IAMC Weekly India Human Rights Monitor (August 8, 2025)
This Week at a Glance
A disturbing new report revealed a sharp rise in hate speech and violence against Bengali-speaking Muslims in Assam as the state moves to drop citizenship cases against non-Muslim groups under the Citizenship Amendment Act. Another newly-released report documents 334 anti-Christian incidents in just six months. Across India, hate crimes against Muslims continue unabated, from police brutality in Bihar to communal provocations in West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh. In Karnataka, a Hindu supremacist leader has been arrested for reportedly poisoning schoolchildren to target a Muslim headmaster, while in Kashmir, the government has banned books by prominent authors, raising fresh alarms over censorship. Meanwhile, the propaganda film The Kerala Story won national awards despite scathing criticism for its anti-Muslim content and disinformation. On the US front, IAMC released a statement condemning the ongoing humanitarian crisis and mass displacement of Bengali-origin Muslims in Assam. We also released multiple new articles on the Indian Muslim story, courtesy of our talented interns.
Top Stories
1. Escalating Hate Against Bengali-Speaking Muslims in Assam
A new report by Washington-based research group India Hate Lab reveals a troubling surge in hate speech, harassment, and violence against Bengali-speaking Muslims in Assam, directly implicating Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in legitimizing the campaign. The report documents 18 hate-filled rallies and nine violent incidents in July alone, many glorifying evictions and state-led demolitions targeting Muslim communities.
2. Assam to Drop Citizenship Cases Against Non-Muslims Citing Controversial CAA
In a blatant invocation of the discriminatory Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-ruled Assam government has ordered the withdrawal of Foreigners Tribunal cases against Hindus, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, and Parsis who entered India before December 31, 2014. Critics say the move institutionalises religious discrimination, as Muslims – excluded from the CAA – continue to face prosecution and exclusion under the same tribunals.
3. Hindu Extremist Leader Arrested for Poisoning Schoolchildren to Oust Muslim Headmaster
Police in Karnataka’s Belagavi arrested a local leader of the Hindu nationalist group Sri Ram Sene for allegedly orchestrating the poisoning of a school water tank to target a Muslim headmaster. At least 11 children fell ill after ingesting the pesticide-laced water, in what authorities say was a deliberate attempt to get the headmaster transferred.
4. Hindu Extremist Propaganda Film ‘The Kerala Story’ Wins National Awards
The Kerala Story, a film widely condemned for spreading Islamophobic conspiracy theories, has won Best Director and Best Cinematographer at the 2023 National Film Awards. Critics, including Kerala’s Chief Minister and senior opposition leaders, slammed the decision for legitimising Hindu supremacist propaganda and fueling communal hatred under the guise of cinema.
5. Jammu & Kashmir Government Bans Books by Prominent Authors
The Jammu and Kashmir administration has banned 25 books, alleging they promote secessionism and glorify terrorism, in a move that critics say targets dissent. Among the banned titles are works by some of India’s most respected intellectuals and authors, including Arundhati Roy, A.G. Noorani, and Sumantra Bose, raising alarm over deepening censorship.
6. 334 Anti-Christian Incidents Documented in India in First Half of 2025: Report
A new report by the Evangelical Fellowship of India’s Religious Liberty Commission has recorded 334 verified cases of systematic targeting of Christians across 22 Indian states from January to July 2025. Over half of the incidents occurred in BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, with widespread reports of violence, jailings, forced conversions and denial of burial rights.
7. Hate crimes and discrimination in India
This week, in Bihar, 20-year-old Faiz Anwar died in police custody under suspicious circumstances, with his family alleging custodial torture. In Pune, Hindu extremists planted a saffron flag atop a mosque, triggering communal unrest. Muslim cattle traders in West Bengal were tied up and humiliated by BJP members despite having valid documents. In Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, Muslim men were assaulted over false “love jihad” and beef-selling allegations, while Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath linked the buying of foreign products to terrorism and conversions.
Resistance & Organizing
Image: Maktoob
JNU Students Mark 2,015 Days of Sharjeel Imam’s Incarceration
At Jawaharlal Nehru University, students, activists, and scholars gathered to mark over 2,000 days since the arrest of Muslim scholar Sharjeel Imam. Through powerful speeches and discussions, participants condemned the use of draconian laws like UAPA to silence dissent and called on the student community to resist marginalization and remember that, in the words of one speaker, “Sab ayenge” — they will all return.
Image: Fathima Salwa/ Maktoob
Bengaluru Collective Urges Lawmakers to Act Against Companies Aiding Israeli Arms Industry
In an act of solidarity with Palestine, Bengaluru for Justice and Peace has written to members of Parliament, demanding action against nine Bengaluru-based firms tied to Israel’s top arms manufacturers. The letter calls for an arms embargo and warns that India’s legacy of anti-colonial solidarity is being betrayed by complicity in Israel’s ongoing war on Gaza.
Defender of the Week
This week we’re spotlighting Kerala-based human rights activist Baburaj Bhagavathy following the suspension of his Facebook account, reportedly at the request of Kerala Law Enforcement. A co-founder of the Islamophobia Research Collective and co-author of Islamophobia Padanangal, Bhagavathy has played a pivotal role in documenting anti-Muslim hate and state repression in Kerala through his writings in Maruvakku magazine and the widely circulated Kerala Islamophobia Report 2024.
Voices from the Ground
“These Hindus are Indians but do not have papers to qualify for NRC, like Muslims. They never say that they are from Bangladesh or Pakistan, but the government wants to use CAA to give relief to them. And go on prosecuting Muslims.”
IAMC in Action
- In response to the Assam government’s ruthless campaign of demolitions and forced evictions targeting Bengali-origin Muslims, IAMC issued a strong condemnation. Read the full statement here.
- We’ve released new articles for the Indian Muslim story on Razia Sultana, Mumtaz Mahal, and Shah Jahan. All articles were written by our talented interns.
- 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
- 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.
- Our friends at Hindus for Human Rights and the International Commission for Dalit Rights are now accepting submissions for their Student Art & Essay Contest. Check out this year’s prompt here.
- Our friends at CAIR National have just opened registration for their leadership & policy conference on Resilience, Resistance & Renewal in September. You can learn more here.
