Hindu village attacked by Muslim mob after failed cow slaughter attempt, homes and shops vandalised
Murshidabad, West Bengal, India 
17 June, 2024
Case Summary
In Malancha village of Murshidabad district, West Bengal, a violent attack was carried out by a Muslim mob against Hindus on the day after Eid al-Adha. Armed with sticks and sharp weapons, the mob stormed the Hindu village, vandalised houses and shops belonging to the Hindu community, and looted property before the police intervened to control the situation. The incident began on the day of Eid, when local Muslims attempted to slaughter a cow on land owned by a Hindu. The landowner, along with his neighbours, resisted the act. Following this resistance, threats were issued to the Hindus by the radicals who had gathered for the slaughter. On the following morning, those threats were carried out as a mob of Islamic radicals attacked Malancha village. They targeted Hindu homes and shops, breaking property and looting from them in a show of organised violence. The Samsherganj Police force later reached the spot and brought the situation under control, preventing further escalation.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker under the prime category- Attack not resulting in death. The sub-category relevant in this case is- Attacked for opposing radicals or trying to save victim. 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. The other 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 other sub-category selected 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 other primary category selected is - Attack on Hindu religious representations. The sub-category selected is- Desecration of Hindu religious symbol. 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. In this case, the violence was not driven by personal enmity, dispute over property, or any criminal motive other than hostility towards the Hindu community. The only reason the Hindus of Malancha were targeted was because they resisted cow slaughter on their land, an act rooted in their Hindu identity and religious practice. The following day’s violence was not incidental but a direct punishment for affirming their Hindu values, making their religious identity the central trigger of the attack. The Hindus were singled out, their houses and shops destroyed, and they were collectively punished as a community, which makes this a clear case of a hate crime motivated by animosity against Hindus. The attempted slaughter of a cow on Hindu-owned land was itself an act of desecration directed against a sacred symbol of Hinduism. In Hindu dharma, the cow is not only revered as sacred but is also seen as a living manifestation of motherhood and divinity. Attempting to kill a cow on land belonging to a Hindu, against his will, was a deliberate act meant to humiliate and offend Hindu beliefs. The subsequent attack on Hindu homes and shops was an extension of this hostility, showing that the violence stemmed from contempt for Hindu religious symbols and traditions. Desecrating a sacred symbol of the Hindu faith in this manner, followed by communal violence, makes the attack a clear case of a religiously motivated hate crime.
Case Status
Unknown
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
Unknown
Perpetrators Gender
unknown
Sources 
