What has led to conflict between Hindus and Muslims in Uttarkashi?
Right-wing Hindus and Muslim orgnizations have called for mahapanchayats in Uttarakhand this week in the back drop of commmunal conflict which has erupted in the state since May 26.
Situation remains tense in Uttarakhand’s Uttarkashi district where people from Hindu and Muslim community are gearing up to organise their 'mahapanchayats' (large gatherings) this week to deal with the hostile situation which has aggravated in the past few days.
The communal conflict in the district escalated on June 5, when posters were stuck on the shops of Muslim shopkeepers in the Purola area, asking leave their shops by June 15. On Sunday (June 11), videos also emerged on social media where men from Hindu right-wing groups were seen attacking the shops of Muslims shopkeepers.
In Uttarkashi, India, Hindu supremacists are attacking shops and houses of Muslim traders, shouting Jai Shri Ram. Only some miles from here, China is encroaching Indian territory but Hindu supremacist regime doesn’t dare to confront China! pic.twitter.com/cygQbUFmbE
— Ashok Swain (@ashoswai) June 11, 2023
How did the conflict start?
It all started on May 26, when two men, one Hindu and another Muslim, were caught with a Hindu minor girl in the Purola area of Uttarkashi.
The three were accosted by a group of people, and since there was a Muslim man, it was alleged that it was a case of love-jihad (a term coined by right-wing groups accusing the Muslims of eloping with Hindu girls under false pretext of marriage, although the courts and Union governments do not recognize this).
The police identified the two men as Ubaid Khan (23) and Jitendra Sahni (24). They were booked under sections 363 (kidnapping) 366A (procuration of minor girl) of the IPC along with the POCSO Act. They are in judicial custody. The girl was sent back home.
Is it a love-jihad case?
According to a report by Indian Express, an investigating officer of the case said the minor girl has told that she did not know them and hence there is no love-jihad angle.
“We can call it a love-jihad only when the girl and the boys knew each other, or the guy introduced himself as someone else, or they already had a friendship. But that is not the case here,” the officer privy to the investigation said.
However, the local right-wing groups swung into action and mass rallies were held from May 27 onwards in Gauchar, Chamoli, Barkot, Chinyalisaur and Bhatwari.
🚨 Uttarakhand
— Samriddhi K Sakunia (@Samriddhi0809) June 11, 2023
On May 26th two boys, namely Obaid and Jitender Saini were caught by locals with a minor girl. The locals termed it "Love Jihad" and both the men were handed over to the police.
On 29th May, a massive rally was taken out in Purola, a town in Uttarkashi.. pic.twitter.com/VY0Y4HczNt
Shopkeepers threatened
The issue worsened further on June 5, when the Muslim shopkeepers in the Purola area were ordered to leave by June 15.
Posters with warnings were stuck on the walls outside their shops, and the Muslims were warned of dire consequences if they did not follow it.
According to a BJP member, who is part of the protest against Muslims, the problem started when Muslims from outside started coming in and opening shops.
Muslim leaders call for mahapanchayat
Amid the growing tensions, Muslim religious leaders in Uttarakhand’s Dehradun have called for a mahapanchayat on June 18 to protest against what they say is “an increase in targeting of their community”.
A meeting of Muslim religious leaders was chaired by Dehradun’s Shehar Qazi Mohammad Ahmad Qasmi to discuss the issue.
“People from across the state, including Dehradun, Hardiwar, Udhan Singh Nagar, and Haldwani will participate,” Waseen Ahmed, media in-charge of Muslim Seva Sangathan, an organization that works for the rights of Muslims said.
On the “mahapanchayat”, Ahmad Wasmi 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.”
Hindu mahapanchayat on June 15
The Hindu right-wing organisations are also scheduled to hold a mahapanchayat on June 15. They have also said that they will not allow Mulsims 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 was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times.
State BJP in-charge Manveer Singh Chauhan said that if Muslims have called for a mahapanchayat, they can discuss any issue but they should not justify rising cases of love-jihad.
AIMIM President Asaduddin Owaisi has spoken against the organisation of mass Hindu panchayat on June 15.
He expressed his views on Twitter saying that arrangements must be made to restore normalcy in Uttarkashi by recalling Muslims who have left out of fear. “It is the duty of BJP government in Uttarakhand to restore law and order in the state”, he said.
15 जून को होने वाली महापंचायत पर तुरंत रोक लगाई जाए! वहां रह रहे लोगों को सुरक्षा प्रदान किया जाए।
— Asaduddin Owaisi (@asadowaisi) June 12, 2023
वहां से पलायन कर गए लोगों को वापस बुलाने का इंतज़ाम किया जाए। #भाजपा सरकार का काम है कि गुनहगारों को जेल भेजे और जल्द अमन क़ायम हो। #uttarakhand #uttarkashi #उत्तराखंड
Meanwhile, CM Pushkar Singh Dhami in a meeting with state officials on Friday called for stern action against the cases of love-jihad in the state.