Uttarakhand: Now, Open Call for Economic Boycott, Violence Against Muslims

Dehradun: Amidst growing Islamophobia and several communal incidents across Uttarakhand, including in the capital city of Dehradun, a call for economic boycott and violence against the minority Muslim community was made at a public rally held at Srinagar Garhwal on Thursday.

Lakhpat Bhandari, a local leader of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) took out a “Chetna and Chetavani” rally in the main Srinagar city and openly made a hate speech against Muslims. He called upon the well-attended rally to economically boycott Muslims to “teach them a lesson”, and even allegedly called for “burning of shops” owned by the minority community, who he charged of indulging in ‘Love Jehad’, as reported in various local newspapers.

Eulogising the ‘Hindutva’ elements who were instrumental in forcing out nearly a dozen Muslims from Chauras area last month on alleged charges of ‘Love Jehad’, Bhandari allegedly threatened a particular shop owned by a Muslim, which he said was under his scrutiny.

The BJP leader also called upon women, who had turned up in large numbers, to boycott Muslim fruit-sellers, alleging that they were hiking the prices during the ongoing “Navratra” festival. He appealed to the Hindus majority to instead buy dry fruits during the nine-day long festival.

The poster of "Chetna and Chetavani" rally at Srinagar Garhwal in Uttarakhand.  

Meanwhile, Indresh Maikhuri, secretary, Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist), in statement strongly condemned the open hate speeches being delivered publicly in Srinagar Garhwal, and calling with “impunity” for economic boycott and threat of burning of shops owned by Muslims by a BJP leader.

Maikhuri urged the Pauri Garhwal district police chief to take suo motu cognisance of such hate speeches, as per the directives of the Supreme Court, and take stern action against elements who were “out to challenge the law and order and rule of law.” The CPI(ML) added that in case of any criminal act by any individual, police have been authorised to take action as per the laid down principle of law and not by a mob.

Bhandari, the BJP leader who led the procession and delivered hate speech had August 2024 lodged a case against Sahil Salmani, who was running a hair-cutting saloon in the city, alleging that he had five Facebook accounts under the name of ‘Amit Rawat’ with the intention of committing “Love Jehad”.

In the last week of July this year, seven Muslim shopkeepers of Chauras area of Kirtinagar block of Tehri district across river Alaknanda, opposite Srinagar Garhwal city, were forced to close down their businesses and flee their homes by ‘Hindutva’ elements on alleged charges of “Love Jehad’. The Muslim shopkeepers alleged they were forced to sign documents in the police station stating that they were vacating their shops as per their “own will”.  The shops have been closed since August 7, 2024. 

Read Also: Uttarakhand: Boards Banning Entry of Non-Hindus/Rohingya Muslims Appear in Garhwal Hills

The problems for the miniscule Muslim shopkeepers began on July 31, 2024 when Ali Jafri, son of one Shamsher Ali, who runs a hair cutting saloon in Chauras area, was talking to his girl classmate on the road near the police station. Jafri, a 12th class student at the local Vidya Mandir school, had done well in his previous board examinations. Little did he anticipate that he was being watched and later ‘caught’ by the “Hindutva moral police”. Both the students were taken to the police post at Chauras, where their parents were called. The girl was let off and her parents did not lodge any formal complaint against the boy.

However, the Hindutva moral police force, led by local Bajrang Dal and Rashtriya Sywamasevak Sangh members allegedly attacked the hair-cutting shop of the boy’s father and beat him up. They allegedly also smashed the shop and threw away the belongings outside.

Read Also: Uttarakhand: Tension in Chamoli District as Police File Cases Against 500 ‘Unidentified’ Persons

On September 1, 2024, the seven shops belonging to Muslims were attacked, ransacked and looted by an aggressive Hindutva group at Nandaghat in Chamoli district following allegations of eve-teasing and making indecent gestures at a minor girl by a Muslim youth, who was running a barber shop. The violence spread to Gopeshwar town where shops owned by Muslims were ransacked. Three mosques of the area were allegedly smashed and ransacked.

Later, on September 27, 2024, communal tension prevailed in the capital city of Dehradun following recovery of a minor Muslim girl by the Railway Police at the railway station, who had “run away” from her home in Baduan district of Uttar Pradesh to meet her boyfriend. As Muslim and Hindutva group members clashed on the issue exchanging stones and brickbats, police booked seven each from both the communities. However, next morning Right-wing Hindu groups affiliated with the ruling BJP-RSS blocked the main Clock Tower Road seeking release of a Bajrang Dal leader who was booked. Later, the Bajrang Dal leaders and his supporters were released under pressure from ruling BJP leaders.

On September 26, 2024, Justice Manoj Kumar Tiwari and Justice Pankaj Purohit of Uttarakhand High Court, on a writ petition filed by Mohd. Ayyun of Nandanagar Ghat, district Chamoli and Ahmed Hasan of Mangalore, district Haridwar, directed the SSP, Chamoli to ensure that law and order was strictly enforced and no untoward incident occurred targeting any particular community.