IAMC Weekly India Human Rights Monitor (August 29, 2025)
This Week at a Glance
A fact-finding tribunal has exposed systemic targeting of Bengali Muslims in Assam, warning of an escalating human rights crisis as families are arbitrarily evicted and detained. In Uttar Pradesh, three Muslim youths were brutally assaulted and forced to chant Hindu supremacist slogans, while yet another journalist was booked by Assam police for criticizing the state government. India’s Supreme Court declined to halt the government’s mandatory waqf registration portal, raising fears for religious autonomy. Meanwhile, explosives were discovered outside an RSS-run school in Kerala. On the US front, IAMC put out a statement categorically rejecting a disinformation-filled “research report” released by HinduPACT, the advocacy arm of the Hindu supremacist group Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America (VHPA), which baselessly labels IAMC and our coalition partners as “anti-Hindu” and “anti-India”.
Top Stories
Image: Heena Fatima/ The Print
Hindu Extremists Attack Public Tribunal on Human Rights Crisis in Assam
A Hindu supremacist mob attacked a public tribunal hosted by senior jurists, activists, and civil society groups, during which they released a report documenting how the BJP-led government in Assam is arbitrarily evicting and detaining Muslims. The report warns of a deepening human rights crisis as families with decades-old records are rendered homeless.
Journalists Booked for Criticizing Assam Chief Minister
Journalist and YouTuber Abhisar Sharma was booked after he made a video criticizing the Indian government and Himanta Biswa Sarma, Assam’s Hindu supremacist Chief Minister, during which he declared that the Assam government “survives only on Hindu-Muslim polarization”. This case comes just weeks after two senior journalists, Siddharth Vardarajan and Karan Thapar, were issued summons by Assam police’s crime branch for sedition.
Image: Getty
India’s Top Court Declines Urgent Plea to Halt Mandatory Waqf Registration Portal
India’s Supreme Court has refused to hear an urgent challenge to the federal government’s new “Umeed Portal”, which requires all waqf properties, including historic mosques and graveyards, to be digitally registered within six months. Critics say the move, which is tied to the contentious Waqf (Amendment) Act 2025, threatens Muslim religious autonomy and risks disenfranchising centuries-old community institutions.
Explosives Found Outside Hindu Paramilitary Group RSS-Run School in Kerala
An explosion outside a school affiliated with the Hindu paramilitary group Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in Kerala’s Palakkad injured a child and an elderly woman, after a student accidentally triggered one of several hidden devices. The discovery of explosives has ignited a discussion around the RSS using schools to radicalize young children and train them as volunteers for the militant group.
Three Muslim Men Attacked in Uttar Pradesh, forced to chant “Jai Shri Ram”
Three Muslim men were attacked in Uttar Pradesh’s Hapur district when a group of Hindu extremist men stopped them on the road, asked their names, and then beat them with iron rods and sticks while forcing them to chant the Hindu supremacist warcry “Jai Sri Ram.” One of the victims, Wasim, was critically injured in the attack and has been hospitalized.
Hate crimes and discrimination in India
This week, Assam’s Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma faced backlash after threatening to deport Muslim cleric Mahmood Madani to Bangladesh. In Dehradun, authorities demolished a Muslim shrine, branding it an encroachment. In Indore, officials imposed bans on meat sales during certain Hindu festivals, disproportionately impacting Muslim livelihoods. Meanwhile, Hyderabad police uncovered a case where a Hindu man allegedly posed as Muslim to exploit Muslim women.
Resistance & Organizing
Sharjeel Imam to Contest Bihar Polls, Says Entering Politics is “Duty as an Educated Muslim”
Muslim activist Sharjeel Imam has announced his candidacy from prison in Bihar’s upcoming Assembly elections. In a handwritten interview from prison, Imam said his campaign will center on proportional representation, minority rights, and development for neglected regions like Seemanchal, stressing that his years of study and sacrifice obligate him to take up political leadership.
Image: Mohammad Shahamath/Maktoob
Thousands rally against Gaza genocide, urge India not to side with Israel
Thousands of citizens gathered at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, condemning the Gaza genocide. The mass demonstration echoed with slogans of solidarity for Palestine and demanded that India must not be complicit in Israel’s genocidal war. Hundreds also participated in a demonstration of solidarity with the people of Gaza, in Telangana’s Hyderabad.
Qureshi Community’s Strike Sparks Pushback Against Vigilantism in Maharashtra
Maharashtra’s Qureshi community and farmers have launched a state-wide strike to demand safety and dignity in cattle trading. Their protest has not only spotlighted the economic toll of cow vigilantism, but has also compelled authorities to issue orders curbing violent activities by cow vigilantes.
Defender of the Week
This week, we’re spotlighting the courageous individuals who organized the public tribunal on the “blood-curdling cruelty” being inflicted on Muslims by the right-wing government of Assam. From activists to academics to politicians, all the speakers at the tribunal minced no words in calling for the end of Himanta Biswa Sarma’s inhumane and illegal assault on Muslims.
Voices from the Ground
“Did you (Narendra Modi) come into power for the third time to work for the people, or to work against the Muslim minorities in the country?”
– Vijay, actor, founder of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam
IAMC in Action
- IAMC released a statement categorically rejecting a disinformation-filled “research report” released by HinduPACT, the advocacy arm of the Hindu supremacist group Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America (VHPA), which baselessly labels IAMC and our coalition partners as “anti-Hindu” and “anti-India” for speaking out against the very real and dangerous issue of transnational repression by the Indian government. You can read our full statement debunking HinduPACT’s dangerous smears and disinformation here.
- We’re continuing to catalogue daily hate crimes against Muslims and other minorities in India on our social media. Follow us on X and Instagram to keep up to date on the situation.
What to Watch Next Week
- Our friends at Hindus for Human Rights are hosting a webinar on September 3 titled “From Texas to Bihar: How Elections are Being Manipulated for Autocratic Control”, which will explore the similarities and differences in how Texan and Bihari politicians have subverted democratic practices to silence minority voices. Learn more here.
- The Savera coalition is continuing to release installments of our new zine, titled “Savera’s Guide to Recognizing Hindu Supremacy.” We will release new installments of the zine every week. You can start reading the zine from this post.
