Attacks on Hindus and Hindu Dharma, both in Bharat and overseas, are frequent and unrelenting. In many regions of the world, this persecution is like a genocide slowly unfolding before our eyes. For decades, the world has ignored the actual depth and breadth of these attacks, driven by disturbing anti-Hindu bigotry. From murders, forced conversions, land grabs, assault on festivals, desecration of temples and murtis, hate speech, and sexual violence to institutionalised & legal discrimination, Hindus are facing an increasing assault on their very existence along with an unprecedented Hindu hatred.

In this weekly summary for the period from 11 January to 17 January 2026, we hope to provide a snapshot of such crimes and hopefully awaken more people around the world to this human rights crisis:

Bharat

1) The Madras High Court sharply questioned the Executive Officer of the Arulmigu Subramania Swamy Temple at Thirupparankundram over the hoisting of a dargah flag on land declared as temple property, observing that the act amounted to criminal trespass.

2) Professor Rachana Kaushal, a senior faculty member in the Political Science Department at Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), has leveled serious allegations of religious discrimination and mental harassment spanning nearly three decades. She claims the sustained abuse created a hostile environment severe enough to cause a miscarriage during her pregnancy with twins in 2004. Backed by audio recordings and documents submitted to AMU’s Vice Chancellor, her complaint underscores a profound breach of secular principles and targeted harassment of Hindus in a central university.​

3) A multiple-choice question in an English half-yearly examination for Class IV students in government schools in Chhattisgarh’s Mahasamund district triggered protests on 8 January after Ram was included as one of the options for the name of a dog, officials said. The question, set in the paper held on 7 January, asked students to identify the name of Mona’s dog. The options listed were ‘Bala,’ ‘Sheru,’ ‘No One,’ and ‘Ram,’ sparking an immediate backlash from local Hindu groups who said the inclusion of the name hurt religious sentiments.

4) Bengaluru witnessed a disturbing episode near Hulimangala, Electronic City, when an Islamist woman allegedly raised the slogan ‘Jai Bangla’ during an official operation to clear illegal Islamic settlements. According to news reports, the incident occurred while authorities were using JCB machines to demolish unauthorized structures. The woman was later arrested by Hebbagodi police, and a case has been registered.

5) Delhi Police arrested accused Mohammad Imran in connection with the violence that erupted during the municipal corporation’s demolition drive near the Faiz-e-Ilahi Mosque in the Turkman Gate area of the national capital.

Pakistan

Abduction, rape, forced conversion, and marriage of minor Hindu girls are common occurrences in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. At least 1000 minority girls suffer such sex slavery every year in Sindh province alone. Apart from this, Pakistani Hindus face systemic and institutionalized discrimination and neglect, such as frequent attacks on Hindu temples, demonization of education curriculum, police and judicial antipathy, denial of fundamental rights, and even untouchability. This latest instance of the brutal rape and murder of a Bheel woman in Pakistan is yet another proof of the pitiable condition of Hindu minorities in Pakistan.

1) Tenant farmer, Kailash Kolhi (25), was shot dead by a powerful landowner in Pakistan’s Sindh province, igniting widespread protests by minority groups and human rights activists. The killing has brought renewed attention to deep-rooted issues around feudal violence, minority rights and justice in rural Sindh, as protestors across the region take to the roads and major highways demanding immediate action and protection for vulnerable communities.

Bangladesh

Attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh are relentless and designed to cleanse the religious minority from the country gradually. According to a study by Prof. Abul Barakat of Dhaka University, no Hindus will be left in Bangladesh by 2050 due to systemic and institutionalized persecution. Temple desecration, land grabbing, mob attacks after false blasphemy charges, rape/forced conversion of women, and hate speech are tools used to intimidate and drive Hindus out.

1) Bangladesh police arrested Yasin Arafat, an Imam of a mosque, the prime accused in the brutal killing of Dipu Das from Mymensingh. The arrest marks a significant breakthrough in a case that had sparked widespread outrage both within Bangladesh and internationally, including strong condemnation from Bharat.

2) 50-year-old businessman Khokon Chandra Das has died from injuries sustained in a brutal attack in Shariatpur district, police and family sources confirmed. Das, a resident of Tiloi village in Damudya upazila and proprietor of a medicine shop and mobile banking service, was assaulted late on Wednesday night (December 31) while returning home after closing his business near Keurbhanga Bazar.

3) A fresh killing of a Hindu man has once again drawn attention to the growing insecurity faced by religious minorities in Bangladesh. Joy Mahapatro was a member of the minority community from Sunamganj district in northeastern Bangladesh. According to his family, a local man assaulted him, beat him severely, and later poisoned him. Mahapatro was rushed to Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital, where doctors admitted him to the intensive care unit. Despite medical efforts, Mahapatro died during treatment. Authorities have not yet released full details of the investigation, and officials say further information will emerge as the probe continues.

4) Mithun Sarkar (25) died after he jumped into a canal to escape a mob which accused him of theft in northwestern Bangladesh, in the latest incident of violence targeting the minority community.

5) Prolay Chaki, a well-known Hindu singer and senior leader of the ruling Awami League from Pabna District, Bangladesh, has died while in police/jail custody, sparking controversy and calls for investigation.

Most hate crimes are driven by anti-Hindu bigotry encoded in certain religious teachings and political ideologies. While the anti-Hindu hate in Islamic countries is evident, there is another subtler form of anti-Hindu sentiment within institutions and the public sphere of ostensibly secular states (like India) that provides an enabling environment for Hinduphobia and hate crimes. This subtle, everyday discrimination can be missed unless one studies prevailing laws and patterns. The gradual ban on firecrackers during Diwali is a good example – it might seem pollution-related on the surface. Still, the double standards at play become apparent when one looks at the larger picture of restrictions on Hindu festivals and the lack of sound reasoning behind the ban.

We request all readers to share other anti-Hindu hate crimes that we might have missed in this period in the comments below or by emailing [email protected]. We also solicit support in maintaining the Hindu human rights tracker database.