Uncertain times for Muslims in Haryana after recent communal attacks

Muslims in Indias Haryana state continue to live in fear after violent communal clashes erupted on 31 July.

According to a report, around 5,000 Muslim vendors have fled, fearing their lives or after having received threats.

As soon as the violence ended, the Haryana government demolished almost 1,200 properties, starting on 4 August. Most of these properties, including houses and restaurants, belonged to members of the Muslim community. The government defended the demolitions, stating that some properties were illegal encroachments or didn’t have necessary documents. The victims of the demolitions, however, claim that they were targeted simply because they are Muslims and that no prior warning was given.

A local man who spoke to CSW and who cannot be named for fear of reprisals said that his house was razed by the authorities on charges that his house was used for pelting stones during the communal clashes, but he denied this, saying: ‘The footage [of the attack] shown in the media is of another house. Our house was not used for any kind of violence. But the police didn’t even let us explain. They didn’t give us any warning either. In a matter of minutes, our house was completely destroyed and we had nothing to do with the violence. We asked to see the CCTV footage, but they had erased everything.’ He said that many of his Muslim neighbours faced similar circumstances, and that many of their houses were demolished on false grounds. Many houses in the Rohingya Muslim refugee colony in Tauru, Nuh district, were also destroyed.

The demolitions were halted after the Punjab-Haryana High Court passed an order on 7 August, which said: ‘Apparently, without any demolition orders and notices, the law and order problem is being used as a ruse to bring down buildings without following the procedure established by law. The issue also arises whether the buildings belonging to a particular community are being brought down under the guise of law and order problem and an exercise of ethnic cleansing is being conducted by the State.’

Local Muslims are also facing a social and economic boycott, making it very difficult for them to continue living there. More than 14 Panchayat (village administrations) have collectively written to the Haryana state government, outlining their decision to socially and economically boycott members of the Muslim community in their villages. The village heads decided that houses will not be rented out to Muslims and that Muslim vendors will not be allowed to conduct any business in their villages. One resident told CSW that many of his relatives are facing dire circumstances because they are not able to conduct business and provide for their families. He also spoke of how he personally witnessed police discrimination and brutality against Muslims.

CSW’S Founder President Mervyn Thomas said: ‘The recent targeted communal violence, followed by the social and economic boycott is already having a devastating impact on Muslim families in Haryana. The decision by the Haryana state authorities to press on with demolitions is another blow to the community, which is still reeling from the impact of the clashes. We urge them to seek justice for the victims of violence and to prioritise reconciliation and peacebuilding efforts in the communities affected. The BJP administration must also do more to tackle the issue of communal violence at its root, to prevent further outbreaks of violence as seen in Haryana or Manipur.’