RSS workers hold meeting urging economic boycott, locals raise concerns over bias by authorities
Mohammad bin Ismail | Clarion India
NEW DELHI — A controversial call for an economic boycott of Muslim shopkeepers, street vendors, and rickshaw drivers has sparked concerns in New Govindwadi’s Kachore area in Maharashtra’s Dombivli city, where tensions are running high following an incident involving local children. The call was reportedly made by RSS workers during a corner meeting on Saturday night on the busy Phadke Road in Dombivli.
According to sources, the boycott was triggered by a minor incident last week when some Muslim children, playing near an RSS training camp, threw stones at an owl, which accidentally landed in the field where RSS workers were engaged in baton training. The situation escalated when RSS members lodged a police complaint, leading to the arrest of five Muslim children, including four minors.
Residents have expressed concern over RSS activities in the area, alleging that the organisation is deliberately holding night-time training sessions in a field adjacent to a Muslim-majority neighbourhood. The open ground, located next to BSUP Building No. 24, has reportedly been used by RSS workers for baton training, raising fears of rising communal tensions.
Social worker Yusuf Memon from Jay Bharat Nagar alleged that the training centre is part of a larger plan to create unrest. “RSS is deliberately organising training at night in a Muslim-majority area despite the land being government-owned,” he told Clarion India over the phone. “A minor issue has been blown out of proportion to attack the Muslim community, while sections of the media are complicit in supporting the RSS narrative.”
The arrest of the Muslim children has also raised allegations of bias in law enforcement. Locals claim that when community members attempted to present their case at the Tilak Nagar police station, their concerns were ignored. “We were not heard properly at the police station. One-sided action has been taken against Muslim children,” Memon alleged.
Matters took a more alarming turn at Kalyan Court, where a team of nine lawyers affiliated with Bajrang Dal was reportedly present to ensure that bail was denied to the detained Muslim minors. Witnesses further alleged that RSS-affiliated individuals harassed and filmed Muslim youths who had gathered in the court premises to support the children, despite recording in court being a legal violation.
Community leader Abdul Qadir, a resident of New Govindwadi, described the developments as a systematic effort to intimidate and economically weaken Muslims in the area.
“The call for an economic boycott is a direct attack on our livelihood. This is not just about a minor incident, but about pushing Muslims to the margins,” he said.
Another local activist, Farzana Sheikh, expressed concern over the authorities’ silence. “Why are the police not taking action against those openly calling for a boycott? If the roles were reversed, immediate arrests would have been made,” she said. Sheikh also urged human rights organisations to intervene, adding, “This is a violation of basic rights. We need national and international attention on this issue.”
Attempts to seek clarification from the authorities have been met with silence. When Clarion India contacted Senior Inspector Vijay Kadam of Tilak Nagar Police Station for a statement, he did not respond to calls.
Saturday’s corner meeting on Phadke Road, where RSS workers reportedly used derogatory language against Muslims while calling for an economic boycott, has heightened anxiety among Muslim traders and workers. The move has been perceived as an organised effort to marginalise the community financially and socially.
Dombivli’s Muslim business owners and daily wage earners fear the impact of such a boycott, which they believe could further escalate tensions in the region. Local activists and community leaders have called for intervention from authorities to prevent communal polarisation and ensure that law enforcement remains impartial.
