4 Muslim men stab a Hindu family over setting up a Puja Mandap near Dargah, declare they want to kill them because of religious identity

Case ID : 0b67663 | Location : Rajkot, Gujarat, India | Date of Incident : Sat, 3 August, 2024

Case ID : 0b67663

Rajkot, Gujarat, India

3 August, 2024

4 Muslim men stab a Hindu family over setting up a Puja Mandap near Dargah, declare they want to kill them because of religious identity

Attack not resulting in death

Attack against Hindu devotees

Case Summary

In Rajkot, Gujarat, a violent attack occurred during the holy month of Shravan. Four members of a Hindu family were stabbed by Muslim youths named Sikandar, Afzal, Sameer, and Dared in the Bhagwatipara area. The altercation began when Jagdishbhai Vaghela and another person were setting up a mandap for the Dasha Ma Vrat near Ashaba Pir Dargah. The attackers confronted them, ordering them not to return, and later followed them to their residence. Mihir Vaghela, the eldest son, reported that the assailants arrived at their home armed with sharp weapons and attacked the family. His 19-year-old brother, Ashish, was stabbed in the stomach and remains in critical condition at the Civil Hospital. The attackers, while assaulting the family, shouted, “They are Hindus. Make sure they die.” Mihir described how his parents were also beaten when they tried to help, and how the attackers fled when people from the area gathered. A case was filed at Rajkot B Division Police Station.

Why it is Hate Crime ?

This particular case has been classified as a religiously motivated hate crime under the sub-category 'Attack against Hindu devotees' within the prime-category 'attack not resulting in death' of the tracker because of the distinct component that demonstrates the perpetrator's bias against the Hindu faith. Attack against Hindu devotees- Hindu devotees are a few of the easiest targets of religiously motivated hate crimes because during the festival/procession/puja etc, for non-Hindus it is easy to profile their victims on the basis of religion. Hindu devotees come under attack on several occasions by individual non-Hindus or mobs of non-Hindus owing to their animosity against Hinduism, its symbols and tradition/practices. There are several instances of Hindu devotees being attacked while they worship in temples or temporary religious structures, during religious processions, doing bhajan/kirtan/puja in their own homes, in the residential society etc. These attacks are perpetrated by non-Hindus primarily because of their animosity towards Hindus and their faith. In some cases, the trigger for the violence may be non-religious, however, there are two elements that make these hate crimes. First, the Hindus who come under attack are attacked violently while indulging in religious activity. Whether they are in a place of worship or not is immaterial to the crime. When individuals are attacked while indulging in religious practices, the attack in itself is a hindrance to their freedom to practice religion and therefore constitutes a hate crime. Secondly, religious supremacist doctrines and ideologies deem religious practices of Hindus to be offensive ab initio since they are considered “sinful” by these ideologies, worthy to be annihilated by force or coercion. Driven by these religious supremacist ideologies and doctrines, the attacks against Hindu devotees stem from intrinsic animosity towards Hinduism. In some cases, the trigger for the violence may be non-religious, however, it develops into a religiously motivated crime during the course of the violence. Since these attacks stem from animosity towards Hindus and Hinduism, they are considered religiously motivated hate crimes under this category. Dasha Ma, also known as "Dasha Maa" or "Dashama," holds significant importance in Hinduism, particularly in Maharashtra and parts of northern India. Dasha Ma is often linked to Goddess Durga. In this case, Hindus were reportedly stabbed for setting up a mandap for the Dasha Ma Vrat near the Ashaba Pir Dargah. This violent incident underscores the religious hostility faced by the Hindu community when celebrate their religious traditions and exercise their right to practice their faith in shared spaces. Notably, the Muslim attackers, during their assault on the Hindu family, shouted, “They are Hindus. Make sure they die.” This clearly illustrates the deep-seated disdain and animosity they held towards Hindus. This statement not only reveals their intent to harm but also reflects a troubling level of hostility based on religious identity. Since the crime was motivated by an innate hatred of Hindus, this case has been flagged in this tracker as a hate crime with a religious motivation.