Attack on foreign students: Gujarat govt failed to prevent hate driven criminals, says PUCL

Counterview Desk

India's top human rights group, People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), in a representation to the Police Commissioner, Ahmedabad City, stating that the attack on the foreign Muslim students in the Gujarat University hostel during night time on the 16th of March, 2024 is a "matter of extreme concern and shame for Gujarat", has said, "It is unfortunate that the State government has not been able to prevent such hate driven criminals from unleashing."

Noting that the "dastardly attack on foreign Muslim students" left several of them injured, PUCL, Gujarat, said, "The videos reveal that the police were present when the perpetrators left after the attack; the officials who failed in taking action should be investigated into and appropriate punitive action taken for this serious failure to uphold the rule of law..."

Text:

We, the office bearers of the People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), Gujarat, are writing this letter to share our deep concern regarding the recent attack on Muslim students in the Gujarat University Hostel.

The attack on the foreign Muslim students in Gujarat University Hostel during night time on the 16th of March, 2024, is a matter of extreme concern and shame for Gujarat in particular and India in general. These foreign students have come to secure higher education in Indian universities, reposting trust in the secular credentials and the rule of law in India. It is unfortunate that the Gujarat government has not been able to prevent such hate driven criminals from unleashing such a dastardly attack on foreign Muslim students leaving several of them injured.

The fact that these students were attacked for offering namaz (Taraweeh prayers) during the month of Ramadan, makes it even worse, an act of religious hatred which goes against the very secular foundation of our Constitution, and the freedom of religion and belief it enshrines.

In our country which takes pride in its cultural legacy of "Atithi Devo Bhava", it is imperative that the Gujarat University and the Government of Gujarat reaches out to these guests and proactively make arrangements for them in their hostels to offer prayers and break their Ramadan fast in a manner that is convenient for them as well as other students in the hostel. But with this brutal attack on these students, it raises questions as to the commitment of the Gujarat University towards the security and safety of its students, particularly of the foreign students who are most vulnerable in the face of several hate (mob) crimes that have been perpetrated in recent times.

PUCL Gujarat demands that:

1. While we welcome the swift action of the police in apprehending two of the accused, they should pursue and apprehend the remaining people of the mob that unleashed this dastardly attack without any further delay and set the process of investigation and prosecution in motion, in a time-bound manner.

2. The videos reveal that the police were present when the perpetrators left after the attack; the officials who failed in taking action should be investigated into and appropriate punitive action taken for this serious failure to uphold the rule of law.

3. The injured students should be given the best of medical treatment and immediate compensation for any personal loss and damage to their belongings.

4. The Gujarat University authorities should call a meeting with all foreign students immediately to reassure them about their safety and security and ensure the deployment of adequate police force on campus to prevent any further hate crimes against students. A SOP for the University authorities to follow along with the internal security forces within the University campus and the police, should be developed urgently.

5. The authorities should designate professors and students’ representatives to reach out the international students, particularly Muslim students to reassure them and assist them in making arrangements for spaces for namaz and breaking of the fast during the month of Ramadan, in a manner that is convenient to them as well as the other inmates of the hostel.

6. The Gujarat government through the DGP needs to assess the safety and security of foreign students, particularly Muslim students from such hate mobs from both within and without the campus and take urgent action for their protection.

7. The University must take efforts to uphold equality and dignity of all students, including by sensitising students on constitutional values of equality, secularism, pluralism and tolerance and also putting in place anti-discrimination policy and cell to receive grievances.

-- Adv Govind Parmar, President; Gova Rathod, General Secretary, PUCL (Gujarat)

Comments

When democracy becomes a performance: The Tibetan exile experience

By Tseten Lhundup* I was born in Bylakuppe, one of the largest Tibetan settlements in southern India. From childhood, I grew up in simple barracks, along muddy roads, and in fields with limited resources. Over the years, I have watched our democratic system slowly erode. Observing the recent budget session of the 17th Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile, these “democratic procedures” appear grand and orderly on the surface, yet in reality they amount to little more than empty formalities. The parliamentarians seem largely disconnected from the everyday struggles faced by ordinary exiled Tibetans like us.

Study links sanctions to 500,000 deaths annually leading to rise in global backlash

By Bharat Dogra International opinion is increasingly turning against the expanding burden of sanctions imposed on a growing number of countries. These measures are contributing to humanitarian crises, intensifying domestic discord, and heightening international tensions, thereby increasing the risks of conflicts and wars.

Dhurandhar: The Revenge — Blurring the line between fiction and political narrative

By Mohd. Ziyaullah Khan* "Dhurandhar: The Revenge" does not wait to be remembered; it arrives almost on the heels of its predecessor, released on March 19, 2026, just months after the first film’s December 2025 debut. The speed of its arrival feels less like creative urgency and more like calculated timing—cinema responding not to storytelling rhythm but to the emotional climate of its audience. Director Aditya Dhar, along with actor Yami Gautam, appears acutely aware of this moment and how to harness it.

BJP accounts for 99% of political donations in Gujarat: Corporate giants dominate

By Jag Jivan An analysis of the official data on donations received by national parties from Gujarat during the Financial Year 2024-25 reveals a staggering concentration of funding, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) accounting for nearly the entirety of the contributions. The data, compiled in a document titled "National Parties donations received from Gujarat during FY-2024-25," lists thousands of transactions, painting a detailed picture of the financial backing for political parties from one of India’s most industrially significant states.

Alarming decline in India's repair culture threatens circular economy goals: Study

By Jag Jivan A comprehensive new study by environmental research and advocacy organisation Toxics Link has painted a worrying picture of India's fading repair culture, warning that the trend towards replacement over repair is accelerating the country's already critical e-waste crisis.

Beyond the island: Top mythologist reorients the geography of the Ramayana

By Jag Jivan In a compelling new analysis that challenges conventional geographical assumptions about the ancient epic, writer and mythologist Devdutt Pattanaik has traced the roots of the Ramayana to the forests and river systems of Central and Eastern India, rather than the peninsular south or the modern island nation of Sri Lanka.

Captains extraordinaire: Ranking cricket’s most influential skippers

By Harsh Thakor* Ranking the greatest cricket captains is a subjective exercise, often sparking passionate debate among fans. The following list is not merely a tally of wins and losses; it is an assessment of leadership’s deeper impact. My criteria fuse a captain’s playing record with their tactical skill, placing the highest consideration on their ability to reshape a team’s fortunes and inspire those around them. A captain who inherited a dominant empire is judged differently from one who resurrected a nation’s cricket from the doldrums. With that in mind, here is my perspective on the finest leaders the game has ever seen.

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

‘No merit’ in Chakraborty’s claims: Personal ethics talk sans details raises questions

By Jag Jivan A recent opinion piece published in The Quint by Subhash Chandra Garg has raised questions over the circumstances surrounding the resignation of Atanu Chakraborty from HDFC Bank , with Garg stating that the exit “raises doubts about his own ‘ethics’.” Garg, currently Chief Policy Advisor at Subhanjali and former Secretary of the Department of Economic Affairs, Government of India, writes that the Reserve Bank of India ( RBI ) appears to find no substance in Chakraborty’s claims, noting, “It is clear the RBI sees no merit in Atanu Chakraborty’s wild and vague assertions.”

Search This Blog