.

The Hindu group said the funding raised questions on impartiality of the inquiry and its findings.

HCOG said in a statement that the findings do not show the true picture of the Leicester violence, during which Hindu homes, temples and individuals were attacked.

The group alleged the inquiry highlighted “unverified claims” while downplaying the above-mentioned incidents.

During the violence, sections of both Hindu and Muslim communities were involved in clashes. The rioting led to arrests, injuries and heightened communal tension in the region. The rioting was blamed on local grievances, social media amplification, and disputes linked to a cricket match between India and Pakistan.

It may be noted that while the inquiry panel, which was chaired by human rights expert Professor Juan Mendez, did not particularly blame any community for the unrest, it did blame Hindus and Hindutva, with a full chapter written on the latter.