Hindu religious procession attacked with stone pelting while passing through Muslim-dominated area
Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, India 
14 October, 2023
Case Summary
A Ram Baraat procession was organised in Uttar Pradesh's Aligarh district. Stones were pelted at the procession and the attendees were attacked with iron rods by members of the Muslim community. The incident took place on the first day of Navratri. Every year, Hindus organise Ram Baraat on the first day of Navratri. However, the procession was attacked. Several people were reportedly injured. The attackers came armed with sticks and swords and targeted the Hindus in the procession. Angry Hindus gathered before the Chandos police station and demanded immediate action. A FIR was filed by the police based on the complaint, and one person was arrested.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
The outward celebration and display of religious symbols in an intrinsic part of Hinduism. Religious processions on various festivals are age-old traditions and a way to manifest faith and form a part of the religious practices of Hindus. On several occasions, such religious processions come under attack by non-Hindu mobs, in a manifestation of their animosity towards Hinduism and their practices. The reasons cited for such violent attacks are many and range from crossing a non-Hindu resident-dominated area to playing loud music, crossing from an area where there is a religious structure of another faith etc. The violent attacks are triggered by the outward display of religiosity by Hindus. The attacks are mainly a manifestation of religious supremacist doctrine which believes that idolatry, essentially the Hindu faith, is one that deserves to be annihilated since the very tenets of Hinduism, its practices and traditions are considered a sin in those doctrines. Since these attacks emanate from intrinsic and doctrinal animosity towards Hindus and Hinduism, it is considered a religiously motivated hate crime under this category. The other sub-category this case is being added to is 'attacked for crossing Muslim area'. One of the reasons that Hindus get attacked unprovoked specifically by Islamists is for crossing ‘Muslim areas’. Essentially, Muslim mobs often attack Hindus crossing or present in certain areas which have a majority Muslim population. It has often been cited as one of the reasons to blame Hindus for attacks against themselves, signalling that Hindus displaying religious symbols, taking our religious processions or crossing any area which is dominated by Muslim residents is a provocation in and of itself. These areas are mostly ghettoized areas where mobs mobilize quickly to attack Hindus for a variety of reasons like playing music during a religious procession, crossing a mosque, wearing a tilak or any other religious symbol in a Muslim-dominated area, praying at a local temple in that area etc. There have been cases where the few local Hindus of that area have been attacked on their way to the Temple for prayers as well, simply because the area is considered a Muslim-dominated area. Several times, it is entirely possible that the immediate trigger for the violence against Hindus was non-religious in nature, however, the violence became religiously motivated in nature because the area was Muslim dominated and the residents on the whole harboured animosity towards Hindus, evidenced from the actions of the mob, the slogans, and the nature of the attack. Such crimes are motivated by the religious identity of the victims and are therefore classified as hate crimes under this category. In this instance, the Hindus participating in a religious procession being taken out on the festival of Navratri, a major Hindu festival dedicated to the worship of the goddess Durga and her various forms and celebrated over nine nights across India, were brutally attacked by a group of Muslims. It is important to note that there was no initial provocation from the Hindu side. In fact, it was the Islamists who were offended by the Hindus celebrating their festival. Given that the fundamental motivation behind these actions is contempt for the Hindu religion, this instance has been added to the tracker under the following category.
Case Status
Case sub-judice
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
From 10 to 100
Perpetrators Gender
unknown
Sources 
