Saraswati Puja procession attacked while crossing mosque, temple vandalised by Muslim mob when Hindus protested
Narayani Zone, Nepal 
14 February, 2024
Case Summary
In the Rautahat district of Nepal, a Hindu idol immersion procession was attacked on February 15, 2024, near a mosque. Stones were hurled at the procession and the accompanying administration, leading to injuries. In response, Hindu organizations announced a Veerganj bandh on February 19, 2024. During the bandh, Muslim crowds shouted slogans and tore down a saffron flag with Lord Ram's picture, vandalizing a temple. Curfew was imposed in affected areas. A peace committee had been formed prior to the procession, with assurances from both Hindu and Muslim communities to maintain peace. However, when the procession passed a Muslim area, it was halted near a mosque, leading to a dispute. Stone-pelting ensued from nearby Muslim houses, injuring Hindus and police personnel.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
Distinct elements in this particular case demonstrate that the crime was committed while harbouring a bias against the Hindu faith. As per case details, there are two prime categories under which this case has been placed in the hate tracker, namely, 'attack not resulting in death' and 'attack on Hindu religious symbols'. To break down the case further, the sub-category 'attack on religious procession' has been selected under the first prime category while the sub-categories 'desecration of Hindu religious symbol' and 'temple attacked' have been chosen under the second prime category. 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. Attack on Temples: In Hinduism, a temple is the abode of the Deity. The Deity in the Temple is consecrated, thereby, making it a real, breathing entity. Hindus believe that not just the Deity but the temple premises itself are sacred to Hindus since Hindus hold the faith that the entire Temple space is an amalgamation of the divine energy of the deity. Given the central significance of Temples in Hindu Dharma, any attack against a Hindu Temple or its peripheral premises is an attack on the faith itself and is born out of animosity towards the faith, of which, the Temple is a central tenet. Any manner of attack against a Temple and/or its premises would therefore be considered a religiously motivated hate crime. 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. Since the religious procession came under attack when it was crossing a mosque, the other sub-category this case is being added to is 'attack 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. Further, according to the details of the case, the Hindus were attacked yet again and a temple was desecrated when the Hindus protested against the initial aggression by the Muslim mob. Therefore, this case is also being added to 'attacked for opposing radicals'. In several cases, Hindus are attacked for opposing religiously motivated crimes being committed against a fellow Hindu or simply for voicing an opinion opposing radical elements, who either have in the past or continue to persecute Hindus. In such cases, the initial attack against the victim, against which the Hindu was trying to defend the victim, would also need to be classified as a religiously motivated hate crime. Since the initial crime itself was religiously motivated and the subsequent crime of attempting to save the victim or speaking against the radical elements ends up inviting a violent attack, it would also be classified as 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 who took offence by the procession passing through an area which they consider to be a Muslim area as people of their community predominantly occupy it. The Islamists, in their animosity against the Hindu faith, did not even think before vandalising a temple and tearing down a saffron flag with Lord Ram's picture. In Hinduism, saffron flag (bhagwa dhwaj) is an important symbol in Hinduism, representing sacrifice, purity, and the divine. It is often associated with temples, religious processions, and Hindu festivals. They are objects of profound veneration and are integral to religious practices and rituals. Desecrating the flags is considered a hate crime as it is considered a profound offence against religious sentiments. 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.
Case Status
Complaint filed
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
Unknown
Perpetrators Gender
both
Sources 
