Hindu artist says mob assaulted him after mistaking him for Muslim
Artist says men targeted him over clothing they associated with Muslims before allegedly beating him while chanting Hindu religious slogans
NEW DELHI, India (MNTV) — A Hindu theatre artist says he was brutally assaulted by Hindu extremists who believed he was Muslim, describing the attack as another example of how religious profiling and anti-Muslim hatred can make perceived religious identity a trigger for violence in India.
Subhankar Dassharma, a theatre artist from the eastern Indian state of West Bengal, said the assault took place on July 28 in the town of Shyamnagar, about 35 kilometers north of Kolkata, as he was returning home after a theatre performance.
In a Facebook post, he alleged that four men confronted him after noticing he was wearing a black kurta and pajamas, clothing they associated with Muslims.
According to Dassharma, the men repeatedly demanded to know whether he was Muslim. He said he responded by asking why his religion mattered and told them that, in a free country, he was under no obligation to disclose his faith to strangers.
The artist said the confrontation quickly turned violent. He alleged that the men dragged him, continued demanding to know his religion and began assaulting him. Rather than denying their accusation, Dassharma said he told the attackers that he was Muslim.
He alleged that the group then beat him repeatedly while chanting “Jai Shri Ram” (“Victory to Lord Rama”), striking his head, eyes, ears and chest before knocking him unconscious. He also said the attackers tore his kurta during the assault.
After regaining consciousness, Dassharma said he managed to return home but spent several days in severe pain before seeking hospital treatment.
He later underwent examinations by ophthalmology, orthopedic and ear, nose and throat specialists, who, he said, diagnosed an eye injury and a perforated eardrum.
Dassharma said fear initially prevented him from speaking publicly about the incident. Hoping to avoid further trouble while continuing to live in the area, he shared details only with a few close friends before deciding to go public after seeing abusive comments directed at his sister on social media.
The alleged assault prompted condemnation from members of West Bengal’s theatre community.
Theater activist Joyraj Bhattacharya invoked Martin Niemöller’s famous poem First They Came to argue that remaining silent in the face of identity-based violence ultimately enables further persecution, urging artists to stand in solidarity with victims rather than remain neutral.
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