Dalits forced to migrate from Muslim-majority village due to repeated harassment

Case Summary
In Dawoodpur Kota village, in Uttar Pradesh’s Aligarh district, several Dalit Hindu families were reportedly forced to sell their homes due to continuous harassment by local Muslims. Some Dalit families placed posters outside their homes stating, "Dalit Samaj ke makaan bikau hain, Musalmano se pareshan karne par Dawoodpur Kota Aligarh se palayan karne ko majboor hain" (Houses of Dalit community are up for sale, fed up of harassment by Muslims, we are forced to migrate from Dawoodpur Kota village). The tensions escalated after clashes between the Dalit Hindu and Muslim communities, including a dispute over a motorcycle last year that led to violent confrontations and police deployment. In January, a Dalit woman, Jaywanti Devi, was reportedly assaulted by Muslims after a disagreement over goats entering her property. The police registered a case, and two individuals were arrested. Following this, some Dalit families put up the posters of their houses for sale, though these were later removed by authorities. Dawoodpur Kota is a Muslim-majority village, with about 400 Muslim families and 60 Hindu families, of which 20 are Dalit. Dalit residents have complained of ongoing harassment, including stone-pelting, property damage, and interference in religious practices. Mohit Kumar, a resident of Dawoodpur Kota, said that the windows of vehicles parked outside the houses were broken due to stone pelting by the Muslims. He added that garbage was often thrown on their houses. Women and daughters of their families were also not safe in the village. Muslims often clashed with Dalits over playing DJ in wedding processions and created a ruckus during weddings.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker under the prime category of- Attack not resulting in death. Under this, two sub-categories have been selected based on case details. The first is- Attacked for Hindu identity. In several cases, Hindus are attacked merely for their Hindu identity without any perceived provocation. A classic example of this category of religiously motivated hate crime is a murder in 2016. 7 ISIS terrorists were convicted for shooting a school principal in Kanpur because they got ‘triggered’ seeing the Kalava on his wrist and tilak that he had put. In this, the Hindu victim had offered no provocation except for his Hindu religious identity. The motivation for the murder was purely religious, driven by religious supremacy. Such cases where Hindus are targeted merely for their religious identity would be documented as a hate crime under this category. The second sub-category relevant here is- Attacked to induce migration from non-Hindu dominated area. There have been cases where the Hindus living in an area, often with a majority dwelling belonging to non-Hindus or those harbouring animosity towards the Hindu faith, the Hindu residents experience threats and violence. The violence is employed with the aim of making the Hindus leave the area and relocate, so the area could be turned into an exclusive ghetto for adherents of the non-Hindu faith or those who harbor animosity towards the Hindu faith. In several cases, the aim of exodus is explicit. However, in several cases, the demand for exodus of Hindu residents is not explicit, however, violence by non-Hindu residents leaves the Hindu residents no option but to leave the area, thereby, turning the area into an exclusive ghetto of non-Hindu residents. In such cases, there are instances violence against the Hindu residents explicitly. For example, in the Hauz Qazi case of 2019, the Muslim residents claimed that mob violence against the Hindu residents had been triggered by a parking dispute. However, the violence did turn religious with a temple being desecrated and was directed specifically against the Hindu residents. The Hindu residents of the area were clear that the violence was religiously motivated and one of the motives was to affect an exodus of the Hindu residents. In such cases, even though the perpetrators have not explicitly expressed the aim of affecting exodus, the given circumstances and violence and precedent point to the intention of exodus and therefore would be categorized under this sub-category. Such crimes are religiously motivated and therefore are hate crimes. The incident in Dawoodpur Kota village highlights several religious markers that identify it as a religiously motivated hate crime, forcing Hindus to migrate from a Muslim-majority area. Firstly, the harassment was clearly targeted at Dalit Hindu families, underscoring a pattern of discrimination based on their religious identities. The recurring harassment by local Muslims, including stone-pelting, property damage, and interference in religious and cultural practices, reflects a systematic effort to intimidate and marginalize the Hindu minority in the village. Specific instances further solidify the religious undertones of the hostility. For example, Dalit families were prevented from playing DJ music during wedding processions—a significant cultural and religious expression—while clashes over this issue demonstrate an attempt to suppress Hindu traditions. Additionally, women and girls from Dalit families were reportedly subjected to threats and unsafe conditions, amplifying the fear and insecurity within the community. The visible expression of distress by Dalit families, including placing posters outside their homes announcing their intention to sell property due to harassment, serves as a grim marker of the religiously charged animosity they face. The use of the phrase “fed up of harassment by Muslims” in these posters explicitly indicates the communal and religious dimension of the conflict. The disproportionate population dynamic in the village—400 Muslim families compared to 60 Hindu families—further exacerbates the vulnerability of the Hindu minority. The repeated instances of clashes, physical assaults, and targeted harassment demonstrate a sustained effort to create an environment hostile enough to compel Dalit Hindu families to abandon their homes, underscoring the religiously motivated nature of the crime.

Case Status
Unknown

Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
Unknown
Perpetrators Gender
unknown