RAWALPINDI, Sept 24: The small Hindu community of the garrison city congregated for their weekly `puja` at Krishna Mandir on Tuesday rather fearful.

More than 100 of them turned up for the `puja` but were astonished to see no police protection that the federal and provincial governments had been announcing since the massacre of Christians in Peshawar two days earlier.

So the temple managers just locked the temple`s door and deployed five congregants outside to keep a vigil.

They demanded that the gov-ernment leaders honour their promise and arrange security for `the only Hindu worship place in the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad, at least on Tuesdays when mass congregation is held`.

Talking to Dawn, the president of the Pakistan HinduSikh Social Welfare Council Jag Mohan Arora, lashed out at the government and the Evacuee Trust Property Board for not having done that so far.

`A few months back, the Cantonment Police Station officers visited us and asked us to install Close Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras inside and outside the temple and hire private security guards for protection, he said.

`In June, the SHO of Cantonment Police Station wrote a letter advising us the same.

Since the poor Hindu community could not afford the costs involved, we forwarded the letter to the Evacuee Trust Property Board for compliance. We received no response from the board,` he added, reminding that the temple is controlled by the Evacuee Trust Property Board.

`They (the board) earn millions in rent from the Hindu evacuee property in the (Rawalpindi) district but can`t spare any money for improving the Krishna Mandir, Mr Arora said.

Just one watchman guards the temple and one priest attends to all the worshipers, who come from as far away as Sindh, according to him.

Though the Hindu community felt more insecure in the wake of the Peshawartragedy, he said more Hindus gathered at Krishna Mandir on Tuesday for `puja` than usual.

`We are Pakistani by birth and deserve same rights as enjoyed by other Pakistanis.

But sadly the government is reluctant to give us our due rights and protect us,` said Mr Arora. Jehangir Das, a Hindu resident of Saddar, said the poor and small Hindu community felt discriminated.

`Security has been increased for the other (minority) communities but not for the Hindus. Are we not Pakistani,` he asked.

Sonia Kaur, a woman offering `puja` at the temple, said her community members had started hiding their religious identity in fear of Peshawar like incident.

`To visit temple is a religious command for us but most of us visit it only occasionally during shopping trips,` she said.

Another young Hindu citizen, Raj Kumar, said that in front of others his family calls him only by his nickname Bilu to hide his Hindu identity.

`My mother phones me thrice a day to check I am well and safe,` he said.