Hindu tribals voice concern over Islamists trying to grab their land; Waqf board claiming right on it
Bardhaman, West Bengal, India 
21 February, 2025
Case Summary
In Tengaberia village, under the jurisdiction of Jamalpur Police Station in the Purba Bardhaman district, a controversy has erupted over the transfer of 4.62 acres of land to Waqf property. The local tribal community, who have been using the land for centuries for Dharmic programs and religious rituals, are strongly opposing this move. According to the tribals, Islamists, with alleged backing from the police and administration, are attempting to take control of the land to establish a graveyard. They claim that despite possessing all the necessary legal documents proving their ownership and traditional usage of the land, it has been arbitrarily transferred to the Waqf Board. Further escalating tensions, reports indicate that a boundary wall is being constructed around the disputed land, which the tribal community views as an aggressive attempt to seize it permanently. Outraged by what they see as an unjust land grab, the tribals have vowed to resist and protect their sacred space at any cost.
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, the first sub-category selected 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 selected 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. Here, the tribals, who have been using the land for Dharmic purposes for generations, are now facing aggression from Islamists aiming to take control of it. Their resistance to the land grab has made them targets of violence, reinforcing that their Hindu identity is a key factor in the attack. Furthermore, the forced transfer of land to the Waqf Board, coupled with the construction of a boundary wall and the alleged support from the administration, signals a deliberate attempt to displace the Hindu tribals from the region. By creating an atmosphere of fear and pressure, the attackers seemingly aim to drive the tribals away, thereby asserting dominance over the land. Considering these factors, the case aligns with a pattern of targeted attacks aimed at diminishing the Hindu presence in the region through coercion and violence, driven by deep-seated animosity against Hindus. For this reason, it has been included in the tracker.
Case Status
Unknown
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
Unknown
Perpetrators Gender
unknown
Sources 
