Muslim religious leaders in Uttarakhand’s Dehradun have called for a “mahapanchayat” on June 18 to protest what they said is “increasing targeting” of their community, days after traders belonging to the minority group in Uttarkashi were asked to shut shops and leave the state amid communal tension.
The interfaith tensions trace back to May 26 after two men, a Muslim and a Hindu, allegedly tried to abduct a 14-year-old girl. Local residents alleged it was a case of ‘love jihad’ – a term used by right-wing groups to describe an alleged conspiracy by Muslim men to woo and seduce Hindu women, although courts and the Union government do not officially recognise it.
While the two accused – Ubed Khan (24), a local shopkeeper, and Jitender Saini (23), a motorcycle mechanic – were arrested on May 27, the incident led to right wing groups holding protests in several areas and attacking shops and houses of several Muslims.
Posters threatening Muslim traders to shut shops and leave the state by June 15 also came up at Uttarkashi’s Purola market on June 5. The tension has prompted Muslims to keep their shops shut and some families to leave the district.
“A meeting of Muslim religious leaders was chaired by Dehradun’s Shehar Qazi Mohammad Ahmad Qasmi on Saturday to discuss the current atmosphere of hatred against Muslims across Uttarakhand. A mahapanchayat of Muslim religious leaders will be held on June 18. People from across the state, including Dehradun, Haridwar, Udham Singh Nagar, and Haldwani will participate,” Waseem Ahmed, media in-charge of Muslim Seva Sangathan an organisation that works for the rights of Muslims, said.
Mohammad Ahmad Qasmi, Dehradun’s Shehar Qazi, said: “In the hills, innocent Muslims are being forced out. Those who have committed the crime should be punished. The whole community should not be targeted and rendered unemployed because of one person.”
He added: “Through the mahapanchayat, we just want to make an appeal not to punish the innocent.”
The developments in the state are worrying. The posters, and the sentiment echoed by right-wing groups during protest marches, amount to hate speech. Hate and fear-mongering on the basis of religious identity has no place in India. The state police now have a duty to crack down on such instances, especially since the Supreme Court in April ordered several states – including Uttarakhand – to prosecute hate speech even if no complaint is made.
Right-wing organisations, which are scheduled to hold a mahapanchayat on June 15, said they will not allow the Muslims to hold their meeting on June 18.
“We will not allow this (mahapanchayat by Muslims) to happen even if we have to take a big step,” Swami Darshan Bharti, founder of Devbhoomi Raksha Abhiyan, said.
“We will hold a mahapanchayat in Purola on June 15,” Bharti added.
Dehradun additional district magistrate (ADM) Shiv Kumar Baranwal said: “We haven’t been approached yet by anybody to seek permission for a mahapanchayat in Dehradun. If permission is sought, we will take appropriate action.”
On May 29, a protest march in Purola turned violent after some of the agitators attacked shops and establishments belonging to the Muslims. A similar protest was held on June 3, under the banner of Yamuna Ghati Hindu Jagriti Sangathan. Nearly 900 people took part in the stir.
The protesters also handed over a memorandum to the Purola sub-divisional magistrate (SDM), seeking verification of people coming from outside for business in the town.
On June 5, a few Muslim families handed over a memorandum to Purola SDM, highlighting the financial crisis they are facing and seeking security to reopen businesses.
In a high-level meeting with senior police officials on Friday, chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami instructed director general of police (DGP) Ashok Kumar to take strict action against “increasing love jihad cases in the state”.
Reacting to the Muslim leaders’ call for a mahapanchayat, state BJP media in-charge Manveer Singh Chauhan said: “If Muslims have called for a mahapanchayat, they can discuss any issue but they should not justify rising cases of love jihad.”
State Congress chief spokesperson Garima Mehra Dasauni said, “We don’t support extremism from any side… It can have an irreparable impact on the harmony of the state and its tourism-based economy.”
Source- Hindustan Times.
