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Indo-Americans are critical of frequent occurrences of deadly stampedes at religious gatherings in India.

Indo-American statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, said that although India was on track to become a global power but it had yet to come up with a foolproof plan to manage large crowds.

Zed, who is Chairperson of Indo-American Leadership Confederation, was expressing grief over the loss of lives at November eight stampede tragedy at centenary celebrations involving Mahayagya in Haridwar (Uttarakhand) on Ganga bank reportedly claiming 20 lives and injuries to about 60 people in an estimated gathering of up to two million.

India failed or refused to learn lessons from the previous stampedes as these continued to happen. It was blight on a country, which prided herself on having joined the league of hottest growth economies, Rajan Zed pointed out.

According to reports, about 1,000 lives have been lost at stampedes at religious gatherings in India during the last decade. Last such melee was around Sabarimala (Kerala) shrine in January last, killing over 104 pilgrims and injuring many others. Other such tragedies happened in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra during the past decade.

Suffocation and panic were reportedly some of the causes of tragedy. A magisterial probe has reportedly been ordered into the mishap and the five-day event, which began November six, has been curtailed. Haridwar is among India’s most popular pilgrim destinations.

Hindus want anti-Gypsy textbook withdrawn in Czech Republic

Hindus want immediate withdrawal of a primary school textbook of Czech Republic, which reportedly stereotypes Roma (Gypsies) and is offensive.

Current edition of ÄŒítanka, a textbook for second-year Czech primary school students, reportedly stereotyped Roma as ‘dirty, thieving Gypsies’.

Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, said that the reported labeling of Roma as ‘dirty, thieving Gypsies’ was clearly a case of racial stereotyping and was not acceptable.

Mother telling her child—that Gypsies stink and steal and the child should not play with Gypsy boys—in a primary school textbook would send wrong signals to the children’s minds at an impressionable age, Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, stressed.

Rajan Zed urged that in future the material of all school textbooks in Czech Republic should be pre-screened and monitored before publishing to make sure that Roma minority was not stereotyped. Moreover, some books in the Rainbow School project in primary schools in Moravian-Silesian region also reportedly contained anti-Roma material bordering on racism and should be immediately replaced.

Zed argued that Roma people in Czech Republic reportedly faced violent attacks, stereotyping, racism, prejudice, growing gap between Roma and other Czechs, fear, beatings, poor quality housing, systemic employment and overall discrimination, persecution, throwing of Molotov cocktails, social exclusion, segregated schools, forced sterilization,  marginalization; refused service at restaurants, stores, discos, etc.; municipalities/towns failing to support them; and the state being unwilling or unable to offer protection.

Rajan Zed pointed out that the country of Franz Kafka, Antonin Dvorak, Jaroslav Hasek, Karlovy Vary, and rich cultural heritage should not continue staying apathetic and silent spectator ignoring Roma apartheid. Vaclav Klaus and Petr Necas are President and Prime Minister respectively of Czech Republic.