Iskcon Kolkata asks Bangladesh monks to ‘avoid saffron clothes’ & ‘hide tilak’ amid attacks on Hindus

Iskcon Kolkata vice-president and spokesperson Radharamn Das issued the advisory

Amid growing incidents of violence against Hindu minorities in Bangladesh, Iskcon Kolkata has advised its colleagues and followers in the neighbouring country to wipe off tilak, hide the tulsi beads they wear around their necks, cover their heads and avoid wearing saffron. Iskcon Kolkata vice-president and spokesperson Radharamn Das issued the advisory, according to a report by Times of India.

“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," the report quoted a statement by Radharamn Das.

“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," it added.

The advisory came after a spate of attacks on minorities including on the Hindu community in Bangladesh in the last few months. On Monday, Radharamn Das claimed that advocate Ramen Roy, who had defended Bangladesh's Hindu monk Chinmoy Krishna Prabhu in a legal case there, was brutally attacked in the neighbouring country and is fighting for his life in a hospital.

According to Das, Roy's only "fault" was defending Prabhu in court, and a group of Islamists ransacked his home.

The attack left Roy critically injured, and he is currently in the ICU, fighting for his life, ISKCON Kolkata spokesperson claimed.

“Please pray for Advocate Ramen Roy. His only 'fault' was defending Chinmoy Krishna Prabhu in court. Islamists ransacked his home and brutally attacked him, leaving him in the ICU, fighting for his life. #SaveBangladeshiHindus #FreeChinmoyKrishnaPrabhu,” he posted on X along with a picture of Roy in ICU.

Chinmoy Krishna, who served as a spokesperson for Bangladesh Sammilita Sanatani Jagran Jote, was arrested at Dhaka's Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport while en route to Chattogram to attend a rally.

He was denied bail and sent to jail by a court in the neighbouring country.