Hindu man and his wife attacked by Muslim mob for responding to a greeting with 'Jai Shri Ram,' Hanuman idol desecrated

Case ID : 0b67708 | Location : Kolkata, West Bengal, India | Date of Incident : Sun, 11 August, 2024

Case ID : 0b67708

Kolkata, West Bengal, India

11 August, 2024

Hindu man and his wife attacked by Muslim mob for responding to a greeting with 'Jai Shri Ram,' Hanuman idol desecrated

Attack not resulting in death

Attacked for Hindu identity

Attack on Hindu religious representations

Desecration of Hindu religious symbol

Case Summary

A Hindu man named Biswajit Mondal from Kolkata’s Nimta locality was attacked by a Muslim mob after responding to a greeting with "Jai Shri Ram." The incident took place in Ward No. 5 of Paik Para when an elderly Muslim man greeted Mondal with "Salam Alaikum." Mondal responded with "Jai Shri Ram," which provoked a mob of 150-200 people, including Rohingyas and Bangladeshi individuals, to assault him and his family. The mob forcibly entered Mondal's house, vandalizing it and damaging a Hanuman idol. Mondal and his wife were both assaulted during the attack. His wife pleaded for mercy, but the attackers threatened them, insisting they leave the area or face further violence. Despite her appeals, she was also inappropriately touched.

Why it is Hate Crime ?

This case has been added to the hate tracker under two prime categories- attack not resulting in death and attack on Hindu religious symbols. Under the first prime category, the sub-category selected is- attacked for Hindu identity- In several cases, Hindus are attacked merely for their Hindu identity without any perceived provocation. A classic example of this category of religiously motivated hate crime is a murder in 2016. 7 ISIS terrorists were convicted for shooting a school principal in Kanpur because they got ‘triggered’ seeing the Kalava on his wrist and tilak that he had put. In this, the Hindu victim had offered no provocation except for his Hindu religious identity. The motivation for the murder was purely religious, driven by religious supremacy. Such cases where Hindus are targeted merely for their religious identity would be documented as a hate crime under this category. Under the second prime category, the sub-category selected is- desecration of Hindu religious symbol- Icons and symbols or a religious representation of a spiritual ideal are widely revered in Hinduism. Iconography is of vital significance in the Hindu milieu. It helps connect people’s spiritual beliefs with the real world. Iconography within the Hindu faith takes several shapes and forms. Murtis are of most significance to Hindus, to which daily rituals, prayers and offerings are done. Besides the murtis, there are several other symbols which have deep significance in the Hindu faith – the Om and Swastika for example. Since these Hindu religious symbols hold paramount importance in Hinduism, any desecration of symbols, icons, murtis, religious representations and manifestations, is driven by animosity towards the faith itself which manifests itself through these murtis, icons and symbols. Therefore, any desecration of these Hindu religious symbols and representations is considered religiously motivated hate crimes under this category. In West Bengal, a Muslim mob attacked a Hindu man and his wife after he responded to a greeting with "Jai Shri Ram." The attackers also broke his Hanuman idol during the assault. This incident is a clear example of a religiously motivated hate crime, driven by intolerance towards expressions of Hindu faith. The violence erupted simply because the man expressed a religious sentiment by chanting "Jai Shri Ram," a phrase that holds deep significance in Hinduism. The destruction of the Hanuman idol, a revered figure in Hinduism, further underscores the religious hostility at the heart of this attack. It is pertinent to note that the Muslim man deemed it fit to express his religious identity and greet the Hindu man with an Islamic greeting. The Hindu man merely responded with an expression of his faith, much like the Muslim perpetrator had done. The Muslim man then proceeded to assault the Hindu victims and desecrate the idol. This, very simply, indicates how the Muslim perpetrator believe that Hindus do not have the right to express their religious identity - rights at the very least similar to the Muslim man's in this case. Such notions come from scriptural and doctrinal animosity towards Hinduism embedded in Islam. These actions reflect the deep disdain for the victim's religious beliefs and identity, which is why this case has been documented here.