Ram mandir under-construction vandalised, several parts of the temple damaged

Case Summary
An under-construction Ram Mandir in the Bhetaguri area of Coochbehar, West Bengal, was vandalised by unidentified miscreants who damaged several parts of the temple. According to reports, Hindus planned to build the temple after the Pran Pratishtha ceremony in Ayodhya. The construction work of the temple started with the support of local Hindus and workers from Rajasthan. The construction was nearing completion when it came under attack on the night of the 3rd of February. On the evening of the 4th of February, some local Hindus gathered in front of the under-construction Ram Mandir and lighted lamps. Holding placards in hand, they demanded intense punishment for the accused. No arrests had been made till the time this incident was recorded in the Hinduphobia tracker.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker under the prime category of- Attack on Hindu religious representations. Under this, the sub-category chosen is- Attack on Temples. In Hinduism, a temple is the abode of the Deity. The Deity in the Temple is consecrated, thereby, making it a real, breathing entity. Hindus believe that not just the Deity but the temple premises itself are sacred to Hindus since Hindus hold the faith that the entire Temple space is an amalgamation of the divine energy of the deity. Given the central significance of Temples in Hindu Dharma, any attack against a Hindu Temple or its peripheral premises is an attack on the faith itself and is born out of animosity towards the faith, of which, the Temple is a central tenet. Any manner of attack against a Temple and/or its premises would therefore be considered a religiously motivated hate crime. The second sub-category selected is- Desecration of Hindu religious symbol. Icons and symbols or a religious representation of a spiritual ideal are widely revered in Hinduism. Iconography is of vital significance in the Hindu milieu. It helps connect people’s spiritual beliefs with the real world. Iconography within the Hindu faith takes several shapes and forms. Murtis are of most significance to Hindus, to which daily rituals, prayers and offerings are done. Besides the murtis, there are several other symbols which have deep significance in the Hindu faith – the Om and Swastika for example. Since these Hindu religious symbols hold paramount importance in Hinduism, any desecration of symbols, icons, murtis, religious representations and manifestations, is driven by animosity towards the faith itself which manifests itself through these murtis, icons and symbols. Therefore, any desecration of these Hindu religious symbols and representations is considered religiously motivated hate crimes under this category. In this case, a Hindu temple was being constructed after the Pran Pratishtha ceremony in Ayodhya. For Hindus, the Pran Pratishtha event represents the pinnacle of centuries-long struggles to reclaim Lord Ram’s birthplace and reinstate Bhagwan Ram to his Janmabhoomi. The return of Lord Ram to Ram Janmabhoomi is a testament to the thousands of devotees, particularly the Karsevaks, who gave up everything to continue battling for a site that was forcibly taken by Islamic fundamentalists who humiliated the native Hindus by erecting a mosque on top of an already existing temple. This specific temple was being built to commemorate the reclamation of Ram Janmabhoomi in Ayodhya. Despite the understanding that Hindu temples are sacred spaces for worship and the practice of Hindu rituals, the perpetrators deliberately vandalized the temple. This targeted attack on Hindus and their faith stems from a deep-rooted animosity toward Hinduism, which is why this case has been classified as a religiously motivated hate crime. It is important to mention here that though the last update was that the miscreants were unknown, regardless, the action stemmed out of hatred against Hinduism and resulted in the desecration of the sacred temple and would therefore be considered a religiously motivated hate crime.

Case Status
Unknown

Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
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Perpetrators Range
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Perpetrators Gender
unknown