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 27 October to 02 November 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) Veteran film actor Annu Kapoor has once again opened up a hornet’s nest by accusing the makers of Shah Rukh Khan’s Chak De! India of trying to fit some sort of communal narrative. The actor said that the filmmakers deliberately changed the lead character to a Muslim.

2) Chahatt Khanna, known for her stint in Sakshi Tanwar and Ram Kapoor’s ‘Bade Acche Lagte Hai’ and more has been very vocal about her life. The actress, who is a mother of two daughters: Zohra and Amayra from her second husband Farhan Mirza, recently opened up. ‘Asked me to not worship my God, was Brainwashed’: Chahatt Khanna opens up on converting to Islam for ex-husband Farhan Mirza.

3) The Pujari in Baraich’s Gauriya Ghat, where Ram Gopal Mishra was brutally murdered by Islamists, said that this time the immersion was not only dull but also disappointing compared to every year. Gauriya Ghat is about one and a half kilometres away from the Maharajganj market where the Islamist mob indulged in violence. Immersion of murtis of about 18 villages and towns in the vicinity takes place here. “50 Durga Murtis used to be immersed, this time only 20, some idols with broken hands, some with broken legs,” he said.

4) A differently-abled (Divyang) Hindu student, studying at the Jamia Milia Islamia (JMI), has filed a complaint with the Delhi police narrating her ordeal with the Islamist conversion mafia. The victim narrated how she was forced to convert to Islam, wear a Hijab and renounce her Hindu faith at the central government-funded institute.

5) A troubling incident has emerged in Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh (UP), where disturbing trends have surfaced regarding the brainwashing of Hindu female students in a library adjacent to the District School Inspector’s office. Based on the reports, it is claimed that Senior Assistant Islamist Asif Hassan, who was overseeing the library, encouraged female students to engage with the Islamist youths.

6) A video of CBN News (The Christian Broadcasting Network Inc) went viral on social media platform X which talked about Calvary Temple, a church in Hyderabad that converts 3,000 Hindus every month to Christianity.

7) In a harrowing ordeal, two individuals were taken into police custody in Garhwa, Jharkhand, for deceiving a minor Hindu girl under the guise of friendship before committing sexual assault. According to the reports, the accused, identified as Islamist Mohammad Shahrukh from Aurangabad, Bihar, and Islamist Mohammad Tauqeer alias Farhan from Palamu, Jharkhand, have been placed in judicial custody pending further investigation following their arrest.

8) In Navi Mumbai’s Taloja Phase 1, a conflict erupted between Hindu residents and Islamic community members over Diwali decorations. Based on the reports from ABP News, the tension centres around Panchanand Society in Sector 9, where Islamic community members opposed putting up Diwali lights in public areas and on streets around the building.

9) A factory worker died after he was allegedly pushed by another worker over two rotis in Delhi’s Bawana area. The deceased has been identified as Ram Parkash, while the accused has been identified as Aslam.

10) In Faridabad, Haryana, a Hindu family was reportedly attacked by Muslims over the use of firecrackers during Diwali celebrations. The incident occurred in the Anandpur locality, where family members, including children and women, were allegedly assaulted by a Muslim mob led by two men, Raj and Ashiq. They also molested the daughter of the family, tore her clothes, and tried to sexually assault her. As a result, the victim’s family has decided to leave the area, offering to sell their house.

11) The Legal Rights Protection Forum (LRPF) has filed a formal complaint with the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), alleging that Stella Maris School in Visakhapatnam involved minor students in an anti-Diwali rally, which they claim may promote negative attitudes toward Hindu Dharma.

12) A major controversy erupted in Uttarakhand after a minor girl was abducted by a barber named Salman in Pauri Garhwal. Local Hindus have taken to the streets in protest of the incident. The state women’s commission asked for strict action against the accused. The police have also arrested Salman and two other perpetrators. Now, shocking details have come to light including the girl’s clever brainwashing.

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 frenzied Muslim mob laid siege to the Kadirdi Degree College in Boalmari in the Faridpur district of Bangladesh after accusing a Hindu boy of ‘insulting’ Muhammad. As per reports, the victim was identified as Hridoy Pal. He is a student of Class XI. A mob comprising madrassa students gathered outside the Kadirdi Degree College and demanded that the administration hand the victim over to them.

2) Days after the Hindu community carried out a massive protest rally in the historic Lal Dighi ground in Chittagong city of Bangladesh, the police booked 19 members of the ‘Sanatan Jagaran Mancha (SJM).’ The government is systematically targeting members of the minority community.

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.