15, Jun 2023 | CJP Team

Reports of far-right extremist Hindutva goons have been running berserk in Uttarakhand, targeting and attacking the Muslim groups, making the state inhospitable for them. After having forced the Muslim traders to flee from the Purola town in Uttarakhand, members of far-right groups have now started attacking and vandalizing Muslim owned shops in Kamaluaganja, Haldwani after alleging a “Muslim youth of sexually assaulting a cow.” It has been alleged that the said Muslim man was beaten, tortured, and handed over to police.

While it is unclear whether there were any proofs or evidence on which the extremist outfits levied such bizarre allegations, or any investigation was undertaken by the police, what followed after the above-mentioned incident was expected and typical, in view of recent emergent patterns. 

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With police unwilling to act, the said incident was followed by the fringe groups going around terrorizing the Muslims living in Kamaluaganja. A video has surfaced where a mob of young men can be seen gathered in front of a shop whose shutter was closed. They can be seen vandalizing a shop for auto parts, hitting at the board of the shop with bats and sticks. The mob can be seen laughing while breaking the signboard, and some equipment kept outside the shop.

The video then shows the mob asking from a shopkeeper, presumably a Muslim, to show them his Aadhar card. And then, the mob asks the man to close his shop and go home. After that, the video shows the mob vandalizing this shop too, with its boards being thrown on the road. It seemed as if this mob, equipped with bats and sticks, was going around the area, singling out the shops run by Muslims, and then vandalizing them.

The video can be viewed here:

Location: Kamaluaganja, Haldwani, Uttarakhand

Members of far-right groups vandalized Muslim owned shops in the town after they alleged a Muslim youth of sexually assaulting a cow. He was beaten, tonsured, and handed over to police. pic.twitter.com/UlWdcsobrW

— HindutvaWatch (@HindutvaWatchIn) June 15, 2023

In the midst of all this chaos, another video also surfaced on the social media, wherein a man can be seen defending a group of people from a mob. Reportedly, when a group of far-right goons was forcibly closing Muslim shops on Kamaluaganj road, a Hindu landlord came out stood in between the mob and the victims. He stood up for Muslims. The Hindu man can be heard arguing with the mob who is standing in front of him, saying that “what relations will go sour? If the law tells me that the shops need to be closed, I will do it.”

A person from the mob then said that “for these people you will take up a fight against all of us? We have come here because this incident has happened in our town, not somewhere else.”

The Hindu man then says “There is a Muslim man working in our police station. Why don’t you go there and eat his job then? Only then I will believe what you are saying. It is only in private that you can do all that your mind wishes for. There is nothing about love here. This is my shop and I take the guarantee for these people. Only after you have a proof against any of these people will I believe you. I will take guarantee for them till they work with me.”

The representative from the mob kept arguing with the Hindu man even as he was saying this. After the landlord said that he is taking guarantee, the mob says “even if you take their guarantee, we will not let them come here. We will not let them come here or work here from tomorrow.”

Even after this, the landlord does not bow down, and keeps on arguing with the mob. Then he asks the mob to leave and do whatever they are doing.

The video can be viewed here:

When a group of far-right goons tried to forcibly close Muslim shops on Kamaluaganj road, a Hindu landlord came in between and stood up for Muslims. pic.twitter.com/SMAoxsF8eB

— HindutvaWatch (@HindutvaWatchIn) June 15, 2023

The Hindu landlord protecting its Muslim workers from a violent mob, even after hearing the stories of a Muslim man indulging in some alleged crime, standing by his decision to protect them, shows the true picture of ‘Insaniyat’ in India. 

The landlord stood strong on his ground, vouching for his workers, not agreeing to let the mob hurt those innocent individuals for the alleged crimes of another, just because they all belong to the same community. The said act, keeping in view of the ongoing exodus of Muslims in Uttarakhand and the overall anti-Muslim environment, can be termed as no less than heroic.

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