The Uttarkashi region of Uttarakhand is currently the topic of conversation throughout all media outlets and social media. This happened after an alleged love jihad case was reported from the hilly town of Purola in Uttarakhand’s Uttarkashi district. Uved Khan, who was accused of trapping a minor Hindu girl and then attempting to abduct her, was taken into custody on Friday (26 May 2023) from Purola.
While the local Hindus agitated as several similar cases of love jihad continued to emerge in Uttarakhand, Islamists and Leftists yet again made an attempt to whitewash the love jihad cases and instead painted the Muslims as victims.
Many media outlets like Times of India, Zee News, News 18, etc furthered the ‘Dara Hua Musalman‘ narrative by claiming that Muslim traders are being forced to vacate their shops and leave Purola following protests and demonstrations and ultimatums by right-wing Hindu organisations. They further reported how threatening posters have been pasted on shops owned by Muslim traders in Purola town of Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand, asking them to vacate the place immediately.
The basic premise of the ‘dara hua Musalman’ narrative is that the individual Muslim is scared to profess his religion in Modi’s India and is under attack for no other reason but because they are Muslims. That the Muslim community is docile and powerless in front of the Majority Hindu population that has turned fascistic after the Prime Minister came to power.
The Purola police had, however, denied several media reports claiming that members of the minority communities have left the city. “Nobody has left the town as it is not that easy to just leave businesses and homes behind in one night. The situation is completely under control. The accused, who were arrested, were produced before the local court which later sent them to jail,” V Murugesan, additional director general of police (law & order) was quoted as saying.
Though the Police had debunked the media reports, OpIndia also went to the Purola town in Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand, to investigate the facts in order to dispel the ‘secular’ narrative being peddled by the leftist media in the wake of the May 26 incident which involved the attempted abduction of a minor Hindu girl by accused Uved Khan.
यह वो फोटो है, जिसे वामपंथी मीडिया घुमा-घुमा कर हिंदुओं के खिलाफ यूज कर रहा।
— ऑपइंडिया (@OpIndia_in) June 9, 2023
बुरका समर्थक चंटू-मंटू भी रो-रो कर सोशल मीडिया पर इसे वायरल करने में लगे हैं।
जमीनी सच्चाई क्या है? चलिए उत्तराखंड, जानिए #purola #uttarkashi #Uttarakhand के हिंदुओं का दर्द:
THREAD 🚨 pic.twitter.com/JC00IycA83
When OpIndia inquired about this issue with certain individuals connected to Hindu organisations in Uttarkashi, the situation turned out to be contrary to what had been reported. Hindu organisations alluded to the Hindus of Uttarakhand as being the victims of the rapid demographic changes and land, business and love jihad happening in the state, rather than the Muslim migrants whom the leftist media and the ‘liberal’ coterie are busy projecting as victims.
The OpIndia team also examined the so-called ‘threat’ posters that these leftist media outlets have extensively reported about. According to various media reports, posters asking Muslim shopkeepers to leave or “prepare for consequences” were found pasted on shops of Muslim traders. They were given a deadline of June 15 to flee or “face action”. The posters mentioned the name of an organisation- Devbhoomi Raksha Abhiyan which warned ‘Love Jehadis’ to vacate their shops by June 15. It also read that a ‘Mahapanchayat’ on the issue has been called by Hindu outfits on the same date.
Nevertheless, the name of the printing press from where these posters were printed was not mentioned on it.
Another person who latched on to the opportunity was Arfa Khanum, a “journalist” who works for the ultra-leftist propaganda news portal The Wire. She uploaded a heavily edited video to YouTube, wherein she added cherry-picked portions of local Hindus protesting in Purola to carefully craft a ‘Muslims under attack’ narrative.
When OpIndia spoke to the locals, we learned that contrary to the narrative that was being peddled, the local Hindus in Devbhoomi were the ones who were truly terrified. The Uttarakhand police also denied that Muslims in Uttarkashi town were under any sort of threat.
Posters in Purola, Uttarkashi put up by ‘victim card’ users
Swami Darshan Bharti, the founder of the Devbhoomi Raksha Abhiyan Sangathan, spoke with OpIndia. He confirmed that he was in Purola on the day of the incident, but neither he nor anybody else he knows of had put up those posters. Swami Darshan Bharti termed the posters as a conspiracy by some individuals who want to project themselves as the victims.
It becomes imperative to note here, that after the news of the poster being pasted on shops of Muslim shopkeepers emerged, the Purola Police investigated the same but could not identify the culprits. They had also registered a case against unknown persons under relevant sections of the IPC for trying to disturb social and communal harmony.
Speaking on the matter, Uttarkashi Superintendent of Police IPS Aparna Yaduvanshi said that the person who put up the posters will soon be identified. He said that the law and order situation in Purola, Uttarkashi is completely under control.
पुरोला घटना क्रम में पुलिस अधीक्षक उत्तरकाशी, श्री अर्पण यदुवंशी द्वारा सभी से कानून एवं शान्ति व्यवस्था बनाए रखने की अपील की गई। #AppealForPeace pic.twitter.com/HukDpzOXjg
— Uttarkashi Police Uttarakhand (@UttarkashiPol) June 7, 2023
‘Roti (food/ businesses), beti (daughters) and choti (peak)’ all three are at risk: Swami Darshan Bharti
Raising concerns about the radical problem plaguing the state of Uttarakhand due to the influx of Muslim migrants in the state, Swami Darshan Bharti, a veteran saint and founder of the Devbhoomi Raksha Abhiyan Sangathan, lamented how the Jihadis have set their evil eyes on Devbhoomi. Uttarakhand is popularly called Devbhoomi (the land of the gods) because of the number of Hindu pilgrimage sites present here.
Darshan Bharti exclaimed, “These Muslim migrants had come here begging for food and now they are abducting our daughters.”
Concerned that the large influx of Muslim migrants in Uttarakhand will lead to a significant demographic imbalance in the state, the Hindu saint bemoaned that there is an impending threat looming over the peak (Devbhoomi) in the days to come.
Notably, Uttarakhand or Devbhoomi as it is popularly called is often also referred to as Nanda Devi Peak. The Nanda Devi Peak, named after the presiding Goddess of Uttarakhand, is the second-highest peak in India and is at Chamoli in the Garhwal District of Uttarakhand. It is also the highest mountain in the State of Uttarakhand with a towering altitude of 7,816 meters. This is why Uttarakhand is often referred to as the ‘peak’ or Nanda Devi Peak.
The significance of the peak, Darshan Bharti said is connected to the Sanatan culture. Saying so, Darshan Bharti worried how at present, out of all the states in India, Uttarakhand is most impacted by the menace of love jihad. He stated that the innocent Hindu girls who are being abducted by Muslim youths in the state are mainly employed as slaves in the human trafficking industry.
Hindu student killed
Another local Purola resident, Anil Aswal, spoke with OpIndia. Anil described a three-year-old incident in which his Hindu friend was killed by a Muslim student over a petty dispute shedding light on how Hindus have traditionally taken the brunt of Muslim hostility in Purola town in Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand.
He stated that in the Inter College in the Mori village in Uttarakhand, which is around 40 km from Purola and close to the Himachal Pradesh border, a Muslim student murdered his Hindu friend about three years prior.
A minor altercation between the two students led to the brutal murder. The local Hindus were extremely enraged after the tragic incident. Yet, they all chose to remain silent, he said, adding that the reason behind this was that the Mori village is predominantly dominated by Muslims.
Frequent incidents of theft reported in Purola
Anil Aswal informed how incidents of theft continue to occur frequently in Purola and the neighbouring areas due to the Muslim immigrants who have relocated here from elsewhere. He said that the police, however, try to hush up the incidents which, in turn, further raises the discontent amongst the local Hindus.
Minor Hindu girl held hostage for 5 days
While claiming to be aware of the recent incident of love jihad which happened in Purola, Rakesh Uttarakhandi, a native of Dehradun, told us about an incident that happened last year. He recounted how a minor Hindu girl, age 15, was held captive in Purola for five days.
Rakesh asserted that all of the accused in the above case were members of the Muslim community who worked as junk dealers in the town. The minor girl who was held captive was repeatedly denied food and water. The girl was eventually rescued and the accused were sent to jail, Rakesh said, lamenting how the punishment awarded to the accused was not enough and that they should have been subjected to harsher punishment for the atrocities they perpetuated on the minor girl.
Anil Aswal shared another instance of a Hindu woman being victimised by a Muslim immigrant in May of this year. A Muslim youth had allegedly kidnapped the mother of two Hindu children from the village of Sharanour near the town of Purola.
Sanju, a Purola resident, acknowledged while talking to OpIndia that the menace of love jihad has created an atmosphere of terror amongst Hindus. He added that the continuous subjugation of their sisters and daughters by the Muslims in the area in the primary cause of the growing resentment amongst the Hindus.
Minor Hindu girl was raped for a year
Anil Aswal told us about the minor girl whose kidnapping by Uved Khan led to the uproar in Purole, Uttarkashi. He said that the girl was originally a resident of the Mori development block, about 40 km away, but she had come to live with her maternal uncle in Purola after the death of her parents.
Anil Aswal asserted that Uved Khan, the accused person, had been raping the young victim for about a year. During this time, the accused also took obscene pictures and made videos of the young girl.
Recalling what happened on May 26, 2023, Anil Aswal said that the accused had taken the victim to the market on foot and then made her sit in a car parked near a petrol pump. He was ready to take her to some remote place, but his plans were foiled when a local youth recognised the victim.
He caught the girl and the accused, Uved Khan, with the help of the local residents. The victim and the accused were then handed over to the police.
The girl’s maternal uncle is a well-known local person, so the Hindus who had up until now stayed silent could not control their anger and took to the streets to protest, Anil Aswal said.
Muslim community in Purola led by Bale Khan
Anil Aswal further said that Bale Khan was the leader of the area’s Muslim community. He migrated and settled in Purola in 1978. Back then he owned a flour mill, however, over time, he did many businesses. Currently, he owns a huge clothes store in the main market area, Aswal said, adding that while Bale Khan’s kept flourishing over time due to assistance from Arab nations, many Hindu businessmen had to shut their businesses due to the heavy losses they incurred because of Bale Khan.
Anil Aswal further said that Bale Khan used to treat the Hindus with the utmost respect when he first moved into the market, but that his behaviour has since altered. He added that now because of his behaviour towards the Hindu community, most of the anger of the local Hindus is directed against Bale Khan.
Bale Khan gathers the whole Muslim population who frequent the market at his home and arranges namaz and other religious functions for them on his terrace, Anil said, adding that since Bale Khan is now ageing his elder son, Ashraf, has been tasked to carry on his father’s legacy. Currently, Ashraf is helping his father in running the business.
Incidents of love Jihad continue even after the Purola incident
Rakesh Uttarakhandi, who informed us of the abuse meted out to a young girl in the hamlet the previous year, lamented that despite the fact that residents were out in the streets denouncing the May 26 incident, love jihad episodes continued to take place with impunity. In reference to the most recent occurrence, Rakesh stated that on June 8, 2023 (a Thursday), around 3 am, he had saved two young Hindu girls from Chakrata town in Uttarakhand.
According to Rakesh, the victims were originally from Nepal. A Muslim youth was taking these two girls with him somewhere. The girls were trapped through social media. One of the accused, he said, was identified as Nawab alias Guddu and he was a resident of Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh. The other one was identified as Shahrukh, a resident of Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh.
In the complaint filed by the mother of one of the victims, she accused Nawab of engaging in lewd chats with her daughter which he recorded and threatened to make viral. Rakesh Uttarakhandi alleged that the Uttarakhand Police is avoiding taking any action in this case.
Funds provided to Muslim immigrants by Barelvi and Deobandi clerics affecting businesses of Hindus
Rakesh Uttarakhandi further spoke on how, what he termed as ‘Business Jihad’, has impacted the lives of the Hindus in Purola, Uttarkashi. He said that the Muslim immigrants who have settled in and around Purola are getting financial aid from the Deoband and Barelvi clerics, which is why, Muslim traders in several districts of Uttarakhand, as well as the Purola Market, rent the spaces that a Hindu dealer occupies for Rs 5,000 at a rate of Rs 10,000.
He exclaimed that Hindu merchants are struggling to make ends meet and are being driven to shut down their businesses because of the money Muslims are receiving from overseas. Because of this, Muslims in the area are now taking over industries traditionally controlled by Hindus, such as salons, fruits and vegetables, mechanical work, etc.
Rakesh lamented how a few local Hindus are only renting out their shops to these Muslim immigrants, but it is impossible to make everyone understand the impact, he said.
A pregnant cow is slaughtered and her unborn calf thrown away
Rakesh recalled a cow slaughter incident that occurred in the Dehradun district in March 2021. The cow was carrying a calf inside of her. The cow was killed, and her unborn calf was thrown. The Vasant Vihar police had arrested four accused in connection with the case.
Impact of the protest by Hindus in Purola
Rakesh stated that due to the resentment of the Hindus who are suffering in Uttarakhand, several Muslims have been asked by their landlords to leave their businesses however, there are still a lot of Muslim businessmen there, such as barbers and scrap dealers, etc.
Rakesh said he is a member of the group assisting the police in maintaining law and order in the town. He asserted that while the war against people who harm Uttarakhand’s environment will continue in accordance with the laws of the land, the Hindus, except for a few early instances, have not engaged in any unlawful act.
The Uttarkashi-based journalist Dinesh also informed us that the area’s Hindu businessmen are concerned for their future due to the extent of Muslim interference in their businesses. He, however, also confirmed that the majority of the shops in Uttarkashi have been given on rent to Muslims by Hindus.
Anil Aswal told us how certain market brokers were attempting to open the shut market with the assistance of the police, adding that the opening of the market could make the issue worse given the existing circumstances. Anil has also said that the protests being carried out by the Hindus in Purola are mostly peaceful in nature, with the exception of a few instances.
SDM पुरोला एवं CO बडकोट की अध्यक्षता मे आज थाना पुरोला पर पीस कमेटी व सीएलजी ग्रुप की मीटिंग कर पुरोला की शान्ति एवं कानून व्यवस्था के सम्बन्ध में बातचीत की गयी।व्यापार मण्डल व सभी वर्ग के प्रबुद्ध नागरिको द्वारा गतिरोध/तनाव को जल्द खत्म करने का आश्वासन दिया गया।#PeaceMeeting pic.twitter.com/yXCIwDb9dj
— Uttarkashi Police Uttarakhand (@UttarkashiPol) June 8, 2023
No exodus of Muslims has taken place, in fact, they are doing ghar wapsi: Purola resident explains
Anil Aswal explained why the current situation in Purola, which the media is constantly referring to as a Muslim exodus should rather be dubbed as ghar wapsi. He said that the situation in Purola is such that the Hindu shop owners are hesitant to rent out their shops to Muslim shopkeepers, as a result of which a handful of Muslim shopkeepers have had to vacate the shop, but this should be termed as ‘Ghar Wapsi’ instead of exodus, said Anil.
He explained that the Muslims had migrated from their native homes in western Uttar Pradesh, such as Muzaffarnagar, Meerut, etc., and were presently temporarily employed in Uttarkashi. According to Anil, the Muslims who moved from various regions of UP are now returning to their respective homes. This he said is ‘ghar wapsi and not an exodus.
Demographic imbalance haunting Purola
Rakesh said that the demographic imbalance caused by the rampant influx of Muslim migrants in Purola in Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand has become a cause of concern. Urging the CM of Uttarakhand to adopt stricter methods to verify the credentials of the people migrating into the state, Rakesh said that many Muslims have not only created fake documents but have illegally encroached, in some cases purchased, land in and around Purola because of the state government’s sloppy rules and surveillance.
Further explaining these Muslim migrants’ modus operandi, Rakesh said that initially, one person will come in search of work. Gradually, he gathers his entire clan. They then illegally encroach on land, take over businesses and start spreading their dominance, making the Hindus feel like minorities in their own native place. This is how they are conspiring to convert Devbhoomi into a Jihadi territory, Rakesh exclaimed, urging the Uttarakhand government to come up with stricter rules to stop the unprecedented influx of Muslim migrants in Uttarakhand.
Speaking about how the migrant influx is triggering a rapid demographic shift and its impact on local Hindus, Anil Aswal said that in 1978 there were only three Muslim families in Purola and today the situation is such that more than 40 shops in the Purola market belong to Muslims.
Anil further said that many Muslim migrants have transformed these shops into their permanent homes. He lamented how these 40-odd Muslim families have together made the lives of the locals Hindu miserable.
The protests are not being carried out by any particular political party or Hindu organisation
Anil Aswal also told OpIndia that the protest against the widespread Love Jihad incidents in response to the attempted kidnapping of a young Hindu girl, the daughter of a local shopkeeper from Purola Bazar, on May 26, was not limited to the Purole village but has been happening across many districts in Uttarakhand.
He, however, maintained that no particular Hindu organisation has organised these demonstrations. Instead, the Hindus have drawn on their collective strength, taken a stand against what they perceived as a threat to their community, and dealt with the matter head-on.
Anil added that on June 8, the Peace Committee met in the presence of the police in the hope that the administration and police would assist in resolving the crisis, but there is little hope that their appeal will have much impact.
It was Hindus who had struggled during Uttarakhand Movement not Muslims: Purola locals
Rakesh Uttarakhandi demanded that the Muslims who claim Uttarakhand as their own explain how many sacrifices they made during the formation of the state. He bemoaned that Hindus had put their lives in danger to preserve their culture and now they are having to witness their native land gradually converting into a Jihadi territory.
Police say shutting of shops cannot be termed ‘exodus’
SHO Purola explained to OpIndia that the police take stern action after receiving any complaint. Speaking about the closure of shops owned by Muslim traders he said that they were shut during the protests. He denied claims of any Muslim exodus. The Station in charge, meanwhile, said that positive discussions are underway between all the concerned parties and soon all the problems will be resolved.
