On 13th October a Muslim mob attacked devotees during the immersion of the idol of Maa Durga in the Bahraich district of Uttar Pradesh which resulted in the brutal murder of Ram Gopal Mishra (22). Several other Hindu participants in the procession were wounded including a man named Padmakar Dixit. Notably, Padmakar Dixit also identified himself as an eyewitness and victim, stating that the attack on the immersion procession was declared from mosque loudspeakers, in contrast to the Bahraich Police’s statement denying the same.
During the procession, he was carrying the idol of Maa Durga. He received treatment for his injuries sustained in the incident and was then sent home. Padmakar Dixit was born and raised in the village of Sipahiya Piyuli which is close to Maharajganj. He supports his family by selling milk, doing some farming and other similar means. He was on a nine-day Navratri fast on the day of the tragedy and had set out for the immersion procession with other devotees. The idol of Maa Durga was being brought on a tractor trolley, and Padmakar Dixit was holding it amid slogans of ‘Jai Mata Di’ as stone-pelting took place.
Padmakar Dixit told OpIndia that they were moving ahead with the diety when a stone hit them and broke the hand of the idol. Another stone fell before anyone could make sense of the situation which damaged the idol’s neck. The idol and the Hindus were then pelted with stones which led to a commotion and the latter began to run here and there to protect themselves. Padmakar Dixit too began to escape to save his life as he saw the Muslim crowd approaching. He revealed that he heard announcements from a mosque, during the commotion. “Allah hu Akbar. Kill whoever you find,” was being declared. According to him, the Islamists stated that killing more Hindus would get them greater rewards.
Further chaos erupted after spotting the Muslim throng. Children were also among the devotees and people became worried about their safety. He disclosed that many minors have also been injured in the assault but their families do not want to reveal their names out of fear. He also told us that he noticed some Muslim women were part of the violent crowd while fleeing to protect himself. They were pelting stones at the devotees from the roofs. Furthermore, children and elderly individuals were among the fundamentalist horde that emerged on the streets brandishing weapons. They also had sticks and sharp weapons.
Padmakar Dixit informed that many elders from the Hindu side were appealing for peace, but no one from the Muslim community was observed doing the same. He expressed surprise over the large number of glass bottles and wondered how the attackers obtained them. He unveiled that the Maharajganj market does not have a distributor for cold beverages or soft drinks. How could so many bottles have been pre-stored in such a scenario? He indicated that the sudden barrage of stones and the appearance of firearms were signs that Abdul Hameed and his friends were already getting ready for the assault.
He asserted that the police started to chase and lathi-charge Hindus instead of helping them which led to many injuries including his. Moreover, someone’s hand was broken while another had his face torn in the attack. He eventually saved his life and ran towards home through the fields, however, he fell unconscious on his way. He stated that his companions sprinkled water on him to help him gain consciousness and brought him home after which his family took him to a hospital in Mahsi for treatment. His legs still have injury marks and treatment is ongoing. He demanded strict action against the accused from Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
Padmakar Dixit described the claims made by the Muslim side as a conspiracy rather than the reality when we questioned him. According to him, they are fabricating accusations to get away with their crime, while the Hindus are held accountable. He added that the Muslims had attacked Hindus and idols and called them victims. He voiced his displeasure with Sarfaraz and Talib’s encounter. They were injured in retaliatory police firing. He stated that they should have been shot in the chest instead of the leg. He referred to the police’s response as inadequate and highlighted that this has further boosted the morale of the attackers. He raised concerns that they would murder four Hindus next time instead of one. He feared that the killers of Ram Gopal Mishra might be released soon.
