Dalit Hindu family doing bhajan during Navratri attacked by Muslim mob, girls doing puja were molested
Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India 
19 October, 2023
Case Summary
On October 20, 2023, a Muslim mob launched a vicious attack on a Dalit-Hindu family in Agra, Uttar Pradesh. The attack happened while the victims were celebrating Navratri. According to reports, the accused, namely, Saluddin, Jahil, Nazim, Hashim and Fazil, entered the Durga Pandal with sticks and brutally beat up the women sitting there. The girls who were singing bhajans were also molested. After this sudden attack, the victim's families ran towards their homes. The accused chased them, entered the house and beat up the victims. When people started gathering after hearing the noise, the attackers fled from there threatening to kill them. The police arrested two accused and were conducting raids in search of other absconding accused.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
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 other primary category this case is being added to is 'attack on Hindu religious representations' under the sub-category 'attack on temporary religious structures or centres'. In Hinduism, a religious structure is also considered divine. Hindus believe that not just the Deity but the religious structure itself is sacred. In this sub-category, we would document attacks against religious structures which are not consecrated temple spaces. Such religious spaces could be temporary in nature – for example – the religious spaces erected specifically for festivals like Durga Puja etc. This category would also document cases of attacks against religious centres. These spaces in their own right may not be ‘sacred’ per se, however, are often spaces where religious gurus live, religious teaching is imparted, or belong to religious institutions. Any attack against religious structures is a result of animosity towards the religion itself, which manifests itself through the religious spaces and therefore, such attacks are considered religiously motivated hate crimes. Religious centres are also manifestations of the religion, its teachings or gurus and therefore, attacks against such centres would be considered religiously motivated hate crimes. Here, the religious angle of the crime in evident by the fact that the Muslims attacked the Hindu family while they were celebrating Navaratri, a traditional Hindu ceremony. The accused Durga Pandal with sticks and brutally beat up the women sitting there. The girls who were singing bhajans were also molested. Here, it is important to note that the attack on the Hindu devotees was an unprovoked one. The trigger for the attack was the Hindu women's participation in a religious activity, which stemmed from a deep-seated animosity against Hindus and their religion, which is why this case has been listed in the hate tracker.
Case Status
Case sub-judice
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
From 10 to 100
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
