Durga Puja is an integral part of Hindu culture. The 9-day long festival celebrates ‘Devi’ and Her power over evil. For the past several years, the auspicious occasion has been sullied by violence, vandalism, and destruction.
Attacks on Hindus remain a routine affair in India. They seem to intensify during festivals, be it Hanuman Jayanthi or Ram Navami. No Hindu festival including Durga Puja has been spared from attacks by radical Islamists.
Hindus now also need to brave the brutality of local police authorities, who clamp down on Hindu religious processions, under the pretext of law and order.
Idols damaged in Arunachal Pradesh
On the intervening night between the 5th and 6th of October, 2019, three miscreants damaged several Durga idols in Doimukh town in Papum Pare district of Arunachal Pradesh.
The idols were decapitated and defaced. The President of the Doimukh Bazaar Welfare Committee said that the attack was unprecedented in the town’s history. Soon after, the Police arrested three people in connection to the case. “
The group of miscreants vandalised the idols of Goddess Durga and fled from the spot. They escaped in a Tata Tiago car which later helped police to identify and apprehend them,” SP Yupia said. At that time, the incident had created a furore on social media.
“An FIR (u/s 295/448/427/34 IPC) was registered, statements were taken, and investigation initiated,” the SP said. At that time, Papum Pare Superintended of Police Jimmy Chiram claimed that the issue was not communal in nature and was related to a personal dispute.
Stones pelted at Durga idol immersion in Jehanabad
On October 10, 2019, a frenzied Islamist mob pelted stones at a group of Hindus, who were carrying an idol of Goddess Durga for immersion near Bihar Studio at Arval Modh. The sudden attack led to a stampede in which around a dozen people, including four policemen, were injured.
Reportedly, the violence took place when ‘some people’ pelted stones at the Durga idol immersion procession. In the meantime, hundreds of Hindus angry over the incident gathered at different places, demanding strict action against the perpetrators of the attack.
At that time, the police officials had urged people not to pay attention to rumours. The administration officials visited the spot and took stock of the situation. Anti-riot Rapid Action Force (RAF) of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) were also deployed in the area.
When Durga Puja procession was attacked in Balrampur
In October 2019, a Durga Puja procession in Balrampur in Uttar Pradesh was pelted with stones by a mob of Islamists. A video of the incident went viral on social media. At that time, the police arrested 8 people in connection to the case.
A devotee who was part of the procession alleged conspiracy and claimed the stone-pelters chanted ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ slogans.
उपरोक्त प्रकरण में पुलिस ने मौके से 8 अराजक लोगों को गिरफ्तार कर लिया है। गंभीर धाराओं में अभियोग पंजीकृत कर लिया गया है। जुलूस सकुशल सम्पन्न हो गया है। मौके पर शांति व्यवस्था कायम है। पुलिस बल तैनात है। @Uppolice @ANI @JagranNews @Live_Hindustan https://t.co/D8JYVDAKHQ
— BALRAMPUR POLICE (@balrampurpolice) October 8, 2019
While speaking to OpIndia, Suraj, a Balrampur resident part of the procession, said he was convinced that the Muslim residents of the locality had meticulously pre-planned this entire siege and the attack had nothing to do with the music not being stopped near the Mosque.
The Additional Superintendent of Police from Balrampur, Uttar Pradesh told OpIndia that the Durga puja Visarjan procession came under attack as it was passing in front of a mosque.
Munger firing incident and killing of Anurag Poddar
On October 26, 2020, during the Bihar assembly election campaign, the famous Shadipur Badi Durga procession for Visarjan was attacked and allegedly fired upon by police officials.
Though the police had denied firing and had claimed that the shots were fired by some members of the crowd, those claims were later dismissed by CISF.
Horrific visuals
— Nishant (@nishannt257) October 27, 2020
A young devotee around 20s died after being shot in head by police#Munger
7/n pic.twitter.com/SXfXu23oXw
The police had beaten up the devotees who were taking the idol for immersion. Video footage of police brutally lathi-charging devotees who were trying to shield the huge idol and pandal had created a furore on social media.
In the violence that ensued, shots were also fired and the 18-year-old Anurag Poddar lost his life. Several other persons were injured in the police brutality.
Police lathi-charge on Durga puja procession in Bilaspur
On October 27, 2020, the police lathi-charged Hindu devotees when they were en route to Durga idol immersion in Bilaspur city of Chhattisgarh. On that day, about 10 processions were on the way to immersion.
When one of the Durgotsav Samiti groups reached the city Kotwali thana, the police confiscated the DJ’s vehicle. They claimed that the allotted time to play music had expired. Not just that, the police also stopped the vehicle carrying the Durga idol from further carrying out the procession.
This led to a heated argument between the Hindu devotees and the police, leading to a clash. On the orders of Town Inspector (TI) Kaleem Khan, the police thrashed the Hindus with batons.
In his defence, Khan claimed that the crowd entered the police premises and the police merely dispersed the crowds without any lathi charge.
Violence during Durga Puja idol immersion in Sultanpur
Violence broke out during a Durga idol immersion procession in Sultanpur, Uttar Pradesh, on Monday, resulting in at least twenty people being injured.
The conflict emerged due to Muslims objecting to music being played by DJ during a Durga Puja immersion ceremony in the Baldirai region. The police reached the spot and controlled the situation.
The immersion procession began in Para Bazar town and progressed till near the Baba Junglenath Mahadev Temple. Because the procession was so long, it made its way around a nearby mosque. Following this, members from the mosque came out and demanded the procession to stop playing the songs.
थाना बल्दीराय के इब्राहिमपुर गांव मे दिनांक 10.10.2022 को मूर्ति विसर्जन को लेकर विवाद घटित हुआ था। जिसका थाना बल्दीराय मे मुकदमा पंजीकृत किया गया था। घटना से सम्बधित 32 नफर अभियुक्तों को गिरफ्तार कर लिया गया। रिमाण्ड उपरान्त जेल भेजा गया।#UPPolice
— Sultanpur Police (@PROCell19) October 12, 2022
Upon this, individuals from both sides confronted each other, and an altercation ensued. Hundreds of people arrived within minutes, and the disagreement escalated into stone pelting, injuring numerous individuals and torching several vehicles.
Superintendent of Police, Sultanpur, Somen Barma later informed, “On the basis of CCTV footage and video clips of the incident, 55 people have been identified of whom 32 have been arrested. The arrested persons include the principal and maulvi of a madrassa who had reportedly incited the mob to hurl stones at the procession.”
According to reports, the event was not random and appeared to be pre-planned, since hundreds of individuals assembled in minutes to disrupt the procession.
Burqa-clad women vandalises Goddess Durga idols in Hyderabad
In September last year, two Muslim women were detained for vandalising the idol of the goddess Durga at a Navratri pandal in Hyderabad. The ladiesaccused barged into a pandal in the city’s Khairatabad locality and smashed a portion of the Durga statue, according to Hyderabad Police.
When a local tried to stop her, one of the ladies attacked him with a metallic tool. Locals apprehended both ladies and handed them over to the police.
Durga idol vandalised in Hyderabad, two Muslim women held. @swastikadas95 with details
— News18 (@CNNnews18) September 27, 2022
"It is extremely shocking and painful. These people should definitely be punished": @RahulEaswar@GrihaAtul | #Hyderabad #IdolVandalised pic.twitter.com/ES2CZIfzCK
At that time, DCP Central Zone (Hyderabad) said, “In the morning we received a call that two ladies have tried to vandalize the Mother Mary statue and later they also tried to vandalize the statue of Goddess Durga. One woman was also seen carrying a spanner and she tried to attack a local who tried to stop.”
“However, locals caught both of them and handed them over to Saidabad police. We are trying to verify their details but they are behaving very weirdly. An investigation is underway,” the DCP further added.
Islamists pelt stones, attack Hindus with iron axes at a Garba pandal in Madhya Pradesh
On the night of October 2, 2022, 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.
Illegal houses of three stone pelter on Garba pandal in Mandsaur in Madhya Pradesh razed by administration. The three houses that belonged to Salman’s father Aklu Pathan, Sohail’s father Jafar Khan and Raes Khan were constructed without taking proper permission. pic.twitter.com/RFGZC6UUbh
— Oxomiya Jiyori 🇮🇳 (@SouleFacts) October 6, 2022
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, 2022.
