Muslim mob attacks Durga Puja pandal, abuses deities, pelts stones, chases children with sticks

Case ID : 2e1d512 | Location : Gonda, Uttar Pradesh, India | Date of Incident : Tue, 8 October, 2024

Case ID : 2e1d512

Gonda, Uttar Pradesh, India

8 October, 2024

Muslim mob attacks Durga Puja pandal, abuses deities, pelts stones, chases children with sticks

Attack not resulting in death

Attack against Hindu devotees

Attack on Hindu religious representations

Violence against religious structures or centres

Case Summary

In the Maskanwa Bazaar area of Gonda district, Uttar Pradesh, an incident of communal violence occurred during the Durga Puja celebrations on October 9, 2024. A mob of Muslims attacked a pandal where Hindus were gathered. The conflict reportedly began when some Hindu children started bursting crackers outside the pandal, angering a local Muslim family. The situation escalated quickly, as members of the family, identified as Munna, Sultan, Aslam, and others, arrived at the scene and began verbally abusing the Hindus. They pelted stones, abused Hindu deities and attacked the devotees with sticks. Around 10-12 Hindus were seriously injured in the assault, including children. When the Hindus tried to calm the situation, the aggressors became more hostile and called for reinforcements from nearby Muslim areas. The mob chased children, adding to the chaos. Following the attack, the police were called, and a large police force, including the District Magistrate (DM) and Superintendent of Police (SP) of Gonda, arrived at the location to restore order. The attackers fled as soon as the authorities arrived. The police thereafter filed an FIR against 12 named Muslims, including the primary perpetrators.

Why it is Hate Crime ?

This case has been added as a religiously motivated hate crime under three prime categories of the tracker. The first category under which this case has been placed, based on the details, is- Attack not resulting in death and under this, the sub-category selected is- 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. The second category under which this case has been placed is- Attack on Hindu religious symbols. Within this, the sub-category 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 incident in Maskanwa Bazaar, Gonda district, on October 9, 2024, where a mob of Muslims attacked a Durga Puja pandal during the Hindu festival, is a clear example of a religiously motivated hate crime. The violence escalated after Hindu children were seen bursting crackers outside the pandal, which angered a local Muslim family. The situation rapidly worsened as members of this family, including Munna, Sultan, and Aslam, verbally abused the Hindus and physically assaulted the devotees with stones and sticks. This attack, which injured 10-12 Hindus, including children, was compounded by the verbal abuse of Hindu deities and an aggressive mob chasing down children. This attack on the Durga Puja pandal is not just a random act of violence; it is an overt expression of hostility toward Hindu religious practices. The assault on Hindus during their religious observance, coupled with the desecration of Hindu symbols through verbal abuse of deities, constitutes an act of religious intolerance. The involvement of a mob and the subsequent escalation of the violence by calling in reinforcements from nearby Muslim areas further highlight the organized and communal nature of the attack. It is important to note that the Islamists pelted stones and attacked the Hindu devotees with sticks. It is important to note that there was no provocation from the Hindu side. The Muslims, in fact, who were triggered by something as small and harmless as some Hindu children bursting crackers outside the pandal, launched a vicious attack on the Hindus celebrating their festival. They also targeted the pandal, which is the focal point of religious gatherings and celebrations, to disrupt the Hindu religious observances. This attack reflects not just a random act of violence, but a calculated attempt to provoke Hindus by attacking the symbols, places, and expressions of Hindu devotion. Such attacks are a form of symbolic aggression against the Hindu community that stems from an innate hatred for Hinduism. Given that the fundamental motivation behind these actions is contempt for Hindus and their religion, this instance has been added to the tracker under the following category.