Muslim homes and mosque set ablaze in India
Residents say attacks followed demands for Hindu religious donations, alleging police inaction as families were displaced and properties destroyed
NEW DELHI, India (MNTV) — Several Muslim families in India’s northeastern state of Tripura were forced to flee their neighborhoods over the weekend after Hindu extremists set fire to homes, businesses and a mosque, heightening fears of communal violence and institutional failure.
According to Maktoob Media, the attacks took place in the Fatikroy region, including Saidarpara–Shimultala and surrounding areas, after tensions escalated during collection of religious donations for a Hindu event, according to residents and community leaders.
What began as a dispute over contributions quickly turned violent, they said, leaving entire households without shelter or income.
One of the worst affected was Masebbir Ali, a shopkeeper who remains hospitalized with serious injuries. Ali said a group arrived at his shop demanding immediate payment. When he said he needed time, he was beaten with objects and left bleeding. “After I was taken to hospital, they burned my house and everything I owned,” he said, adding that his tractor and farming equipment were also destroyed.
Ali and other residents said police were present during parts of the violence but failed to stop the attacks. Senior officials and personnel from the Tripura State Rifles arrived later, residents said, by which time fires had already spread across the area.
Community leader Maulana Abdul Malik said the unrest began around 9 a.m. after residents questioned repeated demands for donations. “When people said they had already paid, fighting started,” he said.
Malik said multiple Muslim-owned houses and shops were set ablaze, along with the Saidarpara mosque, while vehicles and agricultural equipment were also destroyed. Graves in the locality were damaged during the unrest, he added.
Another resident, Musavvir, was among the first to be attacked, Malik said, after which violence spread rapidly across the neighborhood. Residents said delayed intervention allowed the situation to spiral, leaving families traumatized and fearful of further attacks.
The area falls under a constituency represented by a minister from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in Tripura’s state government, adding to criticism over the administration’s response. As of Saturday evening, district authorities and police had not issued a public statement addressing the incident.
For those affected, the damage goes beyond property loss. “We are Indian citizens. Our families have lived here for generations,” Ali said from his hospital bed. “All we want is justice and a proper investigation.”
Rights advocates say the incident highlights a broader pattern in which communal tensions escalate rapidly while affected minorities struggle to secure timely protection or accountability.
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