It is prohibited for non-Hindus/Rohingya Muslims and hawkers to do business around in the village, reads signboard
Team Clarion
DEHRADUN— Tension looms large in several Villages in the Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand as the signboards banning the entry of “non-Hindus” and Rohingya Muslims are displayed at the entry points of the villages. These boards, reportedly put up in several villages, have drawn significant attention, leading to a police investigation and growing concerns among Muslim communities.
The signboards, displayed outside villages s of Nyalsu, Shersi, Gaurikund, and several others, read, “It is prohibited for non-Hindus/Rohingya Muslims and hawkers to do business around in the village. If found anywhere in the village, punitive action will be taken.” The text, written in Hindi, claims that the directive was issued by the gram sabha (village council).
Pramod Singh, the pradhan (village head) of Nyalsu, acknowledged the presence of the boards but clarified, “These boards have been installed by villagers, not the gram panchayat. The intent is to prevent hawkers from entering without police verification, as there have been concerns about safety, especially for women who are often alone in the village.”
The Rudraprayag police have reportedly removed several of these boards and are actively investigating the matter. “We have been removing the signboards and are working to identify those responsible for putting them up,” said Prabodh Kumar Ghildiyal, the circle officer for Rudraprayag. “A meeting with gram pradhans was also held to ensure such incidents do not recur.”
The installation of these signboards has not only raised fear and alarmamong local residents but has also drawn the attention of Muslim organisations. Naeem Qureshi, a representative of the Muslim Seva Sangathan, voiced the community’s concerns. “There has been a rising trend of targeting Muslims and these signboards are just one example of the growing Islamophobia. We fear this could lead to a broader campaign of harassment against the community,” said Qureshi.
However, the Uttarakhand police, led by Director General of Police (DGP) Abhinav Kumar, said that the matter is being taken seriously. “We have ordered our local units and intelligence to investigate these reports thoroughly. If any wrongdoing is confirmed, appropriate action will be taken,” he Director General of Polic stated.
This incident is the latest of the recent communal tensions in the state. In Chamoli district, violence erupted last week when a mob attacked properties belonging to Muslims following the arrest of a Muslim man alleged of making obscene gesture towards a minor gAt least 10 Muslim families fledthe town of Nandanagar, despite police claims that the situation was under control.
Ahmad Hasan, a BJP minority wing functionary and a long-time resident of Nandanagar, described the harrowing experience as: “We had to flee in the middle of the night, walking for miles in stormy weather to escape the violence. The situation in the village had become unbearable for us.”
The situation remains tense, with Muslim leaders calling for swift action to prevent further escalation. The MIM state president Neer Kazmi has asked police to take concrete action within a week or face protests. “If the authorities do not act, we will have no choice but to take to the streets,” Kazmi warned.
