A new wave of Hindu exodus has been triggered in different parts of West Bengal, particularly Murshidabad, where violent Muslim mobs had taken to the streets to specifically target Hindus and their properties under the guise of protesting the Waqf Amendment Act. Furthermore, the administration of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee once again proved ineffective in curbing the rampage and bloodshed carried out by her preferred demographic.
Multiple vehicles were torched, stones were thrown at security forces, and roads were obstructed as violence spread across different parts of West Bengal, mostly in Muslim-dominated Murshidabad, since 11th April. Several police officers were injured in the assault. On 12th April, the remains of a man and his son, Hargobind Das and Chandan Das, were found at their home in Jafrabad area of Samserganj, showing multiple stab wounds.
At least 500 Hindus, especially women from Murshidabad, were forced to flee to a relief camp in Malda through boats, some even with their newborn babies, as Islamists continued to unleash terror with impunity. Hindu homes and vehicles were incinerated, possessions including gold and cash had been looted, and their water supply was poisoned. It has been revealed that those participating in the attacks were predominantly teenagers including minors, aged between 13 and 18 years.
“The attackers were very young, not older than 15. They were throwing bombs at us,” disclosed one woman while another expressed, “Our homes were set on fire by Muslim teenagers. They threw bombs at us and torched our houses.”
Each victim recounted a similar story of being targeted and attacked by Muslim mobs. The Hindus voiced that they are without food and and their children are hungry. The situation in Murshidabad is seriously alarming.
Only Hindu residences were attacked during the violence while Muslim places remained untouched. The rioters even threatened Hindu females with rape and many were even molested. Railway tracks were also blocked and the Block Development Office (BDO) was damaged with stones and sticks.
The Islamists even attacked Border Security Force (BSF) personnel in Shamsherganj of the Murshidabad district who were stationed there to uphold law and order. The attackers did stone pelting and vandalised BSF vehicles. Meanwhile, a special bench of the Calcutta High Court mandated the immediate deployment of central forces in Murshidabad, acting on a petition filed by Suvendu Adhikari, Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly. Subsequently, the BSF dispatched five companies to assist the state police in their operations.
Several districts in Murshidabad such as Suti, Dhulian, Jangipur and Shamsherganj have been the site of riots against Hindus following the passage of the Waqf Amendment Bill. Armed with weapons, Islamists accused Hindus of the enactment of the legislation, warning that the community would face consequences. According to Jawed Shamim, the Additional Director General of Law and Order, 210 individuals have been apprehended in connection with the violence.
Significantly, the utilization of minors in violent actions directed at the state or the Hindu community has become a recurring phenomenon. The incidents of violence, ranging from the Delhi riots to the disturbances in Nuh, have consistently involved juvenile Muslims in every act of aggression perpetrated by the second largest community in India.
Anti-Hindu Delhi riots
The notorious Shaheen Bagh protest, a significant catalyst for the anti-Hindu violence in Delhi, attracted a substantial gathering of Muslim women and children aimed at pressuring the government to repeal the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). This orchestrated conspiracy, disguised as a demonstration, effectively utilized women and children in various locations to discredit the law, while also seeking to embarrass the Modi government on the international stage, particularly during the visit of United States President Donald Trump.
Driven by political rhetoric and incendiary remarks from Islamo-leftists leaders, who labeled the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) as anti-Muslim and unconstitutional, Muslim mobs, including minors, were mobilized to perpetrate violence, similar to the current agitation against the anti-Waqf Amendment Act. At least 3,000, including many young Muslims were inside the building of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leader and former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) councillor Tahir Hussain, who is a prime accused in the brutal murder of Intelligence Bureau (IB) official Ankit Sharma.
The terrace was equipped with petrol bombs, as well as bags filled with bricks, stones, acid packs and catapults which were employed to attack defenseless Hindus with stones and petrol bombs by the jihadists during the unrest. The mob also took over a Shiv temple by climbing onto its roof through positioning ladders in the temple’s backyard and invaded the adjacent Hindu homes. They vandalised the sacred place and threw stones at the Hindus from its roof while stones also fell from Hussain’s building on the distraught Hindus of Chand Bagh.
Violence, stone pelting in Nuh
On 31st July 2023, two home guards were killed and more than 60 individuals, including devotees and police officers, sustained injuries during anti-Hindu riots in Nuh of Mewat in Haryana. A group of Islamists also vandalized over 30 vehicles. The assault transpired during “Braj Mandal Jalabhishek Yatra” organised by the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP). “The first bus carrying Hindus that returned after doing Jalabhishek was burnt just one KM away from the temple. After that, 14-15 more vehicles were burnt to ashes,” unveiled one witness.
He added that after the incident, when several Hindu activists hurried to the location to evaluate the circumstances, their vehicles were targeted and set on fire. Describing the rioters as terrorists, he mentioned that an AK-47 was utilized to fire upon the devotees. “Mountains from three sides surround Ancient Shiv Temple. They were shooting at us from those three sides,” another recounted.
The police, upon reaching the scene, engaged the assailants with return fire. However, they were well-armed and shot at the police for nearly an hour. Hindus reported that during the incident, around 6,000 to 7,000 devotees were trapped inside the temple. Approximately 25,000 people took part in the procession. It took the police seven hours to extricate them from the temple. “14-year-olds were using weapons. They planned the attack for over six months,” stated a victim. According to the Hindus, the bullets skimmed the stomachs, legs and thighs of multiple devotees.
On 16th Novemeber of the same year, a group of Hindu worshippers, mainly consisting of women, encountered an attack from a madrasa during the “Kuan Pujan” ceremony. The police in Nuh verified that the individuals responsible for the incident were minors from the nearby madrasa. One of the offenders, a nine-year-old, was granted bail after appearing before the Child Welfare Committee, while two others, both aged 12, were placed in a juvenile facility following their appearance before the Juvenile Justice Board.
“The three are students of the madrasa and after being captured in CCTV footage, they were apprehended. The involvement of others has not surfaced yet, but further investigation is underway. If we discover the involvement of anyone else during the investigation, legal action will be taken according to the law,” informed Krishna Kumar, the spokesperson for the Nuh police.
Stone pelting at Syedpura Ganesh pandal
A Ganesh mandap in Syedpura, Gujarat was attacked with stones in September of 2024 after which a police investigation disclosed that a group of minor Muslim youths had perpetrated the act. The leader of this group, who was trained in a madrasa, had devised a plan to target ten Ganesh Pandals each day. On 8th September, a gang of six minors attempted to throw stones at the Ganesh statue of “Variali Cha Raja,” but their efforts were unsuccessful.
The following day, a Muslim minor launched an attack on the Syedpura Ganesh pandal. On 6th September, they threw water packets at the Ganesh pandal, yet the Hindu community chose not to respond. Another attempt to throw stones occurred on 7th September. The Muslim boys arrived by rickshaw and targeted the Ganpati pandal. An investigation by the police disclosed that the accused had been collecting food and other supplies from the mosque, subsequently launching stones at the pandal in Variyali. The police swiftly detained them and brought them to the station.
Tensions escalated in the area after the assault on the Ganesh idol. In response, cops used lathi charges and tear gas to manage the Muslim crowd. Four residences close to a mosque were persistently hurling stones at both Hindus and the police after which multiple police personnel, including the Deputy Commissioner of Police, were injured.
Hindus under attack in Ghazipur
Many Hindu homes were reportedly attacked with stones in the Gazipur district of Uttar Pradesh of last year. Five members of the Muslim community were implicated in this stone-pelting incident, resulting in the registration of a First Information Report (FIR). On 12th April, police arrested two people concerning the matter. The complainant asserted that the attack was orchestrated to instill fear among them. Furthermore, the Bajrang Dal accused some members of the Muslim community of not only harassing Hindu girls but also desecrating their homes by spitting after consuming betel.
According to the victim, he was able to identify five suspects in the CCTV footage during the stone-pelting incident. There is a possibility that some of them were minors. The complaint included allegations against five named and two unidentified persons. The victim asked for strict action against the culrpits who had been charged under sections 147, 352 and 427 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). As reported by OpIndia, all individuals identified in the FIR were minors. The police apprehended them but following the appropriate legal procedures, they were released on bail.
Stone pelting in Kashmir
While the incidence of stone pelting in Kashmir has decreased in recent years, a 2023 study indicated that boys as young as 11 were still participating in these activities up until 2020. The research titled “Children in Conflict with Law,” published in the University of Kashmir’s Journal of Society, showed that 60 per cent of the juveniles nabbed by law enforcement from early 2018 to late 2020 were aged between 14 and 16, while 33 per cent were aged between 17 and 18.
According to a study by Dr Asima Hassan, a member of the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) in Srinagar, 41% of young stone-pelters came from low-income families with monthly incomes under ₹10,000, and 31% came from families with monthly incomes under ₹20,000. It conveyed, “19 per cent had studied in school upto primary level while 12 per cent continued till middle level. 29 per cent among them had studied up to 10th class while only 18 per cent were either studying in 12th class or had studied up to 12th. 22 per cent of the juveniles had completed their 12th and were in college as despite being detained for stone pelting charges, they had not discontinued their studies.”
A case involving a severe crime, such as section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), was filed against the juvenile offender in 7% of cases. “Majority of the respondents were booked under serious offence category which includes section 307 (attempt to murder), section 146, 147, 148 of IPC (rioting, armed with deadly weapon) and section 336 of IPC (to endanger human life or the personal safety of others). 22 per cent juvenile offenders had cases registered under petty crimes which include section 147 and 336 of the IPC,” it further pointed out. Additionally, data revealed that 35% of young stone-pelters had ties to terrorists or separatists.
Conclusion
Taking cues from the older members of their community, these minors are not only participating in these offenses but are also implicated in sexual crimes, forced conversions, blackmail and other criminal activities, as reported recently in Beawar, Rajasthan.
Furthermore, this is a commonly employed global tactic by Islamists to use children, particularly in situations where there is a high likelihood of violence. This strategy aims to evoke an emotional response from observers and to portray themselves as victims if any adverse instance occur. Additionally, the legal system is more lenient towards minors, creating another favorable scenario for them.
Clearly, the safety, well-being and protection of the youth in their community are not a primary concern, instead, they are used as instruments to push forward the nefarious agenda and develop a narrative. If children or minors sustain wounds or unfortunately lose their lives, they are referred to as “Shaheed” (Islamic martyrs) and their suffering is exploited for propaganda, manipulating others to follow the same path in the name of their cause or community.
The vested interests brainwash the children to take part in riots and demonstrations to hit multiple targets with one stone. The sight of children positioned at the forefront of large demonstrations creates a striking visual that effectively appeals to the international audience, alleged human rights activists and even judiciary. It evokes a sense of empathy and compassion. A state that initiates a response on such movements is swiftly characterized as monstrous and anti-democratic resorting to excessive force, irrespective of the circumstances or provocations.
Consequently, the administration is automatically perceived as the villain. The authorities will always deliberate carefully before taking any action on such gatherings to mitigate damage. On the other hand, the legal framework generally favors the juveniles, taking their age into account, ensuring they seldom receive penalties that are commensurate with their crimes. The situation is advantageous for the aggressors, leaving the state and the Hindu community at the losing end. More importantly, it is a proven and reliable method. They recognize its benefits and therefore utilize it repeatedly without any hesitation.
Moreover, the Muslim appeasement by the “secular” parties for votebank politics only emboldens them, as rightly stated by a Muslim man who boasted, “Didi (Mamata Banerjee) is at our mercy and not the other way around,” declaring that she needs them to win elections and hence must adhere to their outrageous demands or face their wrath. However, she already clarified, “Je goru dudh dei tar lathio khete hoi (if a cow gives milk, one has to be prepared for its kicks also),” during an Iftar event in 2019, demonstrating her unwavering dedication to accommodate the community for electoral advantage.
