Radical Islamists wantonly indulging in violence and vandalism during Hindu festivities has become increasingly common, not only in India but across the world. Be it the Hindu religious processions for Hanuman Jayanti, Ram Navami, Navratri, or Saraswati Puja, Islamists have never missed an opportunity to create disturbances. In fact, several incidents of stone-pelting, arson, and vandalism are documented each year, but what is concerning is how these vicious attacks on Hindus are increasing in both number and intensity with each passing year.
This year, Islamists attacked the recently concluded celebration of the feminine divine during Durga Puja/Navratri besides attacking Hindu festivals such as Hanuman Jayanti, Ram Navami, and Saraswati Puja. Several such cases have come to the fore where Islamists have either forcefully or by concealing their identity entered the Navratri Garba event and created a ruckus. Even incidents of stone pelting and violence at Garba venues have been reported from many parts of the country.
Below we have tried to chronicle the wanton attacks carried out by Islamists during the year’s Navratri festival. This year, the annual nine-day festival of Navratri, wherein Hindus across the world celebrate and worship the Hindu goddess Durga, commenced on September 26 and ended on October 5.
Youths from ‘samuday vishesh’ spray acid-like inflammable liquid on a girl in Durga Puja Pandal in Jabalpur, MP
On Wednesday, October 5, the police said that a group of men allegedly sprayed an acid-like inflammable substance on a girl at a Durga Puja Pandal in Madhya Pradesh’s Jabalpur.
According to a report by Amar Ujala, all the 10 accused in this incident belong to ‘samuday vishesh’. As soon as the Hindu organisations received the information about the incident, they reached the police station and staged a protest. 10 people have been arrested so far in the case.
Arif and Zahir lead a mob, pelt stones during Navratri celebrations in Kheda
On October 4, the Navratri celebration in Kheda turned violent after a Muslim mob led by two youths identified as Arif and Zahir pelted stones at the Hindu devotees.
Reports stated that during Navratri celebrations, Arif and Zahir led a mob and created a ruckus during Navratri celebration. The leaders of the village tried to broker peace but the mob did not back off. They returned and started pelting stones. Local residents of the village said they asked the Navratri celebrations to be called off in the area and said that the Navratri could not be celebrated there.
Islamists pelt stones, attack Hindus with iron axes at a Garba pandal in Madhya Pradesh
On the night of October 2, a stone pelting incident took place at a Garba event in Surjani village which comes under the Sitamau police station area in Mandasur district, Madhya Pradesh. Not just stone pelting, some villagers were also attacked with iron axes by the mob. Four people were reportedly injured in the incident.
Anurag Sujania, Superintendent of police, said in a statement, “After receiving information about stone pelting at a Garba pandal due to a dispute between two groups, the police reached the spot and brought the situation under control.” The police registered a case against 19 people and apprehended seven of them during the initial investigation.
Giving details about the incident, the officer said, “Devotees were playing Garba while worshipping Mata on Saturday night in Surjani village of Sitamau police station area. Salman Khan started hitting the pandal with his bike. One of the organisers, Shivlal Patidar, objected and also complained to his father. On Sunday, Salman along with others reached the Garba venue and started beating Shivlal and other organisers. Salman hit the head of a villager, Mahesh, with an iron axe.”
During the investigation, the panchayat department accessed the documents and found that three houses that belonged to Salman’s father Aklu Pathan, Sohail’s father Jafar Khan, and Raes Khan were constructed without taking proper permission. Notices were issued in this regard on October 3 and houses were razed on October 4.
Muslim teacher in Gujarat makes students perform Tajia instead of Garba during Navratri
On October 2 OpIndia reported how students in the Play Center School of Hataj village in Nadiad, Kheda district, Gujarat, were made to perform Tajia instead of Garba during a function organised at the school. On September 30th, the school hosted a one-day Garba event. A Muslim teacher allegedly forced the children to perform Tajia music instead of Garba.
Students were requested to come to school to play Garba, but Tajia music was played instead, and children were seen performing Tajia while wearing t-shirts with heretical names. Instead of performing Garba, the male and female students of the school were shown in the video banging their chests with both hands, as part of mourning during the Muharram procession.
Hindu youth stabbed for resisting molestation of girls at Garba event in Bikaner, Rajasthan
A youth named Madhusudan Modi was attacked with a knife by three Islamists named Shahrukh, Zubair, and Samir at a dandiya event held in Bikaner in Rajasthan on October 1, 2022. These Muslim youths were molesting girls who had come to play Garba. As Madhusudan Modi resisted them, they had an argument with him.
As Madhusudan and his friends came out of the pandal, 15-20 boys were standing near Saras Booth in the lane opposite the railway ground. As soon as all these people reached there, they tried to kill Madhusudan and attacked him with sticks, rods, and sharp knives. During this time, some people were holding Madhusudan and one of them stabbed Madhusudan on the right side of his stomach with a knife. Immediately after the attack, Madhusudan’s friends admitted him to PBM hospital’s trauma centre. His condition remains critical.
On the basis of the statement of Madhusudan’s father, the police have registered a case against Sameer Nadsa, Shahrukh Pathan, Zubair Pathan, and others under Sections 307, 323, 324, 341, and Section 143 of the IPC. The police have managed to arrest Sameer Nadsa, the main accused in the case of the fatal attack on Madhusudan Modi, while the others are said to be absconding. The police have been raiding locations to apprehend the other accused.
Muslim students attack Hindu students with iron belts, stones after they were asked not to play Islamic songs during Garba event in Vadodara
On October 1, six Hindu students were attacked by four accused, identified as Rathod Amin Gulab Nabi, Nizami Moin Nurmahammad, Ganchi Amanbhai Firozbhai, and Chauhan Mahamadnuman Mahamadhanif, for objecting to Islamic songs being played during a Garba event at BK Patel Arts & Commerce College of Savli in Vadodara. The four accused attacked the Hindu students with iron belts and stones.
Muslim youths forcefully enter Garba pandal, flee after VHP, Bajrang Dal intervene
On September 30, Friday, some Muslim youths forcefully entered the Garba venue in Jaipur, Rajasthan. The Muslim youths, however, fled as soon as the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal activists arrived.
According to the reports, the matter pertains to the Garba function organised at Narayan Vatika Marriage Garden in Jaipur’s Murlipura Police Station area. Some Muslim youths arrived at the Garba venue and argued with the security guard to allow them entry. After the guard refused to allow them entry, the Muslim youths forcibly entered the Garba Pandal.
The guard informed the organizers about the incident and they decided to call the police. However, before police, VHP and Bajrang Dal activists arrived at the Garba venue and checked the identity cards of all the people present at the venue. The Garba program had to be stalled for one hour. Meanwhile, the Muslim youths escaped out of fear.
Muslim youths arrested for making videos of Hindu girls after they entered the pandal pretending to be Hindu
On Wednesday, September 29, seven Muslim youths were arrested by the police from the Garba pandal of Pandharinath in Indore. They were reportedly making videos of Hindu girls.
According to reports, when the Bajrang workers asked for the names of suspected Muslim youths and asked for their IDs, initially, the Muslim youths used Hindu names and did not even show IDs. However, after further questioning, once their real names were known, they were handed over to the police. A case was filed under the prohibitory sections against Muslim youths.
The above list, which is certainly not an exhaustive but an indicative one, provides a peek into the violent Islamist doctrine that fosters pathological hatred against non-Muslims and causes fanatics to attack Hindus, their places of worship, and their festivals.