Safety at Stake: Hindutva Outfits in Rudraprayag Warn Off Non-Hindus.

Village Vigilantism: Rudraprayag Outfits Draw Line to Protect Hindus putting ‘Warning Boards’.

Rudraprayag’s villages, a key Kedarnath Yatra stop, once thrived on communal harmony, with livelihoods tied to the pilgrimage season. But, anticipating Muslim aggression in the locality, Hindus have retaliated, which has affected the peaceful situation.

Anita Sachdeva | HENB | Rudraprayag | Sept 16, 2024:: Although the warning signboards that read ‘Preventing Muslims and Rohingyas from entering Hindu villages’ have been removed, the underlying tension persists. It now permeates conversations in village squares over steaming cups of chai (tea) and in hushed tones within homes, where resolve has intensified following the police’s stern actions to take down the boards.

For years, Rudraprayag’s villages, a vital stop on the revered Kedarnath Yatra, exemplified harmony as communities worked together, their livelihoods intertwined with the pilgrimage season in Uttarakhand. However, a pronounced shift over the past few months has pushed many to the brink of unease, exposing fault lines and casting uncertainty over the future. Anticipating Muslim aggression in the locality, Hindus have retaliated, which has affected the peaceful situation.

Warning Boards set up by local pro-Hindutva groups, including Bhairav Sena, bearing the message: ‘Warning: Entry and business activities by non-Hindus/Rohingya Muslims and hawkers are strictly prohibited in this village. Infringement will invite stern legal and punitive action,’ have escalated the mistrust between Hindus and Muslims in the area.

Praveen Kumar, husband of Maikanda’s pradhan Chandani Devi, revealed that the campaign has been ongoing for over a year. He added, ‘A board was erected in our village just last week, prompting a police call instructing us to avoid communal remarks’.

Praveen attempted to justify the actions, claiming that outsiders, particularly Muslims, would often enter the area, causing disturbances by allegedly teasing Hindu women and girls, theft, and even erecting mazars (shrines) on forest and hilly lands. According to Praveen, Hindus were forced to take stern measures to protect their safety, security, and property rights in the face of these perceived encroachments.

Nadeem, a 28-year-old barber from Shersi village, expressed his concern, saying, ‘I’ve spent my entire life here, but such incidents are unprecedented.’ However, Nadeem also acknowledged that communal preaching by some outsider Muslim clerics within the Muslim community has created the rift between Hindus and Muslims.

Nadeem expressed mixed emotions about the recent developments. ‘I’m unsure how to react,’ he said thoughtfully, while trimming a local customer’s hair at his family’s barbershop, established by his father over 30 years ago after migrating from Bijnor, UP. ‘Logically, I know I have no reason to fear; this is targeted at outsiders, not me or my family. However, it troubles me that an entire community is tarnished by the actions of a few Muslim miscreants,’ he said, his voice measured and reflective.

On Saturday, two teams  HENB  visited seven villages, engaging with locals and uncovering the root causes of the prevailing tension. The investigation revealed a blend of perceived ‘safety concerns’ stemming from  ‘temple thefts’ and  narratives surrounding local issues like ‘recent-rain-related disaster’ and the ‘alleged takeover of businesses by Muslim outsiders’.

Ashok Semwal, district president of Bhairav Sena Sangathan, a pro-Hindutva organization, explained, ‘I erected the board in Shersi two months ago to safeguard against outsiders due to security concerns. Recently, we’ve experienced temple thefts, and we suspect individuals posing as businessmen from outside the area are responsible.

Similar boards had also appeared in villages like Nyalsu, Triyuginarayan, Ariya,  Jamu,  Ravigram, Sonprayag, and Gaurikund, in addition to Maikhanda and Shersi. However, Rakender Kathait, the in-charge of Guptkashi police station, reported that teams were dispatched to these villages to remove the boards. ‘By Saturday, most boards had been taken down. We advised residents to report any suspicious individuals to the police, emphasizing that such boards are unacceptable,’ Kathait stated.

Ashok Semwal acknowledged that other villages had emulated his initiative but expressed regret over the wording used. ‘Recently, some individuals objected to the boards and certain words, making us realize our error. We will modify the text from ‘Non-Hindu and Rohingya Muslim’ to ‘Outsider and Hawkers’ and reinstall the boards… We will also urge the administration to ensure shopkeepers and vendors display their names outside their shops,’ he said. Semwal’s father, Maheshanand, attributed the campaign’s inception to the theft of a silver statue of their deity, Nagraj, from a Shersi temple house last year. ‘Our sole desire is to safeguard our villages and homes,’ he added.

A hotel owner in Guptkashi market attributed the prevailing fear to a string of incidents over the past year, including the recent allegations of a Muslim man making an obscene gesture towards a minor Hindu girl in neighboring Chamoli district. This incident sparked a mob attack  on shops owned by the Muslim community to which the accused belonged, further fueling tensions.

A Hindu hotel owner, who preferred to remain anonymous, attributed the escalating tension to rumors that members of Muslim communities, who profit from the Chardham Yatra, failed to provide assistance during recent rain-related disasters in Kedar Valley. ‘This perceived lack of support, combined with concerns about the state’s shifting demographics and local businesses being taken over by outsiders, is fueling the growing unease,’ he stated.

The sign boards drew national attention last week after delegations from the Muslim Seva Sangathan and AIMIM met Uttarakhand DGP Abhinav Kumar on September 5, voicing concerns over alleged ‘increasing anti-minority incidents’ in the region. Following the meeting, DGP Kumar informed the media that intelligence agencies and local units have been instructed to investigate and take requisite action.

Sub-Inspector Jagadish Rawat, in charge of the Phata outpost, removed the boards in Shersi on Saturday. He explained that they became aware of the boards through social media photos. ‘We’ve advised locals that they can post signs restricting unverified outsiders, but they must avoid using communal language,’ he stated.

However, various Hindu organizations in Rudraprayag district, Uttarakhand, have united to counter what they perceive as threats: Land Jihad (encroachment of Hindu or government land for constructing tombs or shrines), Love Jihad (coercive relationships targeting Hindu girls and women), and Byapar Jihad (Muslim domination on businesses and markets, including promotion of Halal products). Hindus have joined forces to combat these issues unanimously.

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