A Hindu family in the West Midlands, England (Birmingham), says they are living in fear following what they believe to be a racially and religiously motivated hate crime. Radhika Kulkarni and her husband, Ramana Nagumalli, captured footage on their doorbell camera showing youths kicking their front door and hurling offensive slurs like “kafir,” indicating they are aware of their religion (non-believers).
Expressing her distress, Ms. Kulkarni said, “I was shivering outside; I was just crying. I wasn’t able to sleep. We didn’t do anything to anyone. Why is this hate there?”
The BBC reported that West Midlands Police informed the couple via email that the ‘youths’ had admitted to harassment and shown remorse. However, they deemed there was insufficient evidence to treat it as a racially aggravated offence. The couple reported harassment on five occasions in July 2023, including an incident outside a local leisure centre where a group of youths surrounded them.
Recounting the encounter, Mr. Nagumalli said, “They said they wanted to punch me, fight with me. We were so scared.” The couple, along with their eight-year-old daughter, has suffered nightmares and panic attacks due to the traumatic experiences.
Despite a “detailed investigation,” the police opted for a community resolution, an out-of-court settlement for low-level offences. However, the family rejected it, insisting on hate crime charges. Recorded hate crimes in the West Midlands Police area have seen a sharp increase, with race hate crimes rising by 251% and religious hate crimes by 1,491% from 2011-12 to 2022-23.
It has been four months now, and the family continues to urge the police to take suspected hate crimes more seriously to prevent others from undergoing similar ordeals. Ms. Kulkarni emphasised, “We don’t want to live in fear. Everyone wants to live peacefully. We don’t want anyone to go through what we’ve been through.”
The increasing presence of Islamists in the UK has raised concerns about the state of Hindus in the country. Videos and images depicting Islamists conducting prayers in public spaces have become more prevalent in recent times.
