The Wire
Cross Marks on Doors, Cries of Extermination: How Uttarakhand Became Our Hate Speech Capital
A
campaign by Hindutva supporters to drive out supposedly 'illegal'
Muslim shopkeepers and vendors from the state comes along with various
kinds of attempts, coupled with the government's inaction against hate
campaigners in the state, in creating fear among Muslims in the state.
New Delhi: Videos
of disturbing hate speeches and instances of vigilantism have emerged
from Uttarakhand amidst the recent campaign by Hindutva supporters to
drive out supposedly “illegal” Muslim shopkeepers and vendors from the
state.
Sources say that the present drive
was triggered by the news of two people – one named Ubaid and another
named Jitender Saini – allegedly abducting a Hindu minor girl. The
incident led to tensions that have pervaded the Purola district since
May 26.
However, there are videos from before
the alleged abduction showing Hindutva leaders calling for action
against, “Love jihadi wolves who come in the forms of carpenters,
mechanics, masons, electricians and plumbers.”
As per reports in the local press, some of the homes and shops belonging to the minority community were marked with an “X” sign.
The Times of India reported that even a BJP minority cell leader who had been living in the town for 25 years was forced to flee the town.
Timeline of events
The duo accused in the Purola
abduction case were charged under sections of the POCSO act (Protection
of Children from Sexual Offences) and arrested by the Uttarkashi police
on May 26.
Subsequently, Hindutva groups took up this case and began calling it an instance of “love jihad.” Posters in the name of Devbhoomi Raksha Abhiyan, a local Hindutva outfit, surfaced in the area. The posters warned the minority community to leave the “devbhoomi” or “god’s land” and shut down their businesses before the Mahapanchayat on June 15, failing which they would face consequences in due course.
The
leader of the outfit, Darshan Bharti, has reportedly denied pasting the
posters though he accepted that the call for the Mahapanchayat is by
him. He also told The Hindu
newspaper, “I am meeting people from across town and urging them not to
give their houses and shops on rent to people from the Muslim
community. Almost 50% of them agreed with me.”
The bandh calls by local market unions, as per reports, are spiralling out of Purola and are gradually turning into a statewide campaign.
On May 29, a large rally by Hindutva
supporters turned violent, leading to vigilantism. Local activists
allege a lackadaisical approach by the state administration in not
invoking Section 144 to stop the mobilisation. Now a letter by the
Vishwa Hindu Parishad to the administration has surfaced, asking the
administration to ensure that “Muslims are evicted” from several cities,
failing which a chakka jam or road blockade would be launched on June 20.
Also read: ‘Chakka Jam’ Assam vs ‘Starve’ Mizos ‘to Death’: UAPA for Sharjeel but No Action Against BJP MLA
As of now, a criminal case has been
filed by the police against only unnamed miscreants for marking minority
establishments with cross marks. On the other hand, the Uttarkashi
police has repeatedly claimed that it has made serious efforts to bring
down the tension but repeat offenders continue to target the minority
community.
Certain key speakers from the 2021 Haridwar Dharma Sansad – where calls for a Muslim genocide were made, sending shockwaves across the country – have been vocal about pushing out Muslims from the state.
One of the prominent Hindutva leaders leading this drive is Swami Darshan Bharti and his disciple Rakesh Uttarakhandi.
Based on the videos posted by these Hindutva leaders on their social media and their interviews to local YouTubers, The Wire has attempted to piece together the speeches of those driving the present anti-Muslim campaign in Uttarakhand.
To a local channel, Hindutva activist Rakesh Tomar Uttarakhandi said,
“We have worked to chase ‘jihadis’ from the hills under Swami Darshan
Bharti for the last eight…We have given them a ten-day ultimatum.”
Darshan Bharti said, “I thank the people of Yamuna valley who have
given a message to the entire people of Uttarakhand that the state will
be free of ‘jihad’. I am telling you that ‘jihadis’ should not be given
work because they eye on our land, women and businesses. We are only
awakening the people. This is our first phase.”
The Haridwar Dharma Sansad
The Wire
had also reported that between December 17 and 19, a large collection
of major religious leaders, right-wing activists, hardline
fundamentalist militants and Hindutva organisations came together at
Haridwar for an event called the ‘Dharma Sansad’ or ‘religious
parliament’. Over the course of three days, this event had witnessed an
extraordinary outpouring of hate speech, mobilisations to violence and
anti-Muslim sentiment. At the Dharma Sansad, Bharti and others had
talked about how the “devbhoomi” is being infiltrated.
The ‘Dharma Sansad’ at Haridwar. Photo: Video screengrab
At the Haridwar Dharma Sansad, Bharti
spoke about “Islamic activities in the devbhoomi.” He said that even
Aurangzeb had not managed to conquer the devbhoomi and claimed that its
people have not allowed any mosque to be built there since 2015.
“No mazar was allowed to be built..
No madrasa was allowed to be built…Remember this too…Learn this from
these poor…I definitely wish to put to you people that only after saving
that shrine of Hindu religion can we talk of a Hindu nation…If India
follows the path shown by Shankaracharya ji, then surely this saint will give you this knowledge,” he said.
Also read: Is Uttarakhand Govt’s ‘Demographic’ Probe of Property Deals a Play on ‘Land Jihad’ Bogey?
The Wire had reported how in
2019, members of Bharti’s group, the Uttarakhand Raksha Abhiyan, had
reportedly circulated 1.5 lakh pamphlets that incited Hindus to stand up
against alleged changes in the demography of the state because of
Muslims. Bharti was briefly incarcerated after this, having been
arrested on charges of instigating communal violence against minorities
after instances of looting and arson of shops belonging to the minority
community were linked to his Facebook posts.
In a video
uploaded two days ago on Facebook, Prabodhanand, the president of the
Dharma Sansad in Haridwar extended support to Darshan Bharti in leading
the campaign to evict “jihadis” from the state.
A screenshot of the Facebook video post.
“You forced jihadis to leave. You
have taught them a lesson in Purola. Jihadis should be taught a lesson
in the entire Uttarakhand. Every single jihadi should be evicted from
Uttarakhand. Only then can the devbhoomi can be protected…If you want to
protect your temples and shrines then Uttarakhand has to be made free
of these jihadis,” he said.
The video ends with a slogan: “Save the devbhoomi, chase the jihadis.”
Prabodhanand, in the 2021 Dharma Sansad too, had made an open call for Muslims’ extermination.
“We have to make preparations,” said
Swami Prabodhanand Giri, president of the Hindu Raksha Sena, a
right-wing organisation based out of Uttarakhand.
“And
I’ll tell you what those preparations are. I will make myself clear,
this is the solution, and if you follow this solution, then the path is
made for you…in Myanmar, Hindus were being chased away. The politicians,
government and police were just standing and watching. They started by
killing them by cutting their necks, and not only this, but they began
to cut them in the streets and eat them. The people watching thought we
are going to die, we are not going to live.”
Video
screengrab of Annapurna Maa, Mahamandleshwar of Niranjini Akhada and
general secretary of Hindu Mahasabha, speaking at Haridwar Dharam
Sansad. Photo: Twitter/@zoo_bear
Another priest at the Dharma Sansad
has been advocating the total ban on the entry of non-Hindus in
Uttarakhand. Recently, he had endorsed the government’s demolition drive
against “illegal shrines,” a move criticised by observers as targeting
the minority community. At the Dharma Sansad, Swaroop had clearly said
that Haridwar is the land of Hindus and non-Hindu festivals like
Christmas should not be allowed. “We have written to nearly 300 hotels
that they should not entertain Christmas celebrations at their places on
December 25. If they still go ahead, they will have to face the
consequences,” he had said.
The government
A
September 2021 Uttarakhand government order to the police and
administrative officers to track “illegal land deals” based on fears
around the changing demography of the state is also a contributing
factor to tensions.
The statement issued by the Pushkar
Singh Dhami-led Bharatiya Janata Party government had said: “Due to
unprecedented rise in population in certain areas of the state, the
demography of those areas has been majorly affected. And due to this
demographic change, members of a certain community are forced to migrate
from those areas. Also, there are possibilities that the communal
harmony in those areas may be disturbed.”
The statement added: “A list of all
such people should be made who have a criminal background and are living
in Uttarakhand. A verification of their profession and domicile status
should be done to make their records. The DMs (district magistrates)
should also monitor the illegal land dealings in their districts and
check whether someone is selling his land out of fear or pressure. If it
is found so, then they should stop it and take strict action against
those responsible for it (sic).”
Also read: Is Uttarakhand Govt’s ‘Demographic’ Probe of Property Deals a Play on ‘Land Jihad’ Bogey?
Qurban
Ali, the petitioner in the Haridwar hate speech case, feels that the
government in Uttarakhand has failed to implement Supreme Court orders
on hate speech.
Dismayed by what he describes as the
lack of political will to act against repeat offenders, Qurban said,
“When no option is left we go to the Supreme court but merely
registering an FIR won’t help. The police have to act on the FIRs and
make arrests. Lack of action has emboldened these people. Last time,
when the Supreme Court intervened, the administration was forced to stop
these hate assemblies and the temperatures were suddenly brought down.”
Calls for peace and demands for accountability
A memorandum by local civil society
members and opposition parties in at least 10 districts expressed anger
at the attitude of state law enforcement authorities. It called upon the
government to take action against the “unconstitutional environment of
hate” being created in the state.
“The
safety of every citizen is the responsibility of the government, but
despite repeated strict orders from the Supreme Court and communal
propaganda in various cities of the state, the government is not seen to
be taking any steps,” it read. A social activist who is part of this
memorandum pointed out that the present drive should be seen in the
context of recent campaigns against Vanngujjars by the same set of
Hindutva activists.
In Dehradun, the memorandum was
handed over to the City Magistrate and Additional Director General of
Police (Law and Order). During the programme, Kamla Pant, president of
Uttarakhand Mahila Manch, said that any kind of sexual violence and
crime against any woman cannot be tolerated and it was on this issue
that the people of Uttarakhand took to the streets when Ankita Bhandari’s murder happened.
But creating a communal atmosphere on the pretext of such incidents and
targeting a particular community is a criminal act in itself, Pant
said.
Indu Nautiyal of the Janwadi Mahila
Samiti said that such an environment is being created in the state in
which communities are not able to maintain their businesses and are
feeling insecure. Samar Bhandari of the Communist Party of India said
that this is also in contempt of the orders of the Supreme Court.
Highlighting the series of eviction
drives, mob violence and hate speech in the state, over two hundred
organisations and concerned citizens also wrote an open letter to the
President of India, expressing concerns.
“This
type of violent, hate filled atmosphere has never existed in the state
of Uttarakhand. The real development of the state can happen only
through these principles. The ongoing hate-filled efforts will only harm
our country,” the letter reads. Local activists allege that the
anti-Muslim mobilisation has only escalated in recent months.
Earlier, a letter dated May 30 by
senior Supreme Court advocates to the government of Uttarakhand
highlighted how the SC order in the hate speech case has not been
implemented in its spirit.
The letter said how in 2018, in its judgment in the Tehseen Poonawalla vs. Union of India and Ors. case, the Supreme Court directed all state governments
to proactively act against hate speech and mob violence, including
through appointing nodal officers who will “also make efforts to
eradicate hostile environment against any community or caste which is
targeted in such incidents.”
The letter also said:
“Further, as per the Court’s 21.10.2022 order in Shaheen Abdullah vs. Union of India (WP(C) 940/2022), the states of Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Delhi were
specifically directed to “ensure that immediately as and when any
speech or any action takes place which attracts offences such as
Sections 153A, 153B and 295A and 505 of the IPC etc., suo motu action will be taken to register cases even if no complaint is forthcoming and proceed against the offenders in accordance with law.”
The letter was addressed to the Uttarakhand governor.
It also highlighted a National Commission for Minorities report
against Hindutva activist Rakesh Tomar Uttarakhandi, who allegedly
threatened the Van Gujjar community to leave their land by April 10 or
be ready for consequences.
A screenshot taken from Rakesh Tomar Uttarakhandi’s video.
The community, which
predominantly comprises Muslims, had to appeal to the District
Magistrate after being threatened by the Hindutva activist. However, no
serious action was taken against the activist.
On April 20, a Dharma Sabha was reportedly held by Rudra
Sena in the state’s Chakrata region, where hate speeches were made
calling for the economic boycott of minorities, and a ban on the
settlement of “non-Sanatanis” in the state, the letter said.
They had even declared that “peace cannot prevail in the world, unless every ‘jihadi’ is eliminated.”
It is pertinent to note that as per the letter, which was reported by the Times of India,
one of the speakers at the event was Prabhodanand Giri. He’s also named
in the FIR that was lodged after a similar event in Haridwar in
December 2021 had attracted international outrage and condemnation from
senior retired officers of the armed Forces as well as large sections of
civil society.
As per the letter, the
speeches in Chakrata were posted on Facebook. The police also claimed
that they had videographed the event,
but they said they had received no complaints.
