‘Mohammed Deepak’ recreates history by upholding Hindu-Muslim unity in the land of Veer Chander Singh Garhwali
‘Mohammed Deepak’ recreates history by upholding Hindu-Muslim unity in the land of Veer Chander Singh Garhwali
S.M.A. KAZMI
Dehradun, Jan 30
Despite the hate against the minority Muslim community inflamed by ruling BJP/ RSS. spreads in the ‘Devbhoom’ (land of Gods) Uttarakhand, with cases of harassment of Muslims being reported almost on daily basis from one corner of the state or another, there had been shining examples also where members of the majority Hindu community had stood up against the tyranny of the ‘Hindutva’ mobs making them retreat. While Muslims are being harassed on one pretext or the another by the affiliates of the Sangh Parivar and BJP throughout the state, it was ‘Mohammed Deepak’, a young man from Kotdwar town in Pauri district of Uttarakhand who has become a hero due to his courage in standing up to Bajrang Dal mob in support of an old Muslim shopkeeper. The video of his courage has become a hit/
It was on Republic Day ( Jan 26) that Bajrang Dal mob descended on the shop of an old Muslim shopkeeper on Patel road of Kotdwar. The shop was named “Baba School dress and matching Centre” and the Hindutva mob asked the Muslim shopkeeper to change the name of his name from ‘Baba’ to something else. They argued that only Hindus can have ‘Baba’ name and asked the Muslim to either become a ‘Baba’ or change the name of his shop. The Muslim shopkeeper tried to feebly defend himself but soon entered a young man. He challenged the mob and asked them to get lost. When asked about his identity, he told loudly that he was ‘Mohammad Deepak’. Following a scuffle in the market, the Hindutva members decided to flee.
The young man who identified himself as “Mohammed Deepak” was in fact Deepal Kumar Kashyap, a young Gym trainer of the town who is known to side with just causes. “ I did challenge them to show that injustice will not be tolerated,” said Deepak Rawat on telephone.
The history repeated itself in Kotdwar town as it was 24 years ago that two Hindu women stood up to Hindutva mob against their unjust demands. I had covered that episode as a correspondent of ‘The Indian Express’. It was in the newly created state Uttaranchal in 2001 that the incident happened at Kotdwar. On the false pretext of alleged exploitation of Hindu women by Muslim tailors, an attempt was made by Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and its’ affiliate bodies as part of its’ strategy to malign the minority community. Their members were picketing the shops owned by Muslim tailors and dissuading Hindu women from visiting these shops on the flimsy grounds of alleged physical harassment by Muslim tailors.
Two women from Kotdwar town namely Sandhaya Joshi and her sister Geeta who were prevented by Bajrang Dal members from visiting their old Muslim tailor, stoutly resisted their attempts. They argued that they had been getting their clothes stitched from their Muslim tailor since childhood and such allegations were absurd and ridiculous. The matter went to the police and local administration and the VHP people presented a complaint against Muslim tailors. Later the complainant in the matter was not found. The incident was reported by me and published in the ‘Indian Express’ newspaper under the title “Muslim tailors: RSS stitches a controversy” in November 2001. Interestingly, Sandhaya Joshi who challenged the RSS narrative was none other than wife of environmentalist and ‘Padma Bhushan’ recipient Dr. Anil. P. Joshi.
Kotdwar is also famous due to famous freedom fighter Veer Chander Singh Garhwali who being in British Indian Army refused to open fire on unarmed ‘Red Shirt’ volunteers or ‘Khudai Khidmatgars’ at Peshawar along with other Garhwali troops on April 23, 1930/
It was Hindu neighbours of a Muslim tailor in Prem nagar area of Dehradun who sided with him when he harassed by a Hindutva mob who wanted that he should change the name of his shop which is ‘Pundir Tailors ’. The tailor pleaded that since he is a Rajput Muslim and his Gotra is ‘Pundir’ thus the name of his shop but the mob was insisting that being a Muslim he cannot have a Hindu name of his shop. He was forced to the police station but his neighbours stood by him.
Similarly, It was Shaila Negi in April 2025 at Nainital who stood up to rampaging Hindutva mobs who attacked Muslim shops and a mosque who were raising anti-Muslim slogans against alleged sexual abuse of a minor girl. Shaila Negi stood up to the violent mob and confronted them. Amidst the violent and agitated mob, Shaila Negi fearlessly spoke about unity and harmony. Later, she and her father were taunted as ‘Muslims’ and ‘Pakistanis’ but she did not relent.
