Muslim minor boy posts obscene comments about Hindu deities
Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India 
22 October, 2024
Case Summary
In Sadara village, Gandhinagar, Gujarat, a 16-year-old Muslim resident posted offensive remarks about Hindu deities, Lord Ram and Goddess Sita, on social media. The post, which included obscene comments, went viral, sparking outrage among the local Hindu community. Thousands of Hindus, along with Bajrang Dal members, gathered in protest and demanded swift action. The police responded by detaining the minor, and businesses in the village observed a full shutdown on October 23, 2024, following a call from Hindu groups. Ganpat Singh, a Bajrang Dal official, stated that around 200-300 Hindus went to the Chiloda Police Station with evidence of the offensive comments, urging legal action. In response to the widespread anger, police arrested the accused. Protests continued in the form of rallies, where demonstrators raised slogans like “Jai Shri Ram.” The parents of the accused appealed to the village leaders and Hindu activists, seeking leniency for their son, expressing regret, and pledging it would not happen again. Hindu and Muslim community leaders later met in a peace committee meeting facilitated by the police, where it was agreed that no further action would be taken if the Muslim community apologised and assured there would be no repeat incidents. Consequently, the minor issued a public apology, expressing remorse for his remarks and promising to avoid similar behaviour in the future. Community leaders from the Hindu side noted that this was an isolated incident in Sadara, where Muslims comprise around 250 out of 8000 households. However, they highlighted rising communal tension over the past months, partly due to perceived increases in Muslim migration and practices like loud Azaan near the local school, which they said was not previously an issue.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been documented as a religious hate crime because the details clearly show that the offender had a bias against the Hindu faith and that the offence was performed in conjunction with that bias. Based on case details, it has been added under one prime category of the tracker, which is- Hate speech against Hindus. Under this, the sub-category chosen is- Anti-Hindu slurs, mocking faith. Anti-Hindu slurs and the deliberate mocking of the Hindu faith owing to religious animosity involve the usage of derogatory terms, stereotypes, or offensive references to religious practices, symbols, or figures. One of the common anti-Hindu slurs used against Hindus is “cow-worshipper” and “cow piss drinker”. The intention of using this term is to demean and mock Hindus as a group and their religious beliefs since Hindus consider the cow holy. Additionally, some symbols and the slurs attached to them have a historical context that exacerbates the insult, hate, stereotyping, dehumanisation and oppression against Hindus. Cow worship has been used for centuries to denigrate Hindus, insult their faith and oppress Hindus specifically as a religious group. There has been overwhelming documentation about how cow slaughter has been used to persecute Hindus with cow meat being thrown in temples and places of worship. There has also been overwhelming documentation where cow meat (beef) has been force-fed to Hindus to either forcefully convert them to Islam or denigrate their faith. Apart from cow worship, the Swastika – which holds deep religious significance for the Hindus – has also been misinterpreted and distorted to use as a slur against Hindus. Similarly, the worship of the Shivling has been used by supremacist ideologies and religions to denigrate Hindus owing to religious animosity. Such slurs and denigration stem out of inherent animosity and hate towards Hindus and their faith, therefore, it is categorised as hate speech targeted at Hindus specifically owing to their religious identity. This incident in Sadra village can be seen as a religiously motivated hate crime, as it involves derogatory remarks against Hindu deities, Lord Ram and Mata Sita, which are deeply revered by the Hindu community. The troubling aspect of this case is that the perpetrator here was a minor. Children's minds are indeed highly impressionable, and they often internalise the attitudes and beliefs of those around them. When exposed to hatred and prejudice against a particular religion, they are likely to adopt these views, which can lead to a cycle of intolerance and bigotry. The fact that the Muslim child in this instance made disparaging remarks against the Hindu god and Goddess, highlights the intolerance and bias that has been ingrained in them since childhood, which, in this case, catalysed the crime he committed. Since disrespect for the Hindu religion is the primary purpose behind this incident, this case has been added to the hate tracker.
Case Status
Arrested
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
One Person
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
