Hindu fesival Saraswati Puja banned by medical college administration, restriction defended by Muslim minister

Case Summary
Despite being a tradition observed for decades, Saraswati Puja was banned at Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Ranchi, Jharkhand. The second-year MBBS students, who organise the event annually, had completed 70% of the preparations, with donations worth lakhs collected and payments made to vendors. However, on January 25, 2025, RIMS Dean Shashibala Singh issued an order cancelling the puja. She cited a clash between students and outsiders that had occurred the previous day as an excuse to bar Hindu students from celebrating their festival. The decision sparked strong opposition from students and faculty. Dr Vikas Kumar, a neurosurgeon at RIMS, openly criticised the administration on social media, accusing it of targeting cultural traditions to cover up management shortcomings. His remarks resonated widely online. The Bharatiya Janata Party also condemned the ban, with Jharkhand BJP chief Babulal Marandi alleging communal bias. He accused Health Minister Irfan Ansari of fostering religious division. In response, Minister Ansari defended the ban, stating it was imposed to maintain law and order. Following widespread protests and backlash on social media, the RIMS administration reversed its decision and permitted Saraswati Puja.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This incident has been added to the tracker under the prime category of- Restriction/ban on Hindu practices. Under this, the sub-category selected is- Administration restricting religious practices. In several cases, it is seen that the administration/state disallows a religious practice owing to prejudicial orders and concerns, targeted specifically against the Hindu community. Such restriction/prohibition would be considered documented as a hate crime because the orders are often a result of pressure by groups that harbour animosity towards Hinduism and Hindus. Often, the restriction by the authorities is driven by bias, hostility, or prejudice against the specific community being stopped from holding a religious practice, by pressure groups that harbour animosity towards Hindus, intrinsic to their faith. Since practices are intrinsic to the faith of the Hindus, such prejudicial restriction is considered a curtailing of the fundamental rights of the Hindu community. In several cases, for example, the authorities ban a Hindu religious practice due to pressure from groups opposed to the religion. In other instances, the prohibition is selectively enforced against one religious group (Hindus) while others are allowed to proceed. There are still other cases where the authorities preemptively restrict a religious practice by Hindus because those who hold animosity towards Hindus may get “provoked” leading to them being violent, thereby assuaging the sentiments of those who hold animosity towards Hindus by curtailing the religious rights of Hindus. Such acts and orders are prejudiced, indicating discriminatory motives owing to the capitulation to groups that harbour animosity towards Hindus and therefore, would be categorized as a religiously motivated hate crime since the original pressure leading to the order itself is a result of hatred/bias/prejudice/religious hate against Hindus. The decision by the administration at Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) to ban Saraswati Puja, a longstanding tradition for Hindu students, constitutes a clear act of religious discrimination. Educational institutions are bound by the principles of equality and secularism, where every religious community should be granted the same rights to celebrate their festivals and express their beliefs. By imposing a ban on celebrating the Hindu festival, the administration not only denied Hindu students their right to observe their religious practices but also undermined their cultural and religious identity. The justification provided—that the ban was a response to a clash involving outsiders—seems to be a mere pretext for restricting a significant religious observance. Such actions, especially when rooted in targeted restrictions against a specific community’s religious practices, reflect deep-seated animosity towards Hindu beliefs. The quick reversal of the decision following protests and widespread backlash suggests that the administration initially sought to suppress Hindu religious expression without proper consideration for the rights of the students involved. This incident is, in fact, a direct denial of Hindus' fundamental rights to freely practice their religion, making it a religiously motivated hate crime driven by prejudice against Hindu traditions and cultural values.

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