Source: Belarusian News Agency, Belapan
MINSK, RUSSIA, August 24, 2002: Twelve members of the unregistered Hindu Siva-Sakti community, the Light of Kailash, held an unauthorized picket between 13:00 and 13:40 on August 17 at the intersection of Frantsysk Skaryna Avenue and Lenin Street and then in October Square in Minsk. They protested against religious oppression, singing mantras (prayers) and holding slogans “No to state Orthodox terror,” “Freedom for religious minorities,” “Freedom for Hinduism,” “Hands off religious minorities” and “Praise Siva and Sakti.” As the leader of the Light of Kailash community, Tatstsyana Akadanava, told Belapan in an interview, the Constitution of the Republic of Belarus enshrines freedom of religion. Nevertheless, their community is being subjected to persecution. Thus, on August 13 they tried to hold a religious service in a park in Matusevich Street in Minsk, but the police arrested 19 of their members. For almost 48 hours, 14 of them had been held in the remand centre of the Minsk city executive committee’s directorate of the interior. Then a trial took place. Fifteen members of the community were found guilty of holding an unauthorized march and fined a total of $3,000. Tatstsyana Akadanava said that only five traditional religions can develop freely here, while all the others have been labeled sects, including Hinduism. According to her, the community has been trying to register for five years, but has failed. “The main reason for the refusal is that we have no church. But we cannot build a church because we are not registered,” the community head said.