A disturbing incident took place in Lumding, a constituency in the Hojai district of Assam, where a Maulana was dragged out of a house and brutally beaten by a group of men claiming to be members of the Bajrang Dal. The Maulana was inside the house teaching small children the basics of Islam and the teachings of the Quran when the men barged in, pulled him out by his collar, and assaulted him without any justification.

Why was the Maulana beaten so brutally?

He was attacked simply because he was teaching Arabic and basic Islamic values to young children. The group of men visited the place where he was conducting the lesson, grabbed him, dragged him out of the house, and began beating him mercilessly. They accused him of “teaching jihad” to children without listening to him or giving him a chance to explain what he was actually teaching.

The attackers completely misinterpreted the word “jihad.” According to them, jihad is related to terrorism or the promotion of violent activities. However, the real meaning of jihad is entirely different from what these men believe. In Islam, jihad refers to the struggle against one’s own inner evil, the effort to improve oneself, and the journey to become a kind, disciplined, and respectable person. It has nothing to do with terrorism, yet these men twisted the meaning to justify their violence.

After beating the Maulana, the group called media persons to the scene. They told the media that “Miyas,” referring to Bengali-speaking Muslims, were illegally occupying land in Lumding, building madrasas, and teaching children about “jihad.” They further declared that Muslims had no place to live in Lumding and openly claimed they would seal every masjid and madrasa built there.

Shockingly, these men also assaulted a pregnant Muslim woman, telling her that the child she would give birth to would grow up to become a “jihadi,” which they used to mean “terrorist.” They claimed that even the unborn baby would become a threat, and based on this hateful assumption, they physically attacked the woman in broad daylight. This reflects an extreme level of cruelty and hatred.

When the police finally arrived at the scene, instead of arresting the attackers, they arrested the Maulana without possessing any valid warrant against him. The culprits freely roamed around the area with no fear of consequences. Many people and local leaders watched the situation without intervening. Only after the news spread later in the evening did some members of the Muslim community protest against the inhuman treatment of the Maulana and the pregnant woman.

AAMSU reached the location two days after the incident and filed a petition supporting both victims. A Congress leader named Rejaul Karim Chowdhury also submitted a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner of Hojai, demanding immediate action against the culprits who continued to move freely after committing such vulgar and criminal acts.

People from the Muslim community across Assam demanded strict action against the attackers, as such acts of brutality cannot be tolerated in a democratic society. However, despite widespread condemnation, the Assam government did not take any meaningful action. The BJP-led state government, which often speaks of women's safety, empowerment, and child protection, failed to act when a pregnant Muslim woman was beaten in broad daylight.

This entire incident is extremely shameful for the people of Assam. When individuals who commit such ruthless acts against a Maulana and a pregnant woman walk freely without accountability, it damages the people’s trust in the law-and-order system. There are hundreds of cases where Muslims have been tortured in Assam, yet national media remains silent on these injustices.