The tenth day commemorates Durga’s victory over Mahishasura and the day concludes with a procession in which the clay sculpture idols of Goddess Durga are ceremonially moved to a river or seaside for immersion rites. Every year, the festival is celebrated in a joyous way, however, the idol immersion day this year witnessed massive attacks and violence at the hands of Islamists in various parts of the country.
The Islamists attacked several Durga idols during the nine days of Navratri causing insult to the Hindu Goddess and the sentiments of the Hindu community. Reports of Durga idol vandalism came in from Manasangan village in the Karimganj district of Assam, Gonda and Lucknow district of Uttar Pradesh, and also from Kolkata, West Bengal. Similarly, massive violence was reported on Saturday, 12th October from the Behraich, Maharajganj, and Kaushambi regions of Uttar Pradesh, Howrah region of West Bengal, Sitamadhi region of Bihar, and Gadhva region of Jharkhand.
The Islamists in each case launched deliberate attacks on the Durga immersion procession carried by Hindus, causing massive unrest and violence in respective areas. Here are the detailed accounts of the given cases.
Garhwa: Muslims stop Durga Puja idol procession midway, pelt stones at Hindus
On Saturday, 12th October, massive chaos broke out in Lakheya village in the Garhwa district of Jharkhand after Muslims stopped the immersion procession of the idol of Goddess Durga. According to the reports, Hindu devotees were carrying the idol of the deity through a Muslim-majority colony for immersion when they were stopped mid-way. The Hindu worshippers were not allowed to pass through the colony and were then attacked with stones by a Muslim mob. This left many of them injured.
On being informed about the matter, the police reached the scene. Instead of taking stringent action against the attackers, they began pleading with the residents of the Muslim-dominated colony.
BJP leader Babulal Marandi took to X (formerly Twitter) to confirm the development. In a tweet, he stated that the idol immersion procession was left stranded for 6-7 hours and that the cops were wasting time instead of taking action against the perpetrators.
गढ़वा में एक गांव में मुस्लिम समुदाय के लोगों ने माँ दुर्गा की प्रतिमा का विसर्जन पिछले 6-7 घंटों से रोक रखा है। पुलिस, विसर्जन रोककर धार्मिक उन्माद फैलाने वाले लोगों पर कारवाई करने की बजाय सिर्फ चिरौरी कर रही है।@jharkhandpolice के डीजीपी तुरंत संज्ञान लेकर विसर्जन रोकने वाले… pic.twitter.com/bHEzORNk3z
— Babulal Marandi (@yourBabulal) October 12, 2024
Reportedly, the police later resorted to lathi charge to bring the situation under control. A large team was deployed in the area to prevent any untoward situation. A ‘peace meeting’ was thereafter arranged between the Hindu and Muslim sides by Former BJP leader Satyendra Nath Tiwari.
A ‘deal’ was brokered wherein Hindus would not use the road passing through the Muslim colony for idol immersion. Similarly, Muslims in Lakheya village would not use roads passing through Hindu majority colonies for Muharram procession.
A young man lost his life in Sitamadhi during the violence
Massive violence broke out in the Sitamadhi area of Bihar after Muslims pelted stones at the Hindu procession during the idol immersion ceremony on 12th October. The Muslims, as per the reports are believed to have pelted stones from the roof of their houses as the Hindu procession passed through the area where the Mosque is located. The incident was reported from Dheng village in the state.
One of the Hindu participants also lost his life during the chaos. The Muslims pelted stones as a result of which around 12-13 people including a few policemen were reported injured. The injured were then immediately shifted to a hospital in Supi where one of the injured identified as Kalevar Sahni was declared dead.
Communal tensions have erupted in the area after the death of the 45-year-old man with police taking action against the miscreants. Force has been deployed in the area ensuring peace is maintained.
Islamists set fire in Shyampur, Howrah on Durga immersion
The Islamist community in West Bengal’s Howrah region launched massive violence on the day of Durga immersion citing that the Hindu event organizers in Shyampur had used the image of Mohammed Paigamber in the decorations. During Navratri, the Hindu organizers in Shyampur at this time are believed to have decorated the Durga Pandal with the theme of ‘Sarva Dharma Sambhav’ (unity among religions).
Amid this, the Islamists objected to the theme stating that the organizers had used the alleged image of Mohammed Paigamber for the purpose. After the uproar, the alleged image was immediately taken down. However, on the last day of Navratri, during the idol immersion, the Islamists launched stone-pelting, burnt tires in the area, and also set fire to some of the shops in Shyampur.
The acts by Islamists led to massive violence in the area causing disruption in the idol immersion process. They vandalized the Durga idol and protested against the alleged insult of Prophet Mohammad. The police force has been deployed in the area.
News coming in from #Howrah district of #WestBengal.
— Hindu Voice (@HinduVoice_in) October 13, 2024
Islamists broke Durga Murti(idol) in #Shyampur.
Islamists were protesting against the alleged insult of Nabi Muhammad.
Massive police force have been deployed in the area. pic.twitter.com/8VJyadDAgu
One Hindu shot dead in Behraich; several injured due to stone pelting
A clash broke out between two communities during the immersion of the Devi Durga idol in Rehua Mansoor village in the Hardi police station area of Bahraich in Uttar Pradesh on Sunday, after Muslims objected to DJ music played in the procession. One person was shot dead during the violence while several others were injured from stone pelting. The deceased has been identified as 22-year-old Ram Gopal Mishra, who was part of the idol immersion group.
As reported, the incident took place at Rehua Mansoor village on Sunday evening, when the idol of Maa Durga was taken out for immersion. When the procession heading towards Gauriya Ghat was passing in front of a mosque in the Maharajganj area chanting religious slogans, Muslims gathered near the mosque and asked the procession to stop the DJ music.
This led to an argument between the two sides, and amid the chaos, some people started pelting stones at the procession and the idols. The Hindus asked the police present to arrest the culprits, but in the meantime, more people from the Muslim community arrived there.
Uttar Pradesh: A disagreement over DJ music in Bahraich turned violent when one side opened fire. After the fight, a young man died from his injuries in the hospital.
— IANS (@ians_india) October 13, 2024
The trouble started during an idol immersion ceremony. In reaction to the young man's death, local people held… https://t.co/edXwTl2nNU pic.twitter.com/APi5tBZXok
Amid the mayhem caused by the stone pelting, some miscreant opened fire. As per reporters, someone from the residence of Abdul Hamid in the area fired shots. Ram Gopal Mishra, son of Kailash Nath of Rehua Mansoor village was shot from a close range. He was shifted to the Medical College in Bahraich, but he succumbed to injuries during treatment.
At present, a massive police force has been deployed in the area and they have been ordered to take immediate action against those causing destruction to the public property. 25 so far have been arrested. Further reports are awaited.
Swords brandished in UP’s Kausambi to attack Durga immersion
An immersion procession of Goddess Durga in Kaushambi district, Uttar Pradesh, was attacked where several women devotees were targeted. During the attack, swords were brandished, and stones were thrown, leaving many devotees injured. About a dozen individuals from the Muslim community, including women, have been accused of the attack, which took place on Saturday, October 12, 2024. The idol of Maa Durga was also damaged, and there was an alleged attempt to assault a woman during the attack. Police have registered a case and initiated an investigation.
The incident occurred in the Manjhanpur police station area. According to a complaint filed by Mandeep Kumar, he and other devotees were participating in the immersion procession, following their usual route. Women devotees were part of the group, throwing gulal (colored powder) in devotion. When the procession reached Imam Chowk in Manjhanpur, some individuals from the Muslim community allegedly began arguing, claiming that gulal had been thrown on the Imambara platform.
थाना मंझनपुर अंतर्गत बलीपुर गांव में मूर्ति विसर्जन के दौरान इमाम चौक पर गुलाल पड़ जाने से दो पक्षों के मध्य मामूली विवाद हो गया था, जिस पर तत्काल उच्चाधिकारियों सहित पुलिस बल मौके पर पहुंचकर दोनों पक्षों को समझा बुझाकर मूर्ति विसर्जन कराया गया।#UPPolice #kaushambipolice pic.twitter.com/ddgfytfgXz
— KAUSHAMBI POLICE (@kaushambipolice) October 12, 2024
As the procession passed by the house of a man named Mahtab, stones were allegedly thrown from rooftops. Some attackers reportedly shouted caste-based slurs, including slogans to kill, while a group armed with swords descended. According to Mandeep, the attackers desecrated the idol of Maa Durga by kicking and spitting on it. Additionally, there was an attempt to pull a female devotee with the intent of raping her, but she was fortunately rescued.
In the complaint, the main attackers named include Ghulam Waris, Saeed Ahmed, Rehmat Ali, Hashmat Ali, Karim, Sameer, Samad, Jalil, Munawwar, Sagir, Khalil, Shami Mohammad, Idrish, Mohammad Ashiq, and Al Faiz, among others. It is also reported that some Muslim women were involved in the attack, including Soni, the wife of Mahtab; Begum Bano, the wife of Rehman; as well as the wives of Sameer, Karim, and Jalil. Around half a dozen devotees, including women, were reportedly injured in the assault.
Clashes in Karnataka’s Belgavi
On Sunday night, two groups clashed in Solapur village, Belagavi District, following the deliberate damage caused to the idol of Goddess Durga on idol immersion ceremony. As per the reports, when the Durga idol was brought for immersion, a disturbance broke out between the two sections. The heated altercation injured three people and destroyed two bikes and a car.
Meanwhile, police have brought the situation under control after deploying a lathi charge to control the crowd. To prevent additional unrest, strict security measures have been implemented. Since the incident, the police have been conducting route marches in the area to ensure peace and order.
“A fight started between Amita and Firoz. When two groups of people gathered, the police did a lathi charge. The police dispersed the people by baton charge. To control the situation two KSRPs, and more policemen battalions have been deployed. The incident took place in Sankeshwar police station. The situation is under control as of now,” SP Belagavi, Bheema Shankar Guled said.
Further probe into the case is underway.
Durga idols vandalized during Navratri
Not only this, Durga idols were also vandalized during the nine days of Navratri.
On 9th October, the idol of Goddess Durga was desecrated by three radical Muslims in Manasangan village in the Karimganj district of Assam. The accused were identified as Abdul Ahad, Sahabul Ahmed and a minor. They are said to be students of the local madrassa. The trio attacked the procession of the Bagargool Sarbajanin Durga Puja committee while they were en route to the pandal. The committee members were carrying the idol of Goddess Durga when Abdul and his accomplices threw leftover, cooked rice at it and defiled the Hindu deity. This sparked communal tension in the Manasangan village. On learning about the matter, Karimganj DC Pradip Kumar Dwivedi and SP Partha Pratim Das reached the spot and de-escalated the situation.
On the same day, Muslims in the Gonda district of Uttar Pradesh stormed a Durga Puja pandal and pelted stones at the Hindu devotees present there. They abused the deities and chased children with sticks. The perpetrators were ‘annoyed’ to see Hindu kids bursting crackers outside the Puja pandal. The aggressive members of a Muslim family arrived there and started abusing the Hindus. They first pelted stones at the devotees and then attacked them with sticks. The perpetrators have been identified as Munna, Sultan and Aslam among other Muslims and their families. Around 10-12 Hindus were critically wounded during the assault.
On 11th October, the Puja Pandal of New Bengal Sporting Club at Garden Reach area of Kolkata was stormed by a Muslim mob who threatened the Puja organizers to stop the Hindu rituals. The Muslim mob consisting of around 50-60 members also threatened that they would vandalize Maa Durga idol if the celebrations weren’t stopped. The organizers of the Hindu religious event, New Bengal Sporting Club at Garden Reach area of Kolkata, wrote a complaint to the Police demanding FIR in the case.
On Thursday (10th October), the idol of Goddess Durga was found vandalised at the Nampally Exhibition Grounds in Hyderabad city of Telangana. According to reports, the attack on the Hindu Puja mandap occurred during the Devi Sharan Navaratri celebrations in the city. On learning about the incident, cops from Begum Bazar police station reached the scene and conducted an inspection.
On Thursday, 10th October, miscreants vandalized an idol of Maa Durga at the Mari Mata temple in the Cantt police station area in Neelmatha, Lucknow, severing the hand of the idol. The incident came to the fore on 10th October morning when the temple priest came to the temple to perform the puja. The priest noticed the damage and immediately informed local residents, prompting a large crowd to gather at the scene.
As per reports, massive tensions arose when the devotees and the Hindu community got enraged by the desecration of the idol. Upon receiving information, the police arrived at the temple to calm the situation. Inspector Cantt, Gurpreet Kaur, stated that a case has been registered at the police station and all the efforts to identify and capture the accused persons are being made.
Conclusion
The Hindu festival of Navratri is an issue of devotion and religious commitment. It is the festival to celebrate the feminine power widely termed as Shakti. Amid this, Islamists making deliberate targeted attacks to insult the culture and the deity is widely condemned. These kind of targeted attacks have been happening for years. OpIndia over the years have recorded all such incidents in which Islamsits across the country targeted Hindus deliberately during Navratri. The detailed accounts of these reports can be read here.
This year these attacks have so far been reported from West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh and even from Bihar, causing destruction of public properties and insult to the Hindu community. In Behraich, the chaos continues even today (while writing of this report), and its has turned so violent that the miscreants have lit up a hospital. Massive police force has bee n deployed in the area and around 25-30 have been arrested.
Even in Kausambi area of Uttar Pradesh, the Islamists insulted Goddess Durga by vandalizing its idol and also insulted the feminine power worshiped during Navratri by dragging a woman to make her a victim of assault. The administrative authorities need to take a note of this that though Hindus are majority living population in India, it is always they who have to pay the price of following a particular religion. Islmaists, be it any festival, Eid, Navratri or Ganesh pujan, execute targeted attacks on Hindus, insulting their faith, vandalizing temples and destroying their peace.
How much more are Hindus supposed to suffer at the hands of Islamists and their deliberate targeted attacks? How much more is the country supposed to suffer as such violence lead to destruction of public properties? What strict action can be taken against the perpetrators to school them once and for all leading to end of such targeted attacks? The administration needs to look into these cases very closely to ensure communal peace is maintained across the country.
