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 22 September to 28 September 2024, we hope to provide a snapshot of such crimes and hopefully awaken more people around the world to this human rights crisis:

Bharat

1) Mahalakshmi, a 29-year-old woman, was allegedly murdered around 15 days before her body was discovered. Her dismembered remains, with an estimated 20 to 40 pieces, were stored inside a 165-litre refrigerator. The murder came to light when the neighbours complained about a foul smell emanating from the house. Her estranged husband, Hemant Das, now unveiled that his wife had an extramarital affair, and he believed her lover Ashraf was responsible for the heinous murder.

2) A shocking case of love jihad has come to light from Uttar Pradesh’s (UP) Agra, where a man named Fahad Hussain trapped a woman after concealing his identity, and later turned her life into a living hell. The victim stated in her statement that she befriended Fahad believing his name to be Deepak. The girl even embraced Islam and did Nikah with him, all in the name of love. However, her problems only escalated after marriage, and Fahad started to force her into prostitution.

3) Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister and Home Minister, Devendra Fadnavis, has ordered a thorough investigation into what is being called ‘Pan Card Jihad’ in Malad West’s Malvani area. Based on the reports from Navabharat, the probe was initiated following a formal complaint by BJP leader Acharya Pawan Tripathi, who presented evidence of a widespread racket involving the creation of fake PAN cards. Fadnavis has directed the Mumbai Police Commissioner to take immediate action, while also notifying central investigative agencies.

4) Islamists marching towards Mumbai from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar as part of Owaisi’s party AIMIM’s rally gave STSJ (Sar Tan Se Juda) threats to BJP MLA Nitesh Rane and Sant Ramgiri Maharaj.

5) In a shocking incident in Tamil Nadu, a Brahmin Hindu boy named Akhilesh was allegedly attacked by four men on a two-wheeler when he was on his way to a religious event in Thiagaraja Nagar on Sunday (22nd September). The attack happened as the boy walked shirtless from TVS Nagar Street to participate in a bhajan organised by the Asthika Samajam Trust. The attackers grabbed Akhilesh’s Janeu or sacred thread [Poonool in Tamil], cut it, and threatened him not to wear the Janeu in future before fleeing the spot.

6) A shocking case of love jihad has emerged from Bihar’s Purnia district, where an Islamist man named Ziarul deceived several women by posing as “Shankar” and marrying them.

7) Tensions erupted at the Carmel School in Rani, near Assam’s Guwahati, after allegations surfaced that Manipuri students forcibly fed local students in Class VII beef during tiffin time. The incident reportedly came to light when parents were informed. They subsequently staged a protest in front of the school expressing their outrage over the violation of religious sentiments.

8) A senior clerk employed at the Superintendent of Police (SP) office in UP’s Hardoi has been suspended after allegedly spreading religious hatred through his social media posts. The officer in question, Islamist Mohammad Ahmed, who also serves as an Urdu translator, has been accused of posting objectionable content that targeted Hindus and key religious symbols, leading to a swift response from local authorities.

9) In yet another case of love jihad, a Muslim man was arrested in Assam for trapping a Hindu woman by hiding his identity and pretending to be a Hindu. The incident took place in Titabor town in Jorhat District, where accused Quran Ali was arrested after a complaint filed by the victim woman.

10) On 26 September, hundreds of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal (BD) activists protested in Madhya Pradesh’s Jabalpur demanding the demolition of an illegal mosque. The Hindu activists contended that the mosque had been constructed illegally. The incident unfolded in the Madhai region of the Ranjhi area of Jabalpur. The Hindu rights organisations alleged that the mosque was erected on Gayatri Mandir land.

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) A minor Hindu girl student of class 10 was abducted in Kurigram’s Phulbari upazila just over two weeks after posters saying that the “girl of the family” would be taken and converted to Islam were found pinned to trees near her home. The abduction took place when the 15-year-old girl was returning home from her coaching centre around 5:00 PM on 18 September.

2) In Khulna, Islamists have threatened Mandirs that they will not be allowed to organise Durga Puja if they don’t pay Tk 5 lakh. The letters given to puja celebration committees associated with several Mandirs said that if they didn’t make the payment, there would be severe consequences.

3) Ahead of the Durga Puja celebrations, a radical Muslim man vandalised the murtis of Devi Durga and other Hindu deities in Gouripur town in the Mymensingh district. As per reports, the accused was identified as 22-year-old Yasin Mia.

World

1) Hindu students in America faced a Christian fanatic proselytiser while celebrating Ganesh Puja. “on the occasion of completing the Ganesh visarjan, Hindu Yuva had organised a Ganesh pooja to commemorate the completion, during this time, I came across an individual holding a placard, for proselytising the Hindus there at the event. Initially, he was present outside the premises later he comes in holding the placard, which hurts Hindu sentiments,” Kailash wrote on SM platform X narrating his ordeal.

2) BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Sacramento, California, was desecrated with anti-Hindu and anti-India graffiti. This act of vandalism came just days after a similar incident occurred at the BAPS Mandir on Long Island, New York. It is being alleged that Khalistani extremists were behind this anti-Hindu hate crime.

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.