On women’s day, social media was flooded with wishes for women who were hailed as heroes. But in the run-up to Holi, videos encouraging men to put colour on Muslim women this Holi were also going viral simultaneously.

The videos which are widely shared on social media glorify groping the unaware woman and forcefully putting colours on her.

‘Chaahe naqaab pehan ke niklo bhaijaan ke sath, ragad ke rang lagega suno mohtarma seedhi baat‘ (Even if you go out in a veil with your brother, colours will be thrown at you. Just listen to this simple thing),’ a man sings in the video.

क्या @Uppolice इस सिंगर के खिलाफ धार्मिक विद्वेष और महिला के खिलाफ़ हिंसा को बढ़ावा देने के इल्जाम में मुकदमा करेगी? क्या इसके खिलाफ NSA, Sedition ( 124 A) और religious hatred ( 295 A) और महिला हिंसा का मुकदमा चलेगा?@ShashiTharoor @RahulGandhi @AmitShah @PJkanojia @pbhushan1 pic.twitter.com/IJZG3aa1hw

— Khalid ख़ालिद خالد (@khalidmfp) March 9, 2020

In another video, a Muslim man can be seen groping Muslim women and forcefully putting colour on her while the same song plays in the background.

These accounts are provoking Hindu men to molest, sexually assault Muslim women during Holi. @Twitter @TwitterIndia @TikTok_IN Will you delete the content, tweets and suspend the profiles? @MinistryWCD, will you initiate action? pic.twitter.com/CndAFjwJI4

— Ayesha Minhaz (@ayesha_minhaz) March 6, 2020The Logical Indian Take

While Holi is a festival of colours and unity, at the same time, anti-social elements use it as an opportunity to harass women. For several years the misbehaviour by several men during Holi has been wrongfully tolerated under the infamous ‘Bura na mano Holi hai’ slogan.

The content of the videos going viral on social media has gone one step ahead openly encouraging men to forcefully put colours on Muslim women. The singer in the videos disregards the consent of the woman and wants to colour her because of her Muslim identity. In fact, the girl’s Muslim identity is what is at target here.

The communal nature of the videos also makes it dangerous especially because there may be men watching the videos and getting inspired to reenact the same.

The festival of Holi is supposed to be a festival of colours when people come together forgetting their resentments towards each other. There is no harm in gently asking the person if they are comfortable with the whole deal. If they aren’t, don’t take it upon yourself to indulge them in the spirit of Holi. Police should act against those circulating the video according to the law.

Also Read: Ground Report | ‘Leave Before Holi Or Else…’: Mob Threatens Muslim Community In Haryana Village