Holi, the cheerful Hindu festival of colours meant to bring people together, which is celebrated with tremendous fervour and enthusiasm around the world, has long been despised by Islamists who harbour deep contempt for the Indic faiths and believe in the supremacy of Islam. Year after year, reports have surfaced of rabid Islamists carrying out vicious attacks and engaging in arson and vandalism during Holi celebrations, displaying their blatant hatred for the Hindu community.
Reportedly, this year’s Holi festival which was on Wednesday (March 8) and coincided with the Muslim festival Shab-e-Barat was no different. When some members of the Hindu community celebrated Holi, Islamists, like the previous years, resorted to violence to protest the once-a-year Holi celebrations.
Below we have listed five instances of attacks on Hindus by rabid Islamists during this year’s festival of Holi.
Telangana: Hindu man was set on fire for applying Holi colours on a Muslim man
On March 8, 2023, in Marpalli village, Regode Mandal, Medak district, Telangana a man set another man on fire just because the victim threw colours on him, turning the festival of colours tragic.
According to the reports, the man who was burned has been identified as Anjaiah.
Telangana: Mohammed Shabbir sets Hindu man on fire by pouring petrol for applying Holi colours on himhttps://t.co/UuwclXEDaJ
— OpIndia.com (@OpIndia_com) March 8, 2023
Anjaiah was playing Holi with other villages when they came across Md Shabbir and wanted to apply Holi colours on him. But Shabbir opposed it, asking them not to do it. Anjaiah ignored his objection and approached him with colours in hand. Shabbir asked to stop him and threatened that he will burn him by pouring petrol if he applies colour.
Anjaiah ignored his objection and threats, perhaps he thought that Shabbir was joking, and threw colours on him anyway. After that, he proceeded to apply colours to Shabbir’s face, despite his objections. This angered Mohammed Shabbir, and he left the place but returned with a bottle of petrol. He poured the fuel on Anjaiah and set him on fire.
Unnao, Uttar Pradesh: Muslim woman throws broom and stones from the roof at Holi procession
On March 8, Wednesday, the celebration of Holi was disrupted in Unnao, Uttar Pradesh, as a woman belonging to the Muslim community threw brooms and stones at a group of Hindus who were singing songs and playing Holi in the area. The incident reportedly happened in Jogiana Mohalla of Ganj Moradabad in UP.
2. Jogiana: Ganj Moradabad, Bangarmau, Unnao, UP: Muslim woman throws broom and stones from roof at Holi procession! After which stones were pelted at each other.
— Kalu Singh Chouhan (@kscChouhan) March 10, 2023
Link https://t.co/EPd3H4Lw9R pic.twitter.com/pMSq9lgakD
According to reports, when the Muslim woman started pelting stones and hurling brooms at the Hindus playing Holi, they too retaliated and the matter escalated. On getting the information, Unnao police reached the spot and brought the situation under control. Videos of the incident went viral on social media.
Meerut, UP: Hindu youths attacked by Shahzad and his associates for seeking donations for Holika Dahan
On the evening of Sunday (March 5), clashes between Hindus and Muslims erupted in the Purwa Ilahi Baksh area that falls under the jurisdiction of Brahmpuri police station in Uttar Pradesh’s Meerut district, over the ritual of Holi Dahan, ahead of Holi that is to be celebrated on March 8. According to media reports, stones were pelted and glass bottles were hurled between two groups.
Mohammedans had pelted stones on Hindus on eve of holi in Meerut
— Ritu #सत्यसाधक (@RituRathaur) March 8, 2023
Watch 0ne hindu lady narrate the ordeal faced by hindu community
Life of hindus in New India pic.twitter.com/WO5EMmDy3T
On what triggered the violence, several news agencies reported that Muslim youths mocked two Hindu men seeking donations for the ceremony by comparing it to begging. The Muslims also allegedly kicked the ritualistic wooden pyre that is set up and lit on Holika Dahan, symbolising the burning of Holika.
After this stone pelting started from both sides. According to reports, two people from the Hindu community, who were injured in the violence blamed several Muslim men from the area for attacking them and threatening to ruin their Holi celebrations.
Delhi: Muslim students in Jamia Millia Islamia intimidate, threaten other students against celebrating Holi on the campus; raise Naara-e-Takbeer and Allah-hu-Akbar slogans
Some Muslim students of the Jamia Millia Islamia University (JMIU) reportedly created a ruckus and opposed the celebration of the Hindu festival of Holi on the campus. The incident allegedly occurred on March 1, 2023, during an event named ‘Rangotsav’ organised by the university’s YUVA chapter, to celebrate the upcoming Hindu festival on campus. Holi will be observed on March 8 this year.
Twitter user Jatin Jain shared a thread of tweets on Thursday, March 3, with snippets from the varsity’s campus where a group of students were seen threatening and intimidating their peers against celebrating the festival on the premises. The user also shared a screenshot of an Instagram story posted by a Muslim student of JMIU where he instigates Muslims against Hindus and forbids them from participating in the Hindu festivals.
Opposing #Holi celebration in @jmiu_official, these anti social elements called names to students and Jamia administration. They have been given free rein as much as to dare call University Proctor, a “Hijada”.@dpradhanbjp @EduMinOfIndia @ugc_india pic.twitter.com/ywoh7HOf8f
— जतिन जैन (Jatin Jain) (@NijVaani2019) March 2, 2023
In another video shared by Jatin Jain, Islamists of the university opposing the celebration of Holi on the campus are heard raising “Naara-e-Takbeer, Allah-hu-Akbar,” slogans.
Pakistan: Islamists attack Hindu students for celebrating Holi at Punjab University
On March 6, at least 15 Hindu students were injured after Islamists of Islami Jamiat Tulba (IJT) attacked them for celebrating Holi inside Punjab University, Lahore. IJT is a radical Islamic student organisation.
As per reports, around 30 students gathered to celebrate Holi. After the attack, when the victims protested against the attack outside Vice Chancellor’s office, the university guards thrashed them. Videos of the incident went viral on social media.
Islamist attacks on Hindu festivities have become a regular occurrence
Celebrating Hindu festivals is considered Haram in Islam and Islamists have for long opposed and perpetuated violence during every Hindu festival. 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. Last year, OpIndia chronicled a list of incidents where Islamists displayed Hinduphobia during the festival of Holi. We also compiled a list of attacks carried out by Islamists against Hindu processions from 2019 to 2022.
