Hindu devotees attacked, Ganesh idol immersion procession attacked with stones as it passes through 'Muslim area' in Nepal
Janakpur Zone, Nepal 
29 August, 2025
Case Summary
In Janakpurdham, the capital of Nepal’s Madhesh Province, Hindu devotees were attacked and pelted with stones during the immersion of the Ganesh idol by the Muslim community. According to reports, Hindu devotees were taking the idol of Lord Ganesh to be immersed in the pond at Kashibhui. When the religious procession was passing through a Muslim dominated area, an argument broke out as certain members of the Muslim community attempted to halt the procession and close the road. The situation escalated when stones were pelted towards the Ganesh idol by the Muslim community, which led to a violent confrontation. Some reports claim that people from the Hindu side removed two green flags tied to a light post, which also escalated the tension. The confrontation quickly turned violent, prompting police intervention. The situation calmed only after a strong police response. Around 200 personnel from Nepal Police and the Armed Police Force were deployed, who fired tear gas shells to control the situation and prevent further unrest. Two individuals were injured during the clash. The area remained tense despite the deployment of heavy security. Locals stated that similar confrontations had occurred during previous religious processions as well, including those of Goddess Durga. They stated that such incidents would continue to occur if long-term resolutions were not implemented.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker under the primary category of - Attack not resulting in death. Within it, the sub-category selected is - Attack on religious procession. 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 emanate from intrinsic and doctrinal animosity towards Hindus and Hinduism, it is considered a religiously motivated hate crime under this category. The second sub-category selected is - Attack against Hindu devotees. Hindu devotees are a few of the easiest targets of religiously motivated hate crimes because during the festival/procession/puja etc, for non-Hindus it is easy to profile their victims on the basis of religion. Hindu devotees come under attack on several occasions by individual non-Hindus or mobs of non-Hindus owing to their animosity against Hinduism, its symbols and tradition/practices. There are several instances of Hindu devotees being attacked while they worship in temples or temporary religious structures, during religious processions, doing bhajan/kirtan/puja in their own homes, in the residential society etc. These attacks are perpetrated by non-Hindus primarily because of their animosity towards Hindus and their faith. In some cases, the trigger for the violence may be non-religious, however, there are two elements that make these hate crimes. First, the Hindus who come under attack are attacked violently while indulging in religious activity. Whether they are in a place of worship or not is immaterial to the crime. When individuals are attacked while indulging in religious practices, the attack in itself is a hindrance to their freedom to practice religion and therefore constitutes a hate crime. Secondly, religious supremacist doctrines and ideologies deem religious practices of Hindus to be offensive ab initio since they are considered “sinful” by these ideologies, worthy to be annihilated by force or coercion. Driven by these religious supremacist ideologies and doctrines, the attacks against Hindu devotees stem from intrinsic animosity towards Hinduism. In some cases, the trigger for the violence may be non-religious, however, it develops into a religiously motivated crime during the course of the violence. Since these attacks stem from animosity towards Hindus and Hinduism, they are considered religiously motivated hate crimes under this category. The third sub-category selected here is - Attacked for crossing 'Muslim area'. One of the reasons that Hindus get attacked unprovoked specifically by Islamists is for crossing ‘Muslim areas’. Essentially, Muslim mobs often attack Hindus crossing or present in certain areas which have a majority Muslim population. It has often been cited as one of the reasons to blame Hindus for attacks against themselves, signalling that Hindus displaying religious symbols, taking our religious processions or crossing any area which is dominated by Muslim residents is a provocation in and of itself. These areas are mostly ghettoized areas where mobs mobilize quickly to attack Hindus for a variety of reasons like playing music during a religious procession, crossing a mosque, wearing a tilak or any other religious symbol in a Muslim-dominated area, praying at a local temple in that area etc. There have been cases where the few local Hindus of that area have been attacked on their way to the Temple for prayers as well, simply because the area is considered a Muslim-dominated area. Several times, it is entirely possible that the immediate trigger for the violence against Hindus was non-religious in nature, however, the violence became religiously motivated in nature because the area was Muslim dominated and the residents on the whole harboured animosity towards Hindus, evidenced from the actions of the mob, the slogans, and the nature of the attack. Such crimes are motivated by the religious identity of the victims and are therefore classified as hate crimes under this category. The fourth sub-category selected here is - Communal clash/attack. Communal clash is a form of collective violence that involves clashes between groups belonging to different religious identities. For a communal clash between Hindus and non-Hindus to qualify as a religiously motivated hate crime, the trigger of the violence itself would have to be anti-Hindu in essence. For example, if there is a Hindu religious procession that comes under attack from a non-Hindu mob and after the initial attack, Hindus retaliate in self-defence, leading to a communal clash between the two religious communities. While at a later stage, both communities are involved in the clash/violence, the initial trigger of the violence was by the non-Hindu mob against the Hindus and therefore, it could safely be termed as an anti-Hindu violence. Further, the trigger would also have to be religiously motivated. In the cited example, the attack by the non-Hindu mob was against religious processions and therefore, can be concluded to be religiously motivated. In some cases, the trigger may be non-religious, however, it develops into religious violence against Hindus at a later stage. In such cases too, the foundational animosity towards Hindus becomes the motivating factor of the crime and therefore, it would be classified as a religiously motivated hate crime against Hindus under this category. The fifth sub-category selected here 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 here is: - Attack on Hindu religious representation. Within it, the sub-category selected is: - Desecration of Hindu religious symbols. Icons and symbols or a religious representation of a spiritual ideal are widely revered in Hinduism. Iconography is of vital significance in the Hindu milieu. It helps connect people’s spiritual beliefs with the real world. Iconography within the Hindu faith takes several shapes and forms. Murtis are of most significance to Hindus, to which daily rituals, prayers and offerings are done. Besides the murtis, there are several other symbols which have deep significance in the Hindu faith – the Om and Swastika for example. Since these Hindu religious symbols hold paramount importance in Hinduism, any desecration of symbols, icons, murtis, religious representations and manifestations, is driven by animosity towards the faith itself which manifests itself through these murtis, icons and symbols. Therefore, any desecration of these Hindu religious symbols and representations is considered religiously motivated hate crimes under this category. This case has been added to the tracker because Hindu devotees were attacked and pelted with stones during the immersion of the Ganesh idol by the Muslim community. The victims were not random individuals but Hindu devotees engaged in a clearly identifiable religious procession. The attack occurred when the procession was crossing the Muslim dominated area, which directly linked the motive of the perpetrators to the victims’ religious activity and identity. This was not merely an attack on people in a public space, but rather an attack on those demonstrably engaged in Hindu devotion. As such, it qualified as a hate crime because it targeted a religious group in the act of worship, violating both personal safety and freedom of religion. This incident reveals an attempt to infringe on the Hindu community’s right to religious expression. Such actions not only disrespect the religious significance of the procession but also serve to intimidate and discourage Hindu worshippers from openly practising their beliefs. The attack, therefore, can be seen as a deliberate attempt to convey animosity against Hinduism. The Muslim community reacted violently because a Hindu religious procession was passing through a Muslim dominated area. It was the presence of Hindus practising their faith in 'their' area, which Muslims considered as provocation, and they attempted to halt the procession. This pattern of attacking Hindus merely for engaging in religious practice in Muslim-dominated zones shows a territorial religious supremacy, where Hindu presence itself is deemed unacceptable. This transforms the space into one where the Hindu faith is not tolerated, and the act of crossing such a space becomes a trigger for communal violence. The violence was aimed at disrupting a Hindu religious procession and was rooted in animosity towards the public expression of Hindu devotion. Therefore, attacking a religious procession, especially when it did not break any rules or enter private property, was not a neutral act. It was a direct attack on the public expression of Hindu religious identity. Such processions are often objected to by those who ideologically oppose the public display of Hindu symbols. This hostility, manifested through violence, reflects an intention to silence, disrupt, or punish the religious expression of Hindus. The disruption of such a procession by non-Hindus was therefore more than just a physical altercation; it was an ideological act rooted in the desire to suppress the outward expression of Hindu religious identity. Furthermore, the Muslim community specifically pelted stones at the Ganesha idol. In Hinduism, idols of Hindu deities are not just artistic representations but are deeply revered manifestations of the divine. Their desecration or an attack on them is a direct affront to the religious sentiments of Hindus and an act of profound disrespect. Such acts of violence against Hindu idols are an act of violence against the religious sentiments of the Hindu community that derives spiritual, cultural, and social meaning from such religious symbols. Such actions target the identity, beliefs, and dignity of Hindus. Desecration of deities is a deliberate attack on the religious sentiments of the Hindus that stems from the intrinsic animosity against the religion. In Islamic theology, idol worship, referred to as Shirk, is regarded as the gravest sin. The Qur'an strictly condemns it, and Islamic teachings emphasise the complete rejection of any practice associated with idol worship. Muslims are taught from a young age that idolatry is an unforgivable sin. While this belief is central to the Islamic faith, it has also led, historically and in contemporary times, to intolerance and hostility towards idol-worshipping religions, especially Hinduism. When Muslims pelt stones at the Ganesha idol and attempt to halt the religious procession, it reflects more than personal disrespect. It was a manifestation of deep-seated theological contempt against Hindu practices, stemming from the Islamic doctrinal view that idol worship is impure and offensive. This clearly shows that the violence was not driven by any neutral civil dispute, but by deep-rooted religious animosity. The Hindu devotees were targeted because they were publicly asserting their faith. Since the violence was a product of religious animosity, this case has been added to the tracker.
Case Status
Unknown
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
Unknown
Perpetrators Gender
unknown
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