Muslim mob including women armed with sharp weapons, sticks attack Hindus celebrating Holi, 'Pakistan Zindabad' slogans raised
Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India 
24 March, 2024
Case Summary
In Uttar Pradesh's Agra district on March 25, an armed Muslim mob including men and women attacked Hindus celebrating Holi. The attack occurred in the Rakabganj police station area while Hindus were playing Holi in the street, resulting in a violent attack by Muslim mob. Stones were thrown, and the attackers wielded sharp weapons and sticks. The accused also raised "Pakistan Zindabad" slogans while launching the vicious attack on the Hindus. Two people were injured, and an FIR was filed against 40-50 unidentified attackers along with 34 named individuals.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This particular case has been classified as a religiously motivated hate crime under one prime category of the tracker because of the various distinct components that demonstrate the perpetrator's bias against the Hindu faith. The first prime category under which this case has been placed is- Attack not resulting in death and within this, the 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 primary category this case is being added to is 'attack on Hindu religious representations' under the sub-category 'Abrahamic religious chanting outside Hindu religious places and/or during Hindu activities'. 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. Similarly, religious activities hold deep significance for Hindus, as they are intricately connected to their spiritual, cultural, and social lives. These practices encompass rituals, festivals, prayers, and pilgrimages that celebrate and honour various deities, fostering a sense of spiritual connection, community, and cultural continuity. Given the central significance of Temples and religious activities in Hindu Dharma, any aggressive Abrahamic chanting outside Temples or during religious activities negates the divinity of the religious space because the chanting itself negates the existence of any other God other than the God of the Abrahamic faith. Such chanting is specifically done to negate the faith of Hindus, establish religious supremacy, intimidate the devotees and mock the faith. Besides temples, such Abrahamic chanting outside any Hindu place of worship or religious structure or during any religious activity has the same effect. Since such acts are rooted in an inherent religious supremacist mentality driven by religious animosity, such crimes would be considered religiously motivated hate crimes under this category. The attack on Hindus celebrating Holi in Agra's Rakabganj police station area on March 25 exemplifies a hate crime targeting Hindu religious identity and restricting their expression of culture. An armed mob, composed of both men and women, violently disrupted the Holi festivities by throwing stones and using sharp weapons and sticks against the celebrating Hindus. The attackers' chanting of "Pakistan Zindabad" slogans during the assault highlights a clear ideological motive aimed at undermining Hindu cultural practices and asserting an antagonistic narrative against the Hindu community. This orchestrated violence not only resulted in injuries but also instilled fear among the celebrants, demonstrating an explicit attempt to suppress their right to freely express their religious and cultural identity. Such incidents are part of a broader pattern of hostility that seeks to marginalize Hindu expressions of identity, fostering an environment where Hindus feel unsafe to celebrate their festivals openly. In this case, slogans of Pakistan Zindabad were raised. It may be said that the slogan of Pakistan Zindabad can be considered anti-India and pro-Pakistan, but not anti-Hindu. However, raising slogans such as Pakistan Zindabad does not only show pro-Pakistan sentiments, but also, anti-Hindu sentiments. It is pertinent to note that Muslim extremists harbour specific animosity towards Hindus and their faith and also view India as a Hindu collectivity. The very basis of the partition of India was that the Muslims believed that Islam was a nation unto itself, which could not survive with a Hindu collectivity like India. Further, Muslims often believe in transnational unity - or the Ummah - which is a belief that all Muslims across the world are a nation unto themselves and therefore, loyalty as far as the nation-state is concerned lies with the Muslim collectivity and not with a Hindu collectivity like India. This would also mean that the slogan Pakistan Zindabad is about hailing a Muslim collectivity and an expression of transnational loyalty and anti-Hindu sentiments. For that reason, any slogan which expresses transnational loyalty, faith in the Ummah is automatically a slogan against Hindus and the Hindu collectivity.
Case Status
Complaint registered
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
Unknown
Perpetrators Gender
both
Sources 
