In response to escalating tensions and threats against the Muslim community in Uttarakhand’s hill regions, where non-Hindus and Rohingya Muslims have been banned from entering certain areas, two Muslim delegations met with Uttarakhand’s Director General of Police (DGP) Abhinav Kumar on Thursday. The delegations voiced deep concern over the deteriorating communal situation, particularly in the Garhwal hills, and sought police protection for the minority Muslim population in the affected areas, reported The Hindustan Times.
Led by Dr. Nayyer Kazmi, the Uttarakhand state unit President of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), the first delegation included victims of recent violence in the Nandghat area of Chamoli district. The delegation informed the DGP about attacks by right-wing Hindutva groups, reporting that Muslim-owned shops and businesses were ransacked, looted, and a mosque was damaged. Several members of the Muslim community were also physically assaulted.
A second delegation from the Muslim Sewa Sangathan, led by Dehradun Shahr Qazi Maulana Mohammad Ahmad Qasmi, presented a memorandum detailing the increasing incidents targeting the Muslim minority population in both the Garhwal and Kumaon regions.
The violence reportedly began in the Nandghat market following allegations of eve-teasing by a Muslim youth who operated a barber shop. After a complaint was filed by the father of the minor girl involved, the accused fled. However, an angry mob of Hindutva activists soon retaliated, attacking and looting seven Muslim-owned shops, damaging a makeshift mosque, and vandalizing vehicles owned by Muslims. Although the accused, Arif Khan, was later arrested in Bijnore, the violence had already escalated.
Victims of the violence, who were part of the protest against eve-teasing, recounted how they were targeted and beaten after their shops were broken into and looted. Some Muslim residents, who had lived in the area for over fifty years, were forced to flee with their families.
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The delegations also raised concerns about public boards placed by Hindutva groups in Rudraprayag district, which banned the entry of non-Hindus and Rohingya Muslims for business activities. They argued that these actions are unlawful and violate the Indian Constitution, referencing previous incidents in Purola and Chauras, where Muslims were similarly targeted and forced to leave.
The delegations stressed that since 2017, there have been numerous instances where the Muslim community has faced harassment, humiliation, and threats, all seemingly aimed at ethnic cleansing in the state. They urged the police to uphold the rule of law and protect the rights of marginalized communities.
In response, DGP Abhinav Kumar assured the delegations that appropriate action would be taken. Nayeem Quaraishi of the Muslim Sewa Sangathan is scheduled to hold a press conference in Dehradun on Friday to further address the issue.
