Hindu Festivals Under Attack: Instances where Islamists launched assaults on Holi celebrations this year

Ram Navami processions, Maa Saraswati idol immersion processions, Ram Barat processions, Shiv processions, Hanuman Jayati processions, Durga Puja processions, Ram Mandir Akshat distribution processions, and now the Holi celebrating Hindus have been targeted by Islamic mobs in different parts of the country. There have been targeted attacks on Hindus during their festivities by Islamists almost every other month, over the past few years. One should also remember the ‘Brij Mandal Jalabhishek Yatra’ which was attacked by Islamists in Haryana’s Nuh, leaving many dead.

The following report compiles details of the attacks launched by Islamists on Hindus celebrating Holi in different parts of the country, some in the name of playing DJ outside the mosque while others were launched unprovoked.

March 25 marked the auspicious occasion of Holi for Hindus. This year was even more special for them as their revered deity Bhagwan Ram returned to the palace-like Mandir in Ayodhya, putting an end to hundreds of years of wait. But the happiness remained short-lived, as there have been many instances where Islamic forces launched attacks on Hindus to disrupt festivities.

Attack in AMU 

The first of all remains the Aligarh Muslim University, where Muslim students launched an attack on Hindu students playing and celebrating Holi in the campus. The attack was captured in a video where the Muslim students could be seen forcing Hindu students to vacate the the Zakir Hussain College of Engineering and Technology park where the Hindu students had assembled to play Holi.

The attackers not only verbally assaulted Hindu deities but also hurled derogatory remarks, including insulting references to Hindu gods and goddesses.

In an alarming turn of events, the Muslim students resorted to coercion by threatening the Hindu students with a revolver and demanding a monthly payment of Rs 1000 as ‘Jizya’ to permit them to celebrate Holi. This blatant act of extortion was followed by a vicious physical assault on the Hindu students, resulting in severe internal injuries. The assailants demonstrated a brazen disregard for peaceful coexistence by ruthlessly targeting their fellow students for merely exercising their right to celebrate their festivals.

In response to the grievous nature of the incident, Aditya Pratap Singh, a final-year Master of Arts (M.A.) student at the university, filed a complaint leading to the lodging of an FIR. The sections invoked under the Indian Penal Code include Section 147 (Punishment for rioting), Section 148 (Rioting, armed with a deadly weapon), Section 149 (Every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object), Section 153-A (Promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, etc), Section 386 (Extortion by putting a person in fear of death or grievous hurt), Section 323 (Punishment for voluntarily causing hurt), Section 504 (Intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace).

The accused named in the FIR include Miswa Kesar, Zakiur Rahman, Zaid Sherbani, Shah Rukh Sabri, Shoaib Qureshi, Ahmad Mustafa Sherbani, Affan Sherbani, Sehwan Khan, Faisal Tyagi, and Arsan Siddiqui with others.

Music outside Mosque in Telangana

On March 24, in Chengicherla near Ghatkesar, located in Hyderabad’s Medchal-Malkagiri district, a distressing incident unfolded as a Muslim mob launched a violent assault on the local Hindu community during their Holi celebrations. The atmosphere turned hostile when some members of the Hindu community gathered to light the traditional Holi Bhogi fire and engage in festivities, including playing songs to mark the joyous occasion of the festival of colours.

However, tensions escalated when Muslims offering namaz in a nearby mosque objected to the Holi celebrations, claiming that the festivities disrupted their prayers. Allegations were made by Islamists that the timing of the Holi celebrations clashed with their Ramzan prayers, further intensifying the dispute.

Following the attack, both the Hindu and the Muslim sides lodged FIRs against each other.

Attacked for celebrating Holi 

On March 25, in Uttar Pradesh’s Agra district, a disturbing incident unfolded as a Muslim mob, including women, launched a violent attack on Hindus who were joyously celebrating the Holi festival. The assailants, armed with sharp weapons, unleashed an attack upon the Hindu community and brazenly raised slogans in favour of Pakistan. Furthermore, they directed derogatory insults towards Holika Mata, a revered figure in Hindu mythology. The ferocity of the assault resulted in severe injuries to two Hindus in the Rakabganj police station area.

In response to the act, a complaint lodged by Vishwajit Patra prompted the authorities to register an FIR against 40–50 unidentified attackers, along with 34 named individuals. Among the identified assailants were individuals such as Jamil, Salim, Rahees, Shaukat, Bunty, Bhaiya, Ishaad, Chand, and Chaman, along with women from their households, including Shaheen and Shaheed, as well as others like Haroon and his brothers, Imran, Asin, Pappan, Shikki, Rahmani, and their accomplices.

The violent incident transpired around 2 to 2:30 pm on March 25, as people were engaging in Holi celebrations in the vicinity of Idgah SR Hospital in the Kutulpur area. The accused Muslim mob, fueled by aggression, launched a barrage of stones, sticks, and sharp weapons at the festivities while chanting pro-Pakistan slogans, instigating fear and chaos among the celebrants.

Previous attacks on Hindu festivals 

Nuh violence 

On July 31, Muslims attacked a peaceful religious procession organised by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) in Haryana’s Nuh. The violence left as many as six dead, including two security personnel. Hundreds of vehicles were set ablaze, with targeted attacks and looting on the shops of Hindu vendors.

Notably, every year in the sacred month of Shravan, Hindus reach Nuh (earlier Mewat) to visit the five holy temples of Bhagwan Shiv, built during the Mahabharata period. In 2023, as many as 20–25 thousand Hindus assembled in Mewat to visit these temples peacefully. However, the procession was bombarded with stones and the visitors were attacked with sticks and other sharp weapons by the Islamists.

The religious procession, ‘Brij Mandal Jalabhishek Yatra’, was flagged off from Gurugram’s Civil Lines by Bharatiya Janata Party district president Gargi Kakkar. When it reached Khedla Mod in Nuh, it was attacked, police said.

Elaborating on the incident that unfolded in front of him Jain said, “Within 15 minutes to the procession, Islamists started pelting stones on us. They were well-equipped with guns, swords and sticks. Stones were coming from one side and bullets were fired from the other. Some threw petrol bombs at us, it was very difficult to get out of it. We managed to seek refuge at the Nalhar temple”.

Ram Navmi Attacks

Ram Navmi Shobha Yatra in 2023 witnessed several attacks across Bharat the most severe of all remained that of Maharashtra’s Sambhajinagar, Gijarat and West Bengal’s Howrah. At Sambhajinagar unarmed youths were targeted by a mob of more than 500 people, while they were preparing for the Shobha Yatra. Visuals came up from the Vadodara city of Gujrat where miscreants pelted stones at the procession as soon as it crossed the Mosque. Also, a similar attack was launched against the Ram Navami processions at West Bengal’s Howrah.

Ram Mandir Shobha Yatra attacked 

On January 22, Bhagwan Ram’s triumphant return to the grand mandir in Ayodhya was marked with exuberant celebrations by Hindus and devotees of all faiths. The joyous homecoming was adorned with processions, illuminations, devotional songs, and various festivities reminiscent of Deepawali. However, amidst the festivities, certain disruptive elements in society attempted to disturb the harmony, leading to attacks on peaceful processions nationwide. There have been fifteen reported instances across Bharat following the Pran Pratishtha ceremony.

Saraswati Mata Visarjan Procession attacked 

In a disturbing turn of events, a peaceful procession carrying the murti of Maa Saraswati for visarjan (immersion) was viciously attacked by a group of Islamic fundamentalists in Darbhanga, Bihar. Reports indicate that the Hindu procession, scheduled to immerse the murti at 5 pm, was proceeding as planned when it was suddenly halted by a conservative Islamic mob. The mob, armed with stones, launched a ferocious assault on the procession, resulting in numerous injuries. Shockingly, the attackers also targeted and demolished the murti of Mata Saraswati.

The Ranchi Police imposed Section 144 as a precautionary measure in the Nagri area after a clash broke out between two groups during the procession of Mata Saraswati murti visarjan in Jharkhand’s Ranchi, officials said.

There have been many attacks on the Saraswati Mata Murti Visarajan procession in the state, similar to Bihar’s Darbhanga. In all these attacks, Islamists have been identified as perpetrators.

Durga Puja procession attacked 

An 18-year-old boy was killed, and almost 30 persons were injured in the violence that occurred in Munger, Bihar during a Durga procession in 2020. Twenty policemen, including SHOs of Sangarmpur, Kotwali, Kasim Bazar, and Basudeopur police stations, were also injured in the violence. The injured persons were admitted to the Sadar hospital there. Fifty-three Durga idols were installed in Munger, and the administration had asked the puja organizers to finish the immersion by 5 am on Tuesday because of the polls in the state.

Local residents claimed that the police fired and an 18-year-old boy died after being shot in the head. A video also went viral, which showed merciless lathi-charge on Hindu devotees. The videos showed that Hindu devotees were brutally beaten up by the police. The police alleged that the participants of the procession pelted stones and used firearms. According to reports, the police arrested a hundred people in connection with the incident.

Shri Ram procession attacked 

In a disturbing turn of events, a Shri Ram procession in Bhoj village of Padra district, Vadodara, faced an attack with stone-pelting, resulting in injuries to several devotees, including women. The incident occurred following the Pran Pratishtha of Shri Ram Lalla in the grand Ram Mandir of Ayodhya, triggering processions from village to village to commemorate the auspicious occasion.

Videos circulating on social media depict a chaotic scene during the yatra, with stones raining down on the devotees. Notably, a mosque is visible in the vicinity, and police are seen attempting to restore order.

According to media reports, police were present during the yatra, but security measures were reportedly minimal. Subsequently, the entire fleet was halted in the wake of the attack. High-ranking officials have rushed to the scene to assess the situation and control any potential escalation.

Hanuman Jayanti attack 

Following the violence that broke out during a bike rally held on April 12 in honor of Hanuman Jayanti, internet services in the Sambalpur district of Odisha were suspended for 48 hours from 10 am on April 13.

“Violence broke out between two communities in Odisha’s Sambalpur district on April 12. Internet services were suspended, and Section 144 was imposed in the district after the violence,” said the District Administration.

On April 13, the State Government issued prohibitory orders after clashes between the two groups. According to the State Government’s order, internet services remained suspended in Odisha’s Sambalpur for the next 48 hours until April 15.

“A motorcycle procession undertaken by Hanuman Jayanti Samanyoya Samiti members, Bajrang Dal workers, etc., on April 12, 2023, at about 6 pm, resulted in clashes between Hindus and Muslims in Sambalpur town,” the order by the home department of the State said.

Procession with saffron flags attacked 

Ram Lalla has returned to the grand Ram Mandir in the most beautiful manner possible. January 22, marked his return from exile and this time from a 500-year exile. The Prime Minister of Bharat, Narendra Modi, while addressing the invitees and the country from Ram Mandir following the pran pratishtha said, “Bhagwan Ram will not have to live in the tent anymore.”

Well, while all factions of the society are ‘Rammay’ and enjoying the Historical return of Ram Lalla to Ayodhya, some infringe elements have been targeting the Hindus and their peaceful processions.

In a shocking turn of events during the nationwide celebrations of the Ram Mandir Pran Prathishtha in Ayodhya, a clash ensued between members of the Hindu community and an Islamist mob at Mira Road in Mumbai on the evening of January 21.

Bhagwan Shiva procession attacked 

September 15, marked the last day of the auspicious Shravan month which was two months long and fell almost after 19 years; commemorating Adhik Shravan Mas. However, the last day of the Shravan was devastating for the Hindu residents of Kehda in Gujarat as a Nuh-like attack took place in the town. Marking the auspicious day, Hindus carried out a procession in the city which witnessed stone pelting. Reports have claimed that the stones were hurled form a Madarsa.

The procession was called ‘Shiv Shakti Yatra’ and was organised by Vijaydasji Maharaj. The attack is said to have happened at around 3 pm on September 15. Only after the intervention of the police, the situtation was taken under control.

Ram Barat attacked 

In two different Hindu processions, Islamists have pelted stones both in Kushinagar and Aligarh districts. In Kushinagar, Islamists were irked over Jai Shri Ram slogans raised by the participants of Navratri Kalash Yatra, whereas in Aligarh, Ram Barat met the same fate. In Kushinagar, the police declined any communal angle irrespective of the videos claiming the same. In Aligarh, the police detained the accused and started interrogating them. As of now, the situation is taken under control.