Madrasa students harassed and coerced to chant ‘Jai Shri Ram in Bihar

A video emerged showing disturbing visuals of a group of minor madrasa students from Bihar’s Banka district being harassed and forced to chant ‘Jai Shri Ram,’ while the frightened boys can be heard reciting the chant under pressure from the men, who are yet to be identified, according to the police.

The incident, captured in the video that emerged on January 24, has highlighted the growing instances of religious harassment targeting minorities, particularly the Muslim community.

The video, lasting 1 minute and 44 seconds, shows the minor students being slapped and coerced into chanting the slogan by unidentified assailants. One boy, visibly distressed, resisted the coercion, which led to further intimidation. The perpetrators, who remained unseen in the footage but could be heard issuing threats, approached another student and forced him to chant louder after initially mumbling the words out of fear.

Following the harassment, the children were mockingly told that they had now "become Hindu," and the video ended with the perpetrators insulting Allah and using abusive language.

The distressing footage has sparked significant outrage on social media, with activists demanding immediate legal action against the perpetrators while calling attention to the broader issue of targeted harassment of minorities. The Banka police, responding to the widespread public anger, confirmed the initiation of an investigation and efforts to identify those involved.

This incident adds to a troubling series of similar events reported across the country in recent months, underlining a rising trend of hate-fuelled attacks on religious minorities. In one such case, a group of madrasa students travelling on a train to Mumbai on September 29 was violently assaulted by two intoxicated assailants. Earlier this year, on January 2, madrasa students visiting the Ala Hazarat Dargah in Uttar Pradesh’s Bareilly district were harassed by Hindutva extremists, with a video showing one of the assailants wielding a belt during the confrontation.

The Banka case underscores growing concerns over the safety of children from minority communities and the prevalence of hate crimes that continue to deepen communal divisions. Social activists and rights groups have repeatedly emphasised the need for authorities to address these incidents with urgency to deter such acts in the future.