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 institutionalized & 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 24 June to 1 July 2023, 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 Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious and Endowments (HRCE) department put up a banner saying that “only Hindus are allowed” inside the Palani temple but removed it in a few hours for reasons unknown. The banner was put up after some Muslims tried to enter the temple as tourists. Hindu activists protested against the removal of the notice.

2) In Andhra Pradesh, Pastor raped an ST woman and later roped in a ‘ruling party leader’ to threaten her.

3) In the Bilaspur district of Chattisgarh, a Youth Congress leader named Sheru Aslam threatened farmer Umendra Ram Sahu and his family over a land dispute.

4) A serious case of Love Jihad has come to light from Ganga Sagar of West Bengal. Sagarika Haldar, a resident of Beguakhali village under Sagar Coastal Police station of South 24 Parganas district, alleged that she was forced to convert and marry Muslim youth Delawar Hossain. 

5) In another case of religious conversion through online games has come to light, this time from Rajasthan’s Sikar district a married Hindu Woman converts to Islam after one Taiyyab Khan brainwashed her through an online game.

6) Police arrested Shaukat Ali for running a madrassa in the name of a coaching institute in the Deepak Vihar locality in Khoda in the Ghaziabad district of Uttar Pradesh.

7) Chidambaram Dikshitars were targeted again by the DMK government, this time for placing a notice for crowd control during a festival. They decided not to allow devotees for 4 days on the Kanakasabhai to avoid overcrowding during festival time. Finding this as a reason to harass Dikshitars Executive Officer of the Thillai Kali temple removed the notice board forcibly.

8) On 24 June 2023, several youths from the Muslim community gatecrashed the marriage program of a Dalit family in Rajasthan’s Alwar district. There are allegations that the Muslim youths made forced entry into the wedding program through a speeding bike.

9) Shahrukh Khan, who raped a woman and molested her minor daughter and tried to convert her to Islam, was arrested in Gorakhpur.

10) Instagram influencer Amaan Tanwar spewed hate against non-Muslims and urged his followers to smash the skull of those who are anti-Islam.

11) A minor girl who was abducted two months ago from the Kotwali Sector-63 area of Noida has been recovered from Maharashtra. The police arrested Sohail Nadaf who had seduced and abducted the girl and sent him to jail.

12) A shocking case of mass religious conversion of Hindu students in the name of career counselling was reported from Maharashtra’s Malegaon district. A seminar was organised at the Maharaj Sayaji Gaikwad Arts, Science and Commerce College. These students were called in the name of career counselling, and with other Muslim students, some Hindu students including NCC cadets were also invited.

13) A Hindu boy, the son of one Harimohan Yadav, was forcibly circumcised by a doctor named Javed Khan in Bareilly, UP. The two and half-year-old child had been admitted to Khan’s hospital for tongue surgery as he was unable to speak. But instead of carrying out the required surgery, Dr Khan is alleged to have circumcised the toddler as a way of converting him to Islam – all Muslim male kids undergo the rite of khatna (circumcision), mainly to follow the sunnah (practice) of Islam’s Prophet Muhammad.

14) The Uttar Pradesh Police arrested a man identified as Khurshid Hashmi for assaulting and raping a Hindu woman and forcing her to convert to Islam. The accused also forced the victim woman to abort her child and asked her to convert to Islam.

15) NCP leader from Nagpur insulted Bhagwan Vitthal as Maharashtra geared to celebrate the important festival of Ashada Ekadashi. Nagpur NCP chief Duneshwar Pethe printed a calendar in which the image of Bhagwan Vitthal was superimposed with the picture of a goat and mosque.

16) While addressing a press conference in light of the recent controversy surrounding the Chidambaram Natarajar Temple, Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious & Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Minister PK. Sekarbabu peddled hate against the priestly community of Dikshitars calling them ‘trouble/problem’.

17) Missionary School principal accused of organising massive conversion released on bail.

18) In yet another incident of temple vandalism, the murtis of a prominent temple in Perambalur, Tamil Nadu were found broken. The stone murti of Bhagwan Murugan and two wooden chariots were damaged by a person who broke the lock in the middle of the night. Police allege that the vandal is ‘mentally unstable’.

19) Odisha Police filed an FIR against a Canadian citizen identified as Eapen Mohan Kidangalil for luring the poor tribal children under the pretext of ‘Prarthana Sabha’ and attempting to convert them to Christianity. According to the Kalinga Rights Forum, the accused person was on a tourist visa and had organized a ‘Prarthana Sabha’ on June 22.

20) The Madurai bench of Madras High Court has refused to stay namaz and other Islamic activities in Thiruparankundram Hill where Sri Subramanya Swamy temple is located. Islamists make relentless attempts to rename the hill as ‘Sikkandar hill’ claiming that a saint with that name died on the hill. Saying that “no harm in offering namaz for 30 minutes” HC refused to stay Islamic activities on the hill citing Bakrid.

21) A woman in the Baradari area of Bareilly district has alleged that she was raped, her 12-year-old daughter molested and now they are both being forced to convert their religion. The woman named Iram Saifi and his family as the accused.

22) In Hajipur in Bihar’s Vaishali district, a Muslim family reportedly tried to force a Hindu girl into marriage and assaulted her family.

23) A case was registered in UP’s Badaun against Ammar Qureshi who threatened to convert a girl and her family using her pictures and videos.

24) A complaint has been filed against a man named Siraj Bukhari, accusing him of luring and kidnapping a minor Hindu girl in Wankaner, Morbi, Gujarat. Siraj, who is married and a father, allegedly lured the girl under the pretence of getting snacks. He took her to the market yard where he molested her and then fled the scene, leaving her behind.

25) A complaint was lodged in Vadodara against an individual named Irfan, who concealed his identity and lured Hindu girls into a love trap. His modus operandi involved taking the victim girls to hotels by presenting false identity cards.

26) Ahead of the Islamic festival of Bakri-eid, the son of Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Priyank Kharge had allegedly directed the cops to kick ‘gaurakshaks’ in Karnataka. It should be noted that Article 48 of the Indian Constitution prohibits the slaughter of animals, particularly in public spaces.

27) Maharashtra Police arrested Islamists for selling balloons with a ‘Love Pakistan’ message outside a dargah on Bakrid.

28) Hindu groups protested the Missionary school that prohibits Kalawa and Tilak on campus and organizes Kalma and Namaz to celebrate Eid in MP’s Khandwa.

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) Having escaped after 14 months of captivity, Meena (20) d/o Wagho Kohli has been abducted yet again in Sindh, Pakistan by a Muslim man named Iqbal Bhambro, despite court orders to the police to investigate & take legal action on her previous abduction.

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.