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 02 February to 08 February 2025, we hope to provide a snapshot of such crimes and hopefully awaken more people around the world to this human rights crisis:
Bharat
1) After Islamists used the “Haha emoji” to mock Hindus after the Prayagraj stampede, seculars/HINOs ridiculed Hindus for following rituals.
2) A heartbreaking tragedy unfolded in Jharkhand’s Ramgarh district, leaving a Janjatiya family in mourning. In yet another case of brutal violence targeting Hindu Janjatiya communities, a 30-year-old Janjatiya woman, Manju Devi, was found murdered in her own home. As per Panchjanya, the prime accused, identified as Afzar Ansari alias Raja Ansari, has been arrested for the heinous crime, which bears the hallmarks of a premeditated assault driven by religious and financial motives.
3) In a disturbing incident reported from Uttar Pradesh (UP), a 17-year-old Hindu girl was kidnapped, raped, and murdered by a gang of Muslim men after she refused to convert to Islam.
4) In Malkajgiri, Secunderabad, Telangana, an illegal construction of a mosque on railway land has been identified. Legal Rights Protection Forum (LRPF), a prominent legal advocacy group fighting for constitutional rights and legal integrity, has taken decisive action against this unlawful activity.
5) As per reports & eyewitnesses, the Saraswati Puja mandap was vandalised and the garments of the Devi Pratima were stripped and thrown on the ground. Not just that, the private parts of the Pratima were specifically violated, including with what seemed like bite marks. All the items used in Puja were also found broken by distraught devotees. The incident occurred in West Bengal’s Moudi Hat village under the jurisdiction of Bishnupur Police Station of South 24 Parganas district.
6) In a disturbing development, devotees taking out an immersion procession of Maa Sarasvati were stopped and attacked by a group of people in Jharkhand’s Ramgarh district.
7) A shocking case has emerged from Bihar’s Purnia district, where a group of Muslims, led by Aftab Khan, have been found entrapping Hindu girls in the sex trade. Aftab was trapping the girls by posing as Ankit Tiwari. Many people including Mausam and Shakib were involved with him. They are also accused of keeping fake names.
8) A horrifying case of religious persecution and murder has emerged from Dehradun, where a 17-year-old Hindu girl was brutally killed by her Islamist lover, Asif alias Chhotu, and his family. Her only fault was that she stood firm in her faith and refused to convert to Islam. As per Jagran, this incident once again highlights the growing pattern of targeted victimization of Hindu girls under the guise of love. Police have arrested Asif and his brothers, Zibrail and Zubair.
9) Janjatiya woman Lakshmi Tati and her family were attacked by Muhammad Abu Bakkar, a man who allegedly used a fake identity while proposing marriage. When Lakshmi refused, Bakkar coerced her into coming to his house. However, she managed to escape. Enraged, Bakkar tracked her down to her home late at night, forcibly entering the house with the intent to seek revenge. In a brutal act, Bakkar poured petrol around the house and set it on fire, attempting to burn the entire family alive. The chilling attack took place at the Dhekiajuli Sapoi Tea Estate, leaving two family members severely injured.
10) In a move that raises questions about selective activism, PETA India, along with sitarist Anoushka Shankar, has donated a life-size mechanical elephant named Kombara Kannan to the Kombara Sreekrishna Swami Temple in Thrissur.
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 minority girl, Iti Das, died by suicide after harassment by a Muslim youth and the Police. The incident was reported from Potuakhali district’s Baufal Upazila.
World
1) ‘The Washington Post’, in its latest tirade against Bharat, has attempted to stir conflict in Jharkhand by antagonising Hindus and the tribal communities. The American newspaper published an article on Saturday (1st February) wherein it accused Hindu groups of carrying out ‘evangelical campaigns’ in Jharkhand to ‘convert’ tribals to the Hindu Faith.
2) A disturbing incident at Drakensburg Secondary School in South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal province has sparked outrage after a teacher allegedly cut off a sacred thread from a Hindu student’s wrist. The act, seen as an attack on religious freedom, has drawn sharp condemnation from community organizations.
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 hindupost.in@gmail.com. We also solicit support in maintaining the Hindu human rights tracker database.
