Hindu student observing Ayyappa Deeksha beaten by group of classmates from another faith

Case Summary
A student observing ‘Ayyappa Deeksha’ was beaten by a group of classmates from a different community at a junior college in Shamsheergunj, Hyderabad. Despite being reported to the college management, no immediate action was taken. By the next morning, tensions intensified as around 200 people, including Ayyappa devotees, gathered at the college, demanding action. The situation worsened when some individuals identified one of the students who attacked the boy. The student and his father were chased and beaten before being rescued by the police. The crowd at the college demanded thorough action and raised slogans, heightening tensions. The college management, in a bid to de-escalate the situation, informed parents to pick up their children. However, chaos ensued as students left before their parents arrived, leaving many panicked and seeking help to contact their families. The police held discussions with the parents, and the college management assured them that action would be taken against the students accused of abusing the boy observing ‘Ayyappa Deeksha’.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case is being added to the primary category 'attack not resulting in death' under the sub-category '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. In this case, a group of Muslim boys attacked a Hindu student because he was observing Ayyappa Deeksha - a deeply religious affair for those who profess faith in Lord Ayyappa. In such cases, it is easier to recognise Hindu devotees due to their attire and the ritualistic symbols they wear. Once the devotees are spotted, those who harbour religious hostility towards Hinduism and its practices attack the Hindu devotees as an expression of their hostility towards the faith itself.
Victim Details
Total Victim
1
Deceased
0
Gender
- Male 1
- Female 0
- Third Gender 0
- Unknown 0
Caste
- SC/ST 0
- OBC 0
- General 0
- Unknown 1
Age Group
- Minor 0
- Adult 0
- Senior Citizen 0
- Unknown 1

Case Status
Complaint filed

Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
Unknown
Perpetrators Gender
unknown