Vandalism, violence, and stone-pelting reported during the Saraswati Visarjan in several places across Bihar

Case ID : 7f64d4d | Location : Bihar, India | Date of Incident : Thu, 26 January, 2023

Case ID : 7f64d4d

Bihar, India

26 January, 2023

Vandalism, violence, and stone-pelting reported during the Saraswati Visarjan in several places across Bihar

Attack resulting in death

Attack on religious procession

Case Summary

Tensions gripped several cities and towns across Bihar after Saraswati idol immersion witnessed vandalism, violence, and stone-pelting. As per reports, violence took place in Patna, Saharsa, Nalanda and other regions in Bihar during the immersion of the Saraswati idol. Near Gandhi Maidan in Patna, a firing incident occurred during the Saraswati Puja idol immersion procession wherein a young man died of a bullet injury. The incident occurred after a stampede broke out between gates four and five of Gandhi Maidan during the Saraswati Idol immersion.

Why it is Hate Crime ?

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 and the deaths due to the attacks emanate from intrinsic and doctrinal animosity towards Hindus and Hinduism, it is considered a religiously motivated hate crime under this category. In this instance, the Hindus participating in a religious procession being taken out on the festival of Basant Panchami, a major Hindu festival dedicated to the worship of the goddess Saraswati, were brutally attacked by a group of Muslims. The Islamists, in their animosity against the Hindu faith, did not even think before shotting a Hindu devotee to death. It is important to note here that in this instance, there was no initial provocation from the Hindu side. In fact, it was the Islamists who were offended by the Hindus celebrating their festival. Given that the fundamental motivation behind these actions is contempt for the Hindu religion, this instance has been added to the tracker under the following category.