Instead of protecting victims of such incidents, the perpetrators not only enjoy immunity from the law, but also the administration in BJP-ruled states punishes victims. The use of false cases and arrests under draconian laws like UAPA are the preferred weapons.
2021 is about to melt into 2022 in less than 48 hours. Majoritarian politics continued to hold its way over the country this year. But this year, it was not just Muslims but also Christians who felt the heat of Hindutva attacks across India as right-wing Hindu groups waged a culture war against them. Several churches have been attacked and statues of Jesus broken, the latest being in Ambala’s Army Cantonment, the scene of many a Rudyard Kipling work.
December saw targeted hate speeches against minorities. The one at Haridwar saw many participants vow to even take up weapons to redeem their faith by killing non-Hindus. The Hindu right-wing has waged war against Christians accusing them of religious conversion through their missionary work and Muslims for Love Jihad, an Islamophobic trope singling out Muslim men for falling in love with Hindu women and then converting them into Islam. However, such allegations targeting minorities have become a cornerstone of Hindu right-wing nationalism.
The Association for the Protection of Civil Rights, United Against Hate, and United Christian Forum jointly released a fact-finding report highlighting the series of attacks on churches and hate speech against Christians across India. According to the report, India has recorded more than 300 attacks on Christians and worship places within the first nine months of 2021.
Of the 305 incidents, 66 took place in Uttar Pradesh, 47 in Chhattisgarh and at least 32 in Karnataka.
While another report of the United Christian Forum had claimed that India reported more than 400 incidents of violence against Christians across the country. Among those, the incident involved storming churches, burning Christian literature, attacking schools and assaulting worshipers.
However, it is shocking that only 30 FIRs have been registered so far in these cases. On many occasions, restrictions were imposed on people to carry out religious ceremonies.
First on the list of attacks is the one on October 3, where a mob of 250-300 persons barged into a Roorkee church in Uttarakhand and attacked people, destroyed CCTV cameras, and vandalized church premises. Many reports said there were only 12 inside the church for prayers when the attack took place.
Apart from this, the attacks on churches were also reported from BJP-ruled states Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka. And these attacks have taken place over allegations of religious conversion. Christians prayers meetings have also been stopped by the same Hindu mob who had stopped Jumma namaz in the so-called Millennium City, Gurugram. The city also saw an attack on a school’s Christmas celebration.
In the last week of 2021, the bank accounts of Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity were frozen over FCRA claims, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee tweeted about the heartlessness behind the move affecting the charity of the outfit.
Some 22,000 patients and employees have been left without food and medicines, the West Bengal Chief Minister had tweeted.
The Missionaries of Charity was founded in 1950 by the late Mother Teresa, a Catholic nun from Macedonia, who moved to India and took care of the destitute and the poor and won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 for her work.
Hate speeches have been curtailed by some norms, keeping them among friends and family. The last week of 2021 saw more public hate speeches in the country. The controversial Dharam Sansad organized in Haridwar, other such events in Delhi and Chattisgarh saw where priests and leaders taking an oath to kill Muslims, and even urged Hindus to arm themselves against the Muslims to make India a Hindu Rashtra.
With next year’s assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Goa and Manipur due shortly, the increase in such hate is an attempt at reviving polarisation.
The violence in Tripura, where VHP hoodlums attacked Muslims and vandalized some of their mosques and Friday prayers disruptions at designated places at Gurugram were also the prime example of rising hate against Muslims.
Anti-Hindu violence in parts of Bangladesh triggered violence in Tripura. The communal riots erupted on October 26 after a rally organized by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad to protest against the attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh turned violent.
The VHP and the Hindu Jagran Manch organized rallies in different parts of the state to protest against the violence in Bangladesh. Later, the VHP and other right-wing groups denied any role in the violence.
The anti-Hindu violence in Bangladesh, which erupted during the Durga Puja festival, was triggered by rumours that the Quran had been insulted in one of the pavilions set up for the celebrations. Seven people were killed, several temples desecrated, and hundreds of houses and business establishments of the Hindu minority were torched.
However, many Muslim groups alleged political conspiracy claiming that the minorities were being targeted in the north eastern state. There were many arrests and some journalists covering the riots in Tripura were also detained. Those who tweeted in favour of Tripura’s Muslims also found themselves being served notices by the state police.
The Uttar Pradesh government had faced severe criticism from the opposition over the killings of Kasganj youth Altaaf in mysterious circumstance. He had been arrested on suspicion of eloping with a Hindu woman. Again, the smoldering love jihad theory. The law and order in Uttar Pradesh, which had earlier won so much praise from PM Modi and other BJP leaders, has been roundly criticized by opposition parties in Uttar Pradesh.
The family of the deceased had alleged that he was tortured by police in the lockup, which led to his death. Police claimed the accused killed himself using the drawstring of his jacket’s hood when he went to the lockup washroom.
Apart from mob lynching, Muslim street vendors in Ahmedabad and some parts of Madhya Pradesh and other parts of the country have been threatened and disallowed from pursuing their livelihood. In Ahmedabad, the Hujarat High Court stepped in to tell off the civic authority to desist from such measures. In Assam, poor peasant families cultivating land for decades were brutally evicted only because they belonged to the Muslim minority. The point-blank shooting of Moinal Haque by police personnel caught on video and the subsequent death dance by a photographer with the remains indeed were a mirror for the crumbling facade of secular India, now overtaken by an aggressive mindless herd mentality spewing hate and violence.
An empty desolate car park outside Sector 37 police station in Gurugram where Muslims had performed Friday prayers for more than a decade turned into a battleground of faith. Hindu right-wing groups staged protests, sloganeered during Friday prayers and held a Govardhan puja at the namaz site just to deny namaz here.
Instead of protecting victims of such incidents, the perpetrators not only enjoy immunity from the law, but also the administration in BJP-ruled states punishes victims. The use of false cases and arrests under draconian laws like UAPA are the preferred weapons.
DU’s Hansraj College ties up with APN News to launch future-ready AI media courses
The collaboration aims to create a future-ready academic ecosystem by integrating emerging technologies with professional education in mass communication, content creation, legal studies, advertising, marketing and digital media.
Hansraj College, University of Delhi, has signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Global Foundation for Media & Innovation Institute, an initiative of Balaji Foundation, in association with APN News, to introduce industry-oriented programmes in Artificial Intelligence, media, communication and digital innovation.
The collaboration aims to create a future-ready academic ecosystem by integrating emerging technologies with professional education in mass communication, content creation, legal studies, advertising, marketing and digital media.
As part of the initiative, students will receive specialised training in areas such as AI-powered journalism, digital branding, OTT production, new-age content creation, media technologies and strategic communication. The programmes are designed to bridge the growing gap between academic learning and industry requirements in the rapidly evolving digital landscape.
Hansraj College Principal Prof Rama said, “Hansraj College has always believed in academic innovation and future-focused learning. Through this partnership, we aim to provide our students with practical exposure, emerging technology skills and meaningful industry engagement aligned with the evolving global landscape. The new AI-integrated media and communication courses are scheduled to commence in July 2026.”
The courses will be offered in both online and offline formats, enabling wider access for students across the country. Officials associated with the partnership said the initiative seeks to democratise professional education by bringing industry-led learning opportunities to aspiring students nationwide.
APN News Editor-in-Chief and Balaji Foundation Chairperson Rajshri Rai said, “The future of media lies at the intersection of technology, creativity and credible communication. This collaboration is a significant step towards equipping students with industry-relevant AI and digital media skills that will shape the next generation of media professionals.”
Beyond classroom learning, the collaboration will also focus on internships, mentorship, career counselling, live industry exposure, placement assistance and research opportunities. The programme aims to prepare students for careers in media, innovation, legal communication and the digital economy.
Representatives of the partnering institutions described the agreement as a significant step towards building an innovation-driven education model that combines technology, creativity, employability and practical industry exposure.
The partnership is expected to emerge as a pioneering model in AI-integrated media and communication education in India, while strengthening industry-academia collaboration in future-oriented professional learning.
Uttar Pradesh CM directs high vigilance ahead of Bakri Eid, orders strict compliance on sacrifice and prayers
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister has directed state administrative and police heads to ensure strict vigilance ahead of Bakri Eid. Rules mandate animal sacrifice only at designated spots and prohibit road blockages for public prayers.
In view of the upcoming festival of Bakri Eid, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath reviewed administrative and security arrangements across the state. In a high-level security meeting, the chief minister directed officials to strengthen vigilance and clearly specified that the ritual sacrifice of animals will not be permitted in public spaces under any circumstances.
The state administration clarified that sacrifices must take place strictly at pre-designated, approved locations, and no new religious practices or traditions are to be encouraged. The chief minister also reiterated the ongoing ban on the sacrifice of prohibited animals across the state.
Guidelines on public prayers and law enforcement
To ensure that public mobility and normal life are not disrupted, the administration has directed that namaz must be offered exclusively at traditional venues. The government statement explicitly noted that permission will not be granted to offer prayers by blocking roads under any circumstances.
To prevent any communal friction or law-and-order issues, police chiefs and district magistrates in sensitive areas have been instructed to act proactively. The chief minister interacted directly with administrative heads of highly monitored districts, including Aligarh, Bijnor, Saharanpur, Rampur, and Sambhal. Law enforcement agencies have been asked to analyze past incidents to identify potential disruptive elements and initiate preventive action. Furthermore, continuous foot patrolling and pre-festival flag marches are to be conducted near religious sites and in sensitive neighborhoods. Regular dialogue will also be maintained with local peace committees at the police station, tehsil, and district levels to foster communal harmony.
Cleanliness, waste management, and slaughterhouse checks
The state directives place heavy emphasis on hygiene and the systemic disposal of waste during the festive period. Every district must implement a well-planned system to manage and dispose of waste following ritual sacrifices.
Media reports highlight that the open sale of meat remains strictly prohibited, and illegal slaughterhouses will not be allowed to operate anywhere in the state. For authorized and licensed slaughterhouses, the administration has mandated that the number of animals kept must strictly align with the officially prescribed capacity. Additionally, round-the-clock power supply, sanitation, and municipal security will be monitored.
Preparations for Ganga Dussehra and community grievance redressal
The review meeting also outlined security and safety measures for the upcoming Ganga Dussehra festival. Districts such as Prayagraj, Varanasi, Ayodhya, Chitrakoot, Hapur, Muzaffarnagar, and Amroha have been instructed to ensure clean ghats, proper barricading, shade provisions, and efficient parking management. Given the prevailing intense heatwave conditions, the comfort and safety of visiting devotees must be treated as a top priority, with ambulances deployed near heavy footfall areas.
In a bid to improve governance, the chief minister also passed several other structural directives during the session. Weekly ‘chaupals’ (community gatherings) are to be organized at the block level to immediately resolve public grievances, including revenue disputes, domestic violence, extortion, and local police complaints. These gatherings will also serve to enroll eligible beneficiaries into pending government welfare schemes.
On the administrative and regulatory front, a crackdown against vehicles running without number plates has been initiated alongside the creation of a specialized task force to eliminate illegal mining. Urgent appointments will also be filled in districts currently lacking a chief medical officer. Concluding the meeting, the administration reviewed the Department of AYUSH, ordering effective steps to deploy the ‘AYUSH Health and Wellness Policy-2026’ to promote the state as a premier global wellness tourism destination.
No uniform civil code provisions will be imposed on tribals, clarifies Amit Shah
Union Home Minister Amit Shah has assured tribal communities that the proposed Uniform Civil Code will not interfere with their customs, urging them not to be misled by misinformation.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday declared that the proposed Uniform Civil Code (UCC) will not impact tribal populations in any manner. He called upon the community to stay vigilant against “conspiracies” and misinformation circulating on the subject.
Addressing the Janjati Sanskritik Samagam—a tribal conclave organized by the Janjati Suraksha Manch at the Red Fort grounds to mark the 150th birth anniversary year of Birsa Munda—Shah stated that specific provisions have been implemented in states ruled by the ruling party to exclude tribal communities from the scope of the code.
Clarification on customs and traditions
The Home Minister highlighted that a deliberate narrative has emerged suggesting the proposed legislation would strip tribal societies of their distinct culture, traditions, and customary lifestyles.
He explicitly clarified that the central government has no intention of forcing UCC regulations upon tribal or Vanvasi communities. Shah pointed out that where regional administrations have initiated the code, care has been taken by the leadership to ensure that indigenous populations remain fully outside its jurisdiction. He requested attendees to disseminate this assurance deeply into forest zones and rural villages to erase lingering apprehensions.
Focus on security and community development
Beyond the legislative framework, Shah detailed the progress made toward curbing internal security threats, stating that the nation is steadily advancing toward eradicating Naxalism entirely. He noted that violent disruptions had severely restricted progress in these belts for decades, leading to the loss of thousands of tribal lives. According to the minister, regional stability will now pave the way for accelerated development across remote hills and forests.
The address also covered constitutional rights regarding personal faith. Shah mentioned that the original framework of the Constitution grants every citizen the dignity to practice their traditional beliefs without facing coercion, temptation, or material inducement for religious conversion.
Reflecting on financial allocations, the minister criticized earlier political administrations for keeping tribal welfare funding low. He underscored that the current administration under Prime Minister Narendra Modi significantly elevated the dedicated tribal budget from a previous Rs 28,000 crore to Rs 1.54 lakh crore. Terming the vast gathering a historical movement for cultural preservation, Shah described the societal awakening as a major step toward safeguarding tribal heritage for future generations.
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