Ram Navami pandal burnt as Hindus take out the religious procession, several shops vandalised and set ablaze
Rohtas, Bihar, India 
30 March, 2023
Case Summary
On 31st March 2023, a day after Ram Navami celebrations, some miscreants set fire to the Ram Navami pandal. This led to a communal clash between the Hindus and the Muslims. Heavy stone pelting occurred as two groups confronted each other in the Gola Bazar area of Sasaram. Many shops were vandalised, and several others were set ablaze by the rioters during this time. According to reports, two policemen have also been shot, although this was not confirmed at the time of documenting this incident. The district administration had imposed Section 144 in the area. According to locals, the Ram Navami procession had concluded in the area. Meanwhile, some people set the Ram Navami pandal on fire. The situation worsened as soon as the pandal caught fire. The miscreants vandalised several vehicles. Several shops were also set on fire. As soon as the incident was reported, a large number of police officers arrived at the scene and took control of the situation. Meanwhile, soon after the incident, videos and pictures of Hindus leaving their homes started surfacing online. Those impacted by the riots were compelled to leave their homes for the safety of their families. Several houses have locks hanging on their doors in viral visuals.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This incident has been added to the tracker under the category- Attack on Hindu religious representations. Within this, the subcategory selected is- Violence against religious structures or centres. In Hinduism, a religious structure is also considered divine. Hindus believe that not just the Deity but the religious structure itself is sacred. In this sub-category, we would document attacks against religious structures which are not consecrated temple spaces. Such religious spaces could be temporary in nature – for example – the religious spaces erected specifically for festivals like Durga Puja etc. This category would also document cases of attacks against religious centres. These spaces in their own right may not be ‘sacred’ per se, however, are often spaces where religious gurus live, religious teaching is imparted, or belong to religious institutions. Any attack against religious structures is a result of animosity towards the religion itself, which manifests itself through the religious spaces and therefore, such attacks are considered religiously motivated hate crimes. Religious centres are also manifestations of the religion, its teachings or gurus and therefore, attacks against such centres would be considered religiously motivated hate crimes. The other category selected is- Attack not resulting in death. Within this, the subcategory selected is- Communal clash/attack. Communal clash is a form of collective violence that involves clashes between groups belonging to different religious identities. For a communal clash between Hindus and non-Hindus to qualify as a religiously motivated hate crime, the trigger of the violence itself would have to be anti-Hindu in essence. For example, if there is a Hindu religious procession that comes under attack from a non-Hindu mob and after the initial attack, Hindus retaliate in self-defence, leading to a communal clash between the two religious communities. While at a later stage, both communities are involved in the clash/violence, the initial trigger of the violence was by the non-Hindu mob against the Hindus and therefore, it could safely be termed as an anti-Hindu violence. Further, the trigger would also have to be religiously motivated. In the cited example, the attack by the non-Hindu mob was against religious processions and therefore, can be concluded to be religiously motivated. In some cases, the trigger may be non-religious, however, it develops into religious violence against Hindus at a later stage. In such cases too, the foundational animosity towards Hindus becomes the motivating factor of the crime and therefore, it would be classified as a religiously motivated hate crime against Hindus under this category. This case bears clear indicators of a religiously motivated hate crime as it began with the deliberate targeting of a Ram Navami pandal, a structure central to Hindu religious celebrations. Ram Navami marks the birth of Lord Ram and is one of the most significant festivals in Hinduism, with pandals serving as focal points for community worship, gatherings, and religious expression. The act of setting fire to such a pandal directly attacked a visible symbol of Hindu faith and disrupted a sacred religious observance. The timing of the incident, occurring immediately after the Ram Navami celebrations, is significant. The pandal had just been used for religious purposes, making it an active and recent site of Hindu devotion. Targeting it at this moment indicates that the act was not incidental but carried out at a time when its religious significance was at its peak, thereby amplifying the impact on the Hindu community. The sequence of events further underscores the nature of the act as one of deliberate provocation. The violence that followed took the form of a communal clash in which members from both communities were involved. However, this escalation occurred only after the Ram Navami pandal had been set on fire. The initial act of targeting a Hindu religious structure functioned as a trigger that inflamed tensions and provoked a reaction. Such an act, directed at a sacred symbol immediately after a major festival, carries an inherent capacity to incite and destabilise. There is little rationale for setting fire to a religious pandal at such a moment other than to provoke, inflame sentiments, and create conditions for wider unrest. The incident quickly escalated into widespread violence, including stone pelting, arson, and vandalism of shops and property. However, the consequences extended beyond immediate physical damage. Visual evidence showing Hindu families leaving their homes and locking their houses demonstrates that the violence created a climate of fear severe enough to force displacement. When members of a community are compelled to abandon their homes due to targeted violence, it reflects not just law and order breakdown but a deeper sense of insecurity linked to their identity. The forced movement of Hindu residents and the visible abandonment of homes indicate that the violence had a broader communal impact. It sent a message of intimidation, suggesting that remaining in the area could pose a threat to their safety. Such outcomes are characteristic of incidents where violence functions not only to harm individuals but also to create pressure on a community to retreat from shared spaces. Taken together, the deliberate targeting of a Hindu religious structure, the timing linked to a major festival, the act’s role in triggering wider violence, and the resulting fear that led to displacement of Hindu families demonstrate that the incident was not merely a spontaneous clash but one that directly impacted Hindu religious identity and community security. Accordingly, the case displays clear markers of a religiously motivated hate crime and has been recorded in the Hinduphobia Tracker database.
Case Status
Complaint registered
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
Unknown
Perpetrators Gender
unknown
Sources 
