The seventh of October, 2023 will go down in history as one of the darkest days for humanity. On that morning, the world awoke to scenes of sheer barbarity as Hamas-led terrorists launched a massive assault on southern Israel. What unfolded was not a battle, but a massacre — a blood-soaked pogrom executed with unbridled savagery. Over 1,200 innocent men, women and children were slaughtered. Families were burned alive in their homes. Young girls were dragged, humiliated and paraded as trophies of jihad. Old men and toddlers alike were butchered without mercy. And as if the rivers of blood were not enough, 251 innocent people were abducted, dragged across the border into the terror dungeons of Gaza.
The civilized world looked on in shock. For Israel, it was its 9/11 and 26/11 combined. The Jewish people, scarred by centuries of persecution, were once again forced to bury their dead while praying for the release of the hostages. Across Israel and the Jewish diaspora worldwide, a movement began — small yellow ribbons pinned to jackets, millions of posters pasted on walls and held at protests, all demanding one simple thing: “Bring them Home.”
But while the world knew the names of the hostages, while families in Tel Aviv stood under tents holding on to fading hope, one name remained shrouded in silence, unspoken in Bharat, unrecognised in our media, and unacknowledged by our so-called “civil society.” That name is Bipin Joshi.
Who is Bipin Joshi?
It’s unfortunate that many in Bharat — from some of the mainstream journalists to social media warriors many will be hearing this name for the first time today. Bipin Joshi is not an Israeli. He is not a Jew. He is not an American. He is one of our own — a young Hindu boy from Nepal. Nepal, which until recently was the world’s only, declared Hindu nation.
Bipin Joshi, a bright ambitious agriculture student who had travelled to Israel in September 2023 as part of a training programme at Kibbutz Alumim is fading in oblivion. He went there with dreams, not weapons. He went there to learn farming techniques, not to fight wars. But on October 7, his life was shattered when Hamas terrorists stormed the kibbutz.
Seventeen, Nepali Hindu students were caught in the crossfire. Ten of them were butchered on the spot. The remaining begged for mercy, crying out in English: “Please don’t kill us, we are Nepali students!” But mercy has no place in the dictionary of jihad. Amidst the carnage, Bipin Joshi was dragged away by the Hamas gunmen and kidnapped into Gaza.
His last known appearance was a chilling video from November, where he was seen being taken into Gaza’s Shifa Hospital by his captors. Since then, there has been only silence — an endless, painful void. His parents, his 17-year-old sister Pushpa, his community and indeed an entire nation are left to wonder: Is Bipin even alive?
Why the Silence?
And yet, the bigger tragedy is not just Hamas’ cruelty — but our indifference. While the world wears yellow ribbons, Bharat remains mute. While Jewish artists across continents create viral campaigns for hostages, Bharat’s artists, film stars and the so called activists of human rights have maintained a deafening silence.
Ask yourself: Had Bipin been a Muslim youth from Bharat or Nepal, would the reaction have been the same?
Would candle marches not be staged from JNU to Gateway of India? Would Swara-Bhaskars and comrades not scream themselves hoarse about “human rights”? Would our “liberal” media not hold prime-time debates?
But Bipin is a Hindu boy. And so his fate does not matter to the elites who only find their voice when it suits their political narrative. Even Hindu organizations, which should have been at the forefront, have been far too quiet. Where are the protests outside the Palestinian Embassy in New Delhi? Where are the dharnas by global Hindu diaspora? Why is there no diplomatic campaign, no coordinated pressure, no international outrage from our side?
If Martin Luther King Jr. could say that “Injustice anywhere is injustice everywhere,” why does this truth not apply when a Hindu is the victim of Islamist-Jehadi terror?
What Hamas Tells Us
Let us be clear: Hamas did not kidnap Bipin because he was Nepali. They kidnapped him because he was a kafir. For Hamas, the word “non-believer” is enough reason to enslave, torture and kill. Bipin’s captivity is a reminder that the ideology of jihad does not see nationality — it only sees religion.
And yet, instead of demanding his release, the world appeases Hamas. And Bharat looks away.
A Call to Conscience
October 7 should not just be remembered as Israel’s tragedy. It should be remembered as Nepal’s tragedy. As Bharat’s tragedy. As a Hindu tragedy. Bipin Joshi’s fate is tied to all of us who call ourselves Sanatanis. If the life of even one Hindu youth can be so cheaply ignored, then what does it say about our collective strength?
It is time we wake up. It is time the Government of Bharat, Hindu organizations and global Hindu voices unite to demand: “Free Bipin Joshi.” It is time we stage protests, launch campaigns, flood social media and ensure that Bipin Joshi’s name is not forgotten. Because if we cannot stand for him today, then tomorrow, when another Hindu child is targeted by the jihadist terror, we will have no moral right to ask: “Why us?”
The world is watching. Israel is fighting. The Jews are demanding their hostages back. And Bharat? Bharat must answer whether Bipin Joshi matters.
Civilizational Duty — A Wake-Up Call for Hindus
The case of Bipin Joshi is not an isolated tragedy. It is a mirror held up to all of us. For centuries, Sanatan Dharma has faced waves of assaults — from Islamic invasions to colonial loot, from forced conversions to temple destructions. And yet, our greatest weakness has not been the sword of the enemy, but the silence of the Hindu.
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has always reminded us that Bharat is not merely a nation-state; it is a civilizational nation, a living embodiment of Sanatan Dharma. The Sangh has taught us that Hindu awakening is the key to global balance. When Hindus forget this duty, when we look away from our brothers and sisters in distress, we invite history to repeat itself — one silent victim at a time.
Bipin Joshi’s captivity is not just his family’s pain. It is a test of our collective Hindu conscience. If we cannot even raise our voice for a helpless Hindu youth languishing in the dungeons of jihad, then what future awaits our civilization?
The world must hear, loud and clear, from Bharat and from Hindus everywhere: “Free Bipin Joshi.” Let this name become a rallying cry. Let protests erupt outside embassies. Let the Hindu diaspora carry his photograph in every march. Let our youth in campuses, our thinkers, our organizations and our temples make it impossible for the world to ignore him.
Because make no mistake — every ignored Hindu victim is a warning. Every silence we choose today strengthens those who seek our extinction.
The Sangh has always said: “Hindu ekatmata hi rashtra ki shakti hai” — Hindu unity is the nation’s strength. If Hindus across Bharat and the globe cannot unite for Bipin Joshi, then we must ask ourselves: what will it take to awaken us?
History will judge us, not by our speeches, but by our actions. Bipin Joshi’s fate is a litmus test. Either we awaken as a civilizational force, or we perish silently, one Bipin at a time.
