Hindu youths stabbed with sharp weapons by Angur Alam and others during Durga Visarjan procession

Case ID : 2e1d60d | Location : Deoria, Uttar Pradesh, India | Date of Incident : Tue, 15 October, 2024

Case ID : 2e1d60d

Deoria, Uttar Pradesh, India

15 October, 2024

Hindu youths stabbed with sharp weapons by Angur Alam and others during Durga Visarjan procession

Attack not resulting in death

Attack on religious procession

Attack against Hindu devotees

Case Summary

An incident of violence occurred during the immersion of a Durga idol in Majhauli Raj Nagar, Deoria, Uttar Pradesh. As the procession reached Majhauli Main Chowk, an altercation broke out between local youths and two Hindu participants, Jitesh Kumar and Rajan Patel, who were dancing in the celebration. The argument quickly escalated, and some Muslims attacked the Hindu youths with sharp weapons, leaving them seriously injured. The attack incited anger within the Hindu community, leading them to halt the procession and demand justice. Police arrived, calmed the situation, and the immersion proceeded under police protection. The injured youths were taken to the hospital for treatment, and Rajan Patel’s condition was reported stable. The main accused, Angur Alam, was apprehended, while others involved fled the scene.

Why it is Hate Crime ?

This incident has been added as a religiously motivated hate crime under the prime category- Attack not resulting in death, of the tracker. Under this, the first sub-category chosen is 'Attack on religious procession'. The outward celebration and display of religious symbols in an intrinsic part of Hinduism. Religious processions on various festivals are age-old traditions and a way to manifest faith and form a part of the religious practices of Hindus. On several occasions, such religious processions come under attack by non-Hindu mobs, in a manifestation of their animosity towards Hinduism and their practices. The reasons cited for such violent attacks are many and range from crossing a non-Hindu resident-dominated area to playing loud music, crossing from an area where there is a religious structure of another faith etc. The violent attacks are triggered by the outward display of religiosity by Hindus. The attacks are mainly a manifestation of religious supremacist doctrine which believes that idolatry, essentially the Hindu faith, is one that deserves to be annihilated since the very tenets of Hinduism, its practices and traditions are considered a sin in those doctrines. Since these attacks emanate from intrinsic and doctrinal animosity towards Hindus and Hinduism, it is considered a religiously motivated hate crime under this category. The second sub-category chosen 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 violent attack during the Durga idol immersion in Majhauli Raj Nagar, Deoria, is a clear example of a religiously motivated hate crime. As a significant event in Hindu culture, the Durga idol immersion represents not only a religious ritual but also a community celebration honouring the goddess Durga. The attack on Hindu devotees, who were peacefully engaging in traditional festivities, suggests an animosity toward their religious expression and identity. This aggression, targeting individuals based on their participation in a Hindu ritual, underscores an intent to disrupt and intimidate the Hindu community during a sacred observance. Such incidents resonate as hate crimes because they aim to create fear among Hindus, discouraging them from openly practising or celebrating their faith. Moreover, since such attacks are perpetuated because of the accused's hatred towards Hindus and their religion, this case has been added to the tracker.