Ultimatum to Muslims to leave Khansar area of Gairsain in Chamoli district by December 31

Ultimatum to Muslims to leave Khansar area of Gairsain in Chamoli district by December 31

S.M.A.KAZMI

Dehradun , Oct 17

The targeting of minority Muslim population in the hills of Uttarakhand particularly in Garhwal area has intensified with threats being given to the community in Khansar area of Gairsain block  of Chamoli district to leave the area by December 31, 2024 or face consequences. After the communal incidents at Gauchar, Nandghat and Tharali in the past one and half months, Hindu organisations  and local  traders of Vyapar mandal took out a  ‘Hindu Chetna Rally’ at Khansar town in Gairsain block of Chamoli district on October 16, 2024.

After a rally which was taken out in the Khansar market, a meeting was held under the leadership of President of local Vyapar Mandal Baldev Singh Negi in which two resolutions were passed unanimously. The first resolution stated that the members of a particular community living in Khansar area should leave the area by December 31, 2024 otherwise legal action and penalties would be imposed on them and their landlords where they are staying. A sum of Rs. 10,000 as penalty has been announced in the meeting.

In the second resolution, it has been decided that no outsider be allowed to sell goods in the area and legal action and penalty of Rs.10,000 would be imposed against those outsiders caught selling any goods in the villages. People from plain areas sell clothes, bangles, utencils and other goods moving from village to village in the hills since past more than one century.

Earlier after Nandghat incident on September 1, 2024 where the minority Muslim population were attacked and made to flee following an alleged incident of making indecent gestures to a minor girl by a Muslim barber, there had been scores of incidents in which Muslims were targeting at Chauras, Gauchar and Gopeshwar and even their places of worship were ransacked.

Interestingly public boards were put up banning entry of Non-Hindus in the area in Chamoli district in the month of September after Nandghat incidents . After media outcry, the Uttarakhand police persuaded the villagers to remove the word non-Hindus  but boards banning entry of outsiders were put up. The hate speeches and targeting of Muslims continue unabated from Dehradun to Chamoli on the pretext of ‘Love jehad’, ‘Land jehad’ and the latest addition of ‘Thook (spit) jehad’. There was hate speeches delivered at a ‘Shastra Pujan’ ceremony of ceremony a Hindu outfit, where a ‘sadhu’ openly called that killing of ‘Vidarmis’ (non-Hindus) is not a sin and those doing so would ensure a place in the ‘Moksha’ ( heaven).

Earlier in June 2023 , posters were put up by Hindu organisations on the shops owned by Muslims to leave Purola town of Uttarkashi district following trumped up charges of ‘Love jehad’ against two youth-one a Muslim and another a hindu. Both the youth were later acquitted by the Uttarkashi session court which found the charges false.