Student harassed for greeting with "Ram Ram", Muslim teacher calls it "filth"
Hathras, Uttar Pradesh, India 
7 December, 2023
Case Summary
In the Hathras district of Uttar Pradesh, a student studying in a Saima Mansoor Public School, run by Aligarh’s Noorul Uloom Education Society was harassed for greeting his teacher, Mohammed Adnan, with "Ram Ram". The principal of the school also abused the student and his family members. The incident took place on December 8, 2023, when a video of a student’s brother captured at the school gate went viral on social media. A man recognising himself as Gajendra Singh Sisodia at the Saima Mansoor Public School gate said that his brother was harassed for greeting his teacher by saying “Ram Ram.” The teacher Mohammed Adnan did not respond, and he left after the class was over. However, he complained to Principal Salman Kidwai about the matter. According to Gajendra Sisodia, Principal Salman Kidwai visited the class following the teacher Mohammad Adnan’s complaint. Salman Kidwai then remarked in front of the class, “What filth you are spreading. Why do you say Ram Ram with such stupid faces? We are bringing teachers here from Aligarh. Greet Salaam, Namaste, whatever you want but no one will say, Ram Ram,” Kidwai said according to Sisodia. After the matter came to light, several representatives of various Hindu organisations gathered at the school gate and protested. Following this, the school principal announced to the media that teacher Mohammad Adnan was fired from his job. The school administration also wrote an apology acknowledging their mistake.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
As per case specifics, it has been placed under the sub-category- 'Restriction on expression of Hindu identity', under the primary category- 'Restriction/ban on Hindu practices' of the hate tracker. Restriction on expression of Hindu identity- An example of the state-affected prejudicial and targeted orders against the Hindu community would be a government denying the right of a Hindu or a group of Hindus to hold a religious procession owing to the animosity of non-Hindu groups. Denial of the religious right of the Hindus to assuage the non-Hindu group which harbours animosity to a point where it could lead to violence against Hindus is not only a failure of law and order but is a prejudicial order against Hindus, denying them their fundamental rights to express their religious identity. An example of a hate crime against Hindus by a non-Hindu would be a non-Hindu institution forcing its Hindu employees to abandon religious symbols that a Hindu would wear as an expression of faith owing to inherent prejudice against the faith professed by the victim or a non-Hindu group of people restricting a Hindu group from constructing a place of worship simply because the demography of the area in which the temple is being built is dominated by non-Hindus. Such actions are driven by religious animosity and/or prejudice against Hindus and their faith and would therefore be categorized as a hate crime. In this case, a Hindu student was subjected to harassment and abuse because he greeted his teacher by saying 'Ram Ram'. The student's family was also harassed when they went to complain about the same to the school authorities. The greeting "Ram Ram" is a way of invoking the blessings of Lord Ram. It is a clear expression of one's Hindu identity. It reflects the cultural and religious values and signifies respect for Hindu traditions. Reprimanding someone for their religious expression and identity is a form of discrimination. It violates one's fundamental right to freedom of religion, which includes the right to express one's religious beliefs openly. It also sends a message of intolerance and exclusion to the broader community. Reprimanding and harassing someone or subjecting them to violence due to their religious beliefs or expression can be classified as a hate crime because the motivation behind the act is religious bias, which in this case was displayed by the authorities of the school which is why this case has been included in the hate tracker. The other primary category this case is being added to is 'Predatory Proselytisation' under the sub-category 'Proselytisation by grooming, brainwashing, manipulation or subtle indoctrination.' The case reveals that the Hindu victims were minors, indicating a lack of consent and genuine change of conscience. It is a well-established fact that children are more susceptible to manipulation since they are still developing emotionally, cognitively, and socially. Their brains are not fully matured, making them more vulnerable to influence and less capable of critically evaluating information. Moreover, subtle manipulation tactics can be difficult to detect, especially when employed by trusted authority figures in positions of influence. This makes it challenging for parents, to identify and address instances of religious manipulation in schools. In this case, the accused, teachers in a position of trust, demonstrated a clear animosity towards Hinduism by indulging in harassment against the minor students for greeting with 'Ram Ram'. The teachers essentially covertly tried to push the children towards Islam by distancing them from their religion and practices. This sort of harassment is rooted in animosity towards the victim's religious identity and is therefore documented as a religiously motivated hate crime in this Hinduphobia Tracker. undefined
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 1
- Adult 0
- Senior Citizen 0
- Unknown 0
Case Status
Unknown
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
From 2 To 5
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
