Mothers cradle children beside piles of rubble, while elders sit helplessly watching the ruins of what were once their homes
AHMEDABAD — Thousands of Muslim families in Ahmedabad’s Danilimda area, near Chandola Talab, have been rendered homeless after local authorities demolished more than 8,500 homes in a controversial anti-encroachment drive. While officials claim the action targeted “illegal Bangladeshi immigrants,” many of the evicted say they have been living there for decades, some since before the country’s independence.
A similar operation took place weeks earlier, when around 2,000 homes were forcefully evacuated following the April 22 Pahalgam attack in Kashmir. The fresh wave of demolitions appears to have selectively impacted Muslim homes, with several Hindu-owned properties on the same stretch of land left untouched.
Many among the displaced are now living in makeshift shelters, under plastic sheets or in the open air. Mothers cradle children beside piles of rubble, while elders sit helplessly watching the ruins of what were once their homes.
“How are we Bangladeshis?” asked 58-year-old Salma Bano, sitting beside the remains of her one-room house. “I was born here. My parents were born here. We have Aadhaar cards, ration cards, and even electricity bills in our names. But none of that saved us.”
Her neighbour, Mohammad Yusuf, shared a similar story. “The bulldozers came early in the morning. No notice, no time. Just orders. They told us to leave or they’d crush us inside.”
“They are targeting us because we are Muslims. If this land is really illegal, why are the Hindu homes still standing?” he asked, pointing to a row of untouched abodes just a few feet away.
The demolition operation, carried out on 20 May, involved thousands of policemen, drones, and over a dozen bulldozers. Eyewitnesses described it as a ‘war-like situation. Armed police formed barricades around the demolition sites, preventing journalists and activists from entering the area.
“They didn’t bring food or water or even ask where the children would sleep,” said Shabnam, a 32-year-old mother of four. “They only brought bulldozers and guns.”
Local administration officials insist the homes were built illegally on government land and that a proper procedure to demolish them was followed. Yet there is no evidence of legal notices being served or court orders authorising mass demolitions.
There has been little response from mainstream political parties. Muslim leaders, however, have condemned the demolitions outright. Maulana Javed, a prominent cleric and social worker in Ahmedabad, called the operation “a shameful example of state cruelty.”
“They are using bulldozers to erase Muslims from public life,” he said. “These are not random acts; this is part of a bigger plan. First, they called us Bangladeshis, tomorrow they’ll say we are Pakistanis, and one day they’ll say we don’t belong in India at all.”
Activists from civil society also criticised the silence of elected leaders. “The government is violating the basic right to shelter, and the courts are watching silently,” said Shahid Mirza of the Ahmedabad Human Rights Forum. “Where are the voices that usually speak of development and ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’?”
What makes this episode even more tragic is the complete lack of resettlement efforts. With the monsoon approaching, families are anxious about their future. “We don’t have food, water, medicine, or shelter,” said 65-year-old Noor Jahan. “But the government says we are Bangladeshis and deserve nothing.”
Children are out of school. Pregnant women have no access to healthcare. Young people are angry, confused, and afraid. “This is our home. We are not outsiders. Why are we treated like criminals?” asked 19-year-old Abdul Khalid, whose house was reduced to rubble within minutes.
Once a symbol of construction and development, the bulldozer has now become a terrifying icon in many Muslim neighbourhoods across India. From Delhi to Uttar Pradesh, and now Gujarat, its presence often signals fear, destruction, and state power.
Human rights groups warn that the continued use of such tactics against one religious community is a direct attack on secular values enshrined in the Constitution. “This is not about illegal encroachment. It’s about collective punishment,” said Meena Kotwal, a Dalit journalist and rights activist. “This bulldozer politics is targeting Muslims, plain and simple.”
The claim that these residents are illegal Bangladeshis has little basis in fact. Several of those evicted possess Indian voter IDs, Aadhaar cards, and land tax receipts. Yet the state refuses to acknowledge their citizenship.
“It’s a convenient lie,” said Prof Ali Asghar, a political scientist. “By labelling Muslims as foreigners, the state justifies anything — be it lynching, bulldozing, or detaining.”
He added, “This isn’t just about a few thousand homes. It’s about stripping people of belonging, citizenship, and dignity.”
While the state claims that the land belongs to the government, the fact that Hindu homes remain untouched tells another story. Local residents showed photographs and documents to visiting reporters, clearly marking properties side by side — Muslim homes flattened, Hindu homes untouched.
“No one has touched this house,” said Shaikh Farzana, pointing to a two-storey building with saffron flags atop. “We were on the same street. Our house was destroyed, theirs is standing. What else do you need to see that this is discrimination?”
This is not the first time Muslims have faced large-scale evictions. Similar operations have been reported in Assam, Delhi’s Jahangirpuri, Madhya Pradesh, and parts of Uttar Pradesh — most following communal tensions or riots.
“It has now become a tool of punishment,” said Zafar Ahmed, an advocate from Delhi. “Instead of courts, they are using bulldozers. No trial, no hearing, just destruction.”
Human rights groups have called for a judicial probe into the demolitions and urgent relief for the displaced. The Indian Union Muslim League and several civil society organisations have written to the National Human Rights Commission and the Supreme Court, demanding accountability.
“The state cannot play the role of both judge and executioner,” said senior advocate Rabea Khan. “There must be legal protection. People cannot be thrown onto the streets like garbage.”
For many of those evicted, the trauma is deep. Children cry for their toys, women weep over lost jewellery and ration cards buried in the debris, and elderly men stare into space with broken hope.
“Our identity is being crushed under bulldozers,” said Faheem Ansari, a 45-year-old autorickshaw driver. “Today, it’s our homes. Tomorrow it might be our lives.”
As India continues down a path where citizenship is questioned and faith becomes a reason for fear, many ask: where do Indian Muslims truly belong?
“Is this our country?” asked old Hameeda Bi, her eyes red with grief. “Or are we already refugees in our own land?”
