Hindu women forced to remove Hindu symbols like Sakha Pola and wear hijab-like head cover by Muslims
West Bengal, India 
29 March, 2025
Case Summary
Days after violent Muslim mobs wreaked havoc in Mothabari village, Malda district, West Bengal, Hindu women came forward on March 30, 2025, to share their experiences of religious persecution and targeted attacks. Speaking to the media, a Hindu woman revealed that they were being forced to conceal their religious identity. “We must remove our Sakha Pola and wear a head covering like the hijab against our will,” she said. Another woman recounted that Hindu women were being abducted and tortured, while stones were being pelted at their homes. The threats extended to their children, as Muslim aggressors warned of kidnappings and murder if Hindu women did not comply. “Our children are trapped indoors because of them…We can’t survive without working, so why should we be forced to remain confined?” another woman asked. Expressing frustration over inaction, one woman stated, “No action is taken against them, even though they are the ones committing crimes.” The unrest in Mothabari began on March 26, 2025, when a preparatory Ram Navami rally passed by the Mothabari mosque while namaz was in progress. Devotees chanted religious slogans, which angered Muslims, leading to objections and escalating tensions. Soon after, a Muslim mob turned violent, selectively targeting Hindu homes, shops, and vehicles for looting, vandalism, and arson while carrying Islamic flags. In response to the attacks, Hindu residents staged a protest the following day, blocking the road at Bandhapukur Mor under the English Bazar police station. Police intervention led to clashes, prompting the use of baton charges and tear gas to disperse the crowd.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker under the first primary category- Attack not resulting in death. Under this, the 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 primary category selected is- Predatory Proselytisation. Under this, the sub-category relevant is- Harassment, threats, coercion for conversion. Harassment covers a wide range of behaviours of an offensive nature. It is commonly understood as behaviour that demeans, humiliates, and intimidates a person, including threats and coercion. Harassment and threats, in this case, find their root on discriminatory grounds which has the effect of nullifying a person’s rights or infringing upon his freedom to exercise his right specifically owing to the victim’s religious identity. Verbal and physical threats and psychological or physical harassment are often used against Hindu victims because they choose to practice their professed religion. Religious harassment also includes forced and involuntary conversions by harassment, threats or coercion. Coercion includes intimidatory tactics like force-feeding a Hindu victim beef to convert to another religion, forceful circumcision etc. In several cases documented, non-Hindu perpetrators or those who harbour specific animosity towards Hinduism, harass victims simply based on their religious identity. Such cases often also include harassment to ensure the Hindu victim abandons his/her professed religion and adopts the religion of the perpetrator. Such cases where Hindu victims are harassed to convert to the perpetrator’s religion are rooted in animosity towards the victim’s religious identity and are therefore documented as religiously motivated hate crimes. This case qualifies as a hate crime due to the targeted nature of the violence against Hindus in Mothabari. Muslims in the area were forcing their religious considerations on the Hindu women. They were forced to hide their religious identity by removing their Sakha Pola, symbols of their marital status in Hindu tradition and wearing hijab-like coverings under duress. By compelling the Hindu women, the aggressors were not merely enforcing a dress code but attempting to erase their religious identity. This act of coercion goes beyond mere intimidation; it is a calculated tactic to instill fear and make Hindus conform to Islamic customs against their will. Such forced assimilation operates as a method of religious dominance, where Hindu women are pressured into abandoning visible markers of their faith. The direct threats of abduction and harm to their children are intended to instill fear and force compliance, making any resistance fraught with severe consequences. This strategy mirrors historical patterns where vulnerable groups are compelled to adopt the religious and cultural practices of the dominant aggressors, ultimately leading to a gradual disassociation from their own traditions. By enforcing these coercive measures, the perpetrators are not only violating the fundamental rights of Hindu women but are also engaging in a form of subtle religious cleansing, pushing them away from their faith through psychological pressure and fear. This targeted oppression aligns with predatory proselytisation tactics, wherein individuals are manipulated or coerced into religious conformity. Thus, this incident highlights a systematic attempt to undermine Hindu religious identity and should be recognised as a serious case of Hindu hate, warranting its inclusion in the Hinduphobia tracker.
Case Status
Unknown
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
Unknown
Perpetrators Gender
unknown
Sources 
