Saraswati Puja restricted by Muslim headmaster at government run school in West Bengal
Cooch Behar, West Bengal, India 
3 February, 2025
Case Summary
In the Cooch Behar district of West Bengal, a controversy arose when the Muslim headmaster of Piknidhara Primary School, Shahjamal, did not organise Saraswati Puja at the school. Local Hindus, angered by this decision, confronted him about the issue. During the confrontation, Shahjamal assured them that the festival would be celebrated next year. The incident took place under the jurisdiction of Sahebganj Police Station. No details were available if any formal complaint was filed in this regard.
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- 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. The disruption of the Saraswati Puja celebration at the primary school in West Bengal highlights clear religious markers that indicate an act of religious intolerance. Saraswati Puja is an important Hindu festival, especially in educational institutions, where students seek the blessings of Goddess Saraswati for wisdom and learning. The headmaster deliberately refusing to allow students to celebrate the festival directly obstructed the observance of this Hindu tradition. This act was not a mere administrative decision but a targeted attempt to prevent the celebration of a religious event central to Hindu culture, reflecting a bias against Hindu religious practices. By denying permission for the puja, the headmaster effectively marginalised the Hindu students since every individual has the right to celebrate their own festival and restricting someone from doing that can also be considered a prejudicial order denying the Hindu community its fundamental rights. Such arbitrary actions taken against the Hindus are prejudicial to their rights and stem from animosity and prejudice against Hindu beliefs, this is why this case has been categorised as a religiously motivated hate crime.
Case Status
Unknown
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
One Person
Perpetrators Gender
male
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