Hindu youths attacked by Shahzad and his associates for seeking donations for Holika Dahan, stones pelted

Case ID : d882918 | Location : Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, India | Date of Incident : Sat, 4 March, 2023

Case ID : d882918

Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, India

4 March, 2023

Hindu youths attacked by Shahzad and his associates for seeking donations for Holika Dahan, stones pelted

Attack not resulting in death

Communal clash/attack

Attack against Hindu devotees

Attack on Hindu religious representations

Desecration of Hindu religious symbol

Case Summary

On March 5, clashes between Hindus and Muslims erupted in the Purwa Ilahi Baksh area that falls under the jurisdiction of Brahmpuri police station in Uttar Pradesh’s Meerut district, over the ritual of Holi Dahan, ahead of Holi that was to be celebrated on March 8. Stones were pelted and glass bottles were hurled between two groups. The violence started after Muslim youths mocked two Hindu men seeking donations for the ceremony by comparing it to begging. The Muslims also kicked the ritualistic wooden pyre that was set up and lit on Holika Dahan, symbolising the burning of Holika. Two Hindu youths were injured in the attack.

Why it is Hate Crime ?

As per the details, the first prime category under which this case has been placed is 'Attack not resulting in death' under which 'Attack against Hindu devotees' and 'Communal clash' have been selected as the sub-categories. The first sub-category under 'Attack not resulting in death' relevant in this case 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 second sub-category under which this case has been listed is, 'Communal clash' 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. As per the details, the second prime category under which this case has been placed is 'Attack on Hindu religious symbols' under which 'Desecration of Hindu religious symbol' has been selected as the sub-category. 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. Holika Dahan is an important Hindu festival that marks the beginning of Holi. In this case, communal clashes erupted after Muslim youths mocked two Hindu men seeking donations for the ceremony. They also desecrated the wooden pyre set up for Holika Dahan. It may be noted that the initial trigger of the violence was by the Muslims against the Hindu youths, who were harmlessly raising funds for the festival. Not only this, the Muslims also irked the Hindus by desecrating the Hindu religious symbol, leading the Hindus to react in reprisal. What the Muslim perpetrators did here was motivated by a desire to harm, humiliate, or insult individuals based on their religious beliefs, making it a clear act of religious intolerance and hatred, which is why this case has been included in the hate tracker.