Hindus barred from celebrating their festival as West Bengal's university bans Ram Navami celebration
Kolkata, West Bengal, India 
3 April, 2025
Case Summary
West Bengal's Jadavpur University has banned the celebration of the Hindu festival of Ram Navami on campus. The decision sparked outrage as it came days after it permitted Iftar observances on campus. While banning the Hindu students from celebrating their festival, the administration claimed that permission for the Hindu festival could not be granted due to the absence of a Vice Chancellor. The decision came in the wake of Governor CV Ananda Bose removing interim VC Bhaskar Gupta, citing campus unrest and alleged disobedience. In light of this, the university stated, “In the absence of a Vice Chancellor, it is impossible to grant permission.” Hindu student groups, including the Hindu Students’ Union, condemned the move as “selective appeasement.” Somsurya Banerjee, a representative of the group, declared, “We will not retreat. If Iftar was allowed, there is no reason Ram Navami cannot be observed. We are prepared to pursue legal recourse.” The situation heightened tensions with the Students’ Federation of India (SFI), which vowed to oppose the celebrations. “This is the ABVP’s doing. We will not allow them to bring hooliganism to campus,” an SFI member claimed. Hindu students accused leftist groups of blatant hypocrisy. “They preach secularism and inclusion, yet systematically suppress Hindu festivals,” said one student leader. ABVP’s West Bengal state president, Santanu Singha, called for widespread protests, branding Jadavpur University a “stronghold of leftist politics, more invested in disorder than in education.” This isn’t the first time the university has obstructed Ram Navami celebrations. In 2024, approval was initially granted but later rescinded under pressure from protesting left-wing groups, with the administration citing concerns over communal harmony and allegedly fraudulent permission requests.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker under the primary category of- Restriction/ban on Hindu practices. Under this, the sub-category selected is- Administration restricting religious practices. In several cases, it is seen that the administration/state disallows a religious practice owing to prejudicial orders and concerns, targeted specifically against the Hindu community. Such restriction/prohibition would be considered documented as a hate crime because the orders are often a result of pressure by groups that harbour animosity towards Hinduism and Hindus. Often, the restriction by the authorities is driven by bias, hostility, or prejudice against the specific community being stopped from holding a religious practice, by pressure groups that harbour animosity towards Hindus, intrinsic to their faith. Since practices are intrinsic to the faith of the Hindus, such prejudicial restriction is considered a curtailing of the fundamental rights of the Hindu community. In several cases, for example, the authorities ban a Hindu religious practice due to pressure from groups opposed to the religion. In other instances, the prohibition is selectively enforced against one religious group (Hindus) while others are allowed to proceed. There are still other cases where the authorities preemptively restrict a religious practice by Hindus because those who hold animosity towards Hindus may get “provoked” leading to them being violent, thereby assuaging the sentiments of those who hold animosity towards Hindus by curtailing the religious rights of Hindus. Such acts and orders are prejudiced, indicating discriminatory motives owing to the capitulation to groups that harbour animosity towards Hindus and therefore, would be categorized as a religiously motivated hate crime since the original pressure leading to the order itself is a result of hatred/bias/prejudice/religious hate against Hindus. The incident at Jadavpur University, where the administration refused permission for Ram Navami celebrations while allowing Iftar gatherings just days earlier, is a glaring example of institutional bias against Hindu religious practices. Ram Navami is one of the most significant festivals in the Hindu tradition, commemorating the birth of Bhagwan Ram, who is revered as an embodiment of dharma and righteousness. Celebrating this festival is not merely a cultural expression but a vital aspect of the spiritual and religious identity of Hindus. Denying permission for its celebration—especially in a public institution that has previously allowed similar observances for other faiths—constitutes not only a glaring double standard but also a prejudicial order that infringes upon the fundamental rights guaranteed to every citizen under the Indian Constitution. Such arbitrary and selective restrictions are deeply concerning as they reflect institutionalised animosity and prejudice specifically targeted at Hindu beliefs and practices. When an administration curtails the expression of a community’s faith while allowing space for another, it sends a clear message of exclusion and second-class treatment. This action is viewed as a deliberate attempt to suppress the religious rights of the Hindu community under the guise of administrative convenience, with the apparent motive of appeasing Muslim students. By permitting the observance of Iftar—a religious gathering specific to the Muslim community—while denying Ram Navami celebrations just days later, the administration has exposed a glaring double standard that signals preferential treatment based on religious identity. The fact that the denial was justified on flimsy administrative grounds, despite similar events being allowed for others, indicates that the decision was less about procedure and more about prejudice. This imbalance fosters resentment and alienation, revealing a deeper pattern of institutional bias aimed at placating one group while repressing another. Hence, this discriminatory action cannot be seen in isolation; it is emblematic of a wider tendency to marginalise Hindu religious expression, particularly within academic spaces dominated by leftist or ideologically motivated factions. It fits squarely within the framework of a religiously motivated hate crime, as it reflects a conscious effort to curtail the rights of Hindus to practice and celebrate their faith freely and equally in public institutions.
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