The Wire downplays Udaipur stabbing of Hindu boy by Muslim classmate calling it "injury", blames Hindu groups for "communalising" the incident
Udaipur, Rajasthan, India 
19 August, 2024
Case Summary
On August 19, a Hindu student named Devraj who had been stabbed by his Muslim classmate in Udaipur, Rajasthan, succumbed to his injuries, leading to unrest in the city. In response, authorities imposed Section 144 to maintain order. However, the news outlet The Wire downplayed the incident, describing the stabbing as merely an "injury." On the same day the student's death was confirmed, The Wire published a report focusing on the demolition of the house where the attacker's family lived, framing the issue as one of injustice against the Muslim homeowner. The report also accused Hindu organisations of giving the incident a "communal colour" and criticised the "bulldozer action" taken against the property. The report titled “‘Is This Justice?’: Muslim Auto Driver’s House Bulldozed After Tenant’s Minor Son Injures Classmate” started with how the owner of the house bought the property and then saw it getting demolished on August 17. It said, “The dispute between the minor accused (a Muslim) and the minor victim (a Hindu) – both students of class 10 – had turned communal after Hindu outfits staged massive protests.” Hours after the report was published, the Hindu boy died in the hospital because of the injuries. Despite the student's death, The Wire did not update its report, instead continuing to emphasise the communal tensions and the actions against the Muslim homeowner in subsequent coverage. The report titled “Udaipur Stabbing: Victim Boy Cremated Amid Tight Security, Administration Appeals for Peace” again blamed Hindu organisations not only for giving it a "communal angle" but also for the "bulldozer action" against the owner of the house where the family of the attacker lived as tenants.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
The case highlights a troubling example of media bias and downplaying of violence against Hindus. The prime category under which this case has been placed is- Hate speech against Hindus. Under this, the sub-category and tertiary category selected are- Anti Hindu subversion and prejudice and Anti-Hindu Fake News or Downplaying respectively. Hate speech is defined as any speech, gesture, conduct, writing, or display that is prejudicial against a specific individual and/or group of people, which is leading to or may lead to violence, prejudicial action or hate against that individual and/or group. Media plays a specific and overarching reach in perpetuating prejudicial attitudes towards a community owing to unfair, untrue coverage and/or misrepresentation/misinterpretation, selective coverage and/or omission of facts of/pertaining to issues affecting a specific religious group. This type of bias can dehumanise the victim group, making it easier for others to justify harmful actions against them, which aligns with the objectives of hate speech laws aimed at preventing such harm. It is often observed that the media takes a prejudicial stand against the Hindu community driven by their need to shield the aggressor community which happens to be a numeric minority, however, is the one perpetrating violence against Hindus. For example, the media is often quick to contextualise religiously motivated crimes against Hindus, omit or misrepresent facts that point towards religiously motivated hate crimes, justify and/or downplay religiously motivated hate crimes or simply present fake news to stereotype Hindus. Such media bias leads to the denial of persecution and is often used to dehumanise Hindus, leading to justification for violence against them. For example, the media covered several fake allegations of Hindus targeting Muslims and forcing them to chant Jai Shree Ram. Most of these cases were proved false and fabricated after police investigation. These fake news reports were subsequently never retracted or clarified. Such fake news led to the justification of violence and dehumanisation of Hindus based on the argument that since Hindus targeted Muslims and forced them to chant Jai Shree Ram, the dehumanisation of Hindus and violence against them was par for the course and merely a retaliation. Such media bias leads to prejudicial portrayal of Hindus and offers a justification for violence against them and therefore, is considered hate speech under this category. The initial stabbing of Devraj by his Muslim classmate, which ultimately led to Devraj's death, was a grievous incident. However, the media outlet The Wire’s coverage of the event minimized the severity of the crime and shifted focus away from the loss of Hindu life, downplaying it as a mere injury. The Wire portrayed the incident as a mere dispute between two minors, rather than as a hate crime rooted in religious animosity. This exemplifies the manipulation of media to obscure the true nature of the attack. Further, The Wire emphasised the demolition of the house where the attacker’s family resided—while largely disregarding the victim's death. This demonstrated a clear bias. It framed the issue as one of injustice toward the Muslim homeowner, portraying the incident as being largely driven by Hindu protests, rather than focusing on the violence inflicted on the Hindu student. The protest by the Hindu organisations was a result of the brutal murder of the Hindu boy by a minor Muslim perpetrator. TheWire, instead of focussing on the murder, turned the protest against the murder a reason for communal strife, thereby turning the victims into aggressors and the aggressors into victims. This dehumanises the victim and delegitimises persecution. This distorted coverage could be seen as a tactic to divert attention from the actual religiously motivated attack on a Hindu student and redirect the focus to the so-called injustice against the Muslim perpetrator’s family. Such biased media framing reflects a deeper prejudice against Hindus and this is why this case has been added to the tracker.
Case Status
Unknown
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Others
Perpetrators Range
N/A
Perpetrators Gender
unknown
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