Hindu students given beef at Carmel School by Manipuri students

Case ID : 34d6c7e | Location : Guwahati, Assam, India | Date of Incident : Wed, 18 September, 2024

Case ID : 34d6c7e

Guwahati, Assam, India

18 September, 2024

Hindu students given beef at Carmel School by Manipuri students

Attack on Hindu religious representations

Defiling religious customs

Case Summary

In Guwahati, Assam, Hindu students were fed beef by Manipuri students at Carmel School in Rani during lunch. The incident was revealed when parents were informed, leading to protests outside the school on 24th September. During the protests, parents accused the school of mishandling the situation. The school principal also threatened the Assamese Hindu students, warning them not to speak out. Parents filed an FIR with the Rani police, accusing the school of irresponsibility. One parent mentioned that their daughter was unsure if the meat was beef but suspected it was mixed with Maggie noodles. Another parent revealed that their son was given meat by a Manipuri student, who later told him it was beef. The parent had previously warned their child to avoid food from the community due to the possibility of beef. “We want the Manipuri community students to be expelled from the school. The incident occurred on Thursday, but I only found out about it on Friday evening when a nearby shopkeeper informed me that beef was served on the school premises. My son, who also studies there, told me that some Manipuri students were distributing beef. I had previously warned him not to eat any meat offered by that community, as it could be beef. On Thursday, when a Manipuri student gave him the meat, he tasted it and asked what kind it was, and a classmate told him it was beef,” one parent said. Local students were also assaulted by Manipuri students, but no action was taken by the school.

Why it is Hate Crime ?

This case has been added as a religiously motivated hate crime under the prime category- Attack on Hindu religious symbols- of the hate tracker and under this, the sub-category selected is- Defiling religious customs. Sanatan Dharma is not a religion of one book, which is to say that while it has religious scriptures that form the central tenets of the faith, there are several traditions followed through thousands of years, mostly passed from generation to generation orally. There are several such customs and traditions that are followed by various Hindus and Hindu sects. Defiling these traditions and customs is a breach of an individual or group’s religious practices. Such practices can range from dietary restrictions like not eating non-vegetarian food for a certain period of the year, not eating non-vegetarian food at all, not eating beef since the cow is considered holy in Hinduism, the sanctity of religious customs followed in the house (like many ISCKON devotees), etc. Any malicious action leading to the breach of such traditions or defilement of these traditions owing to animosity towards the faith or for the sake of activism stems not only from the lack of faith in the religion itself but also from disregard for the faith of the devotees who follow the customs/traditions and implicit bias against the faith, the tradition itself. Since these specific traditions are central to the faith of the devotees of that specific sect of Hindus, any non-compliance with these traditional rules would be considered a religiously motivated hate crime. The incident at Carmel School in Guwahati exemplifies a religiously motivated hate crime, primarily because it directly defiled Hindu customs and beliefs. Feeding beef to Hindu students—who regard cows as sacred—constitutes not just a violation of dietary restrictions but also an affront to their religious identity. Additionally, the response from the school administration, including threats against students who raised concerns, highlights a systemic failure to address and respect Hindu customs. This lack of accountability not only exacerbates the sense of disrespect but also creates an environment where Hindu students feel unsafe and marginalized. Such actions contribute to a broader narrative of religious intolerance, reinforcing the notion that the incident was not an isolated mistake but rather a deliberate act that seeks to undermine and denigrate Hindu beliefs and practices. Disclaimer: In this case, the potential victim count is much higher, however, since we have two parents on record, we would be recording the victim count as two for the purpose of this tracker.