Mewat/Nuh: A second Noakhali?

On Monday, 31st July 2023, a violent incident occurred in Nuh, Haryana, where a Muslim mob attacked a religious Hindu procession on Shravan Somvar. Tragically, five people lost their lives in the violence, including two home guards. Additionally, over 50 individuals, including policemen and a deputy superintendent of police (DSP), sustained injuries during the turmoil. 

During the unrest, the two home guards were unfortunate victims, caught in the midst of the chaos. According to the initial investigation, one of the home guards was shot, while the other lost his life due to stone pelting.

In the wake of the violence, numerous Hindus sought refuge in nearby temples in Nuh to protect themselves from the rampaging mob. The situation escalated further as the mob set vehicles on fire, causing further distress and damage in the area. Authorities are closely monitoring the situation and working to restore peace and order in the region.

Burning Vehicles in Nuh Distrtict

Videos of the damage went viral on the internet. The situation escalated to the point where the administration had to take decisive measures, including restricting internet services and imposing Section 144 in the area.

The videos that surfaced online depicted the severity of the damage caused by a hostile mob. Chilling footage captured the mob charging aggressively at the rally while chanting threatening slogans of "Allahu Akbar." Additionally, these videos exposed the desecration of temples, heightening the gravity of the situation.

Amidst the chaos, distant residents recorded videos showing billowing smoke, indicating the extent of destruction that occurred during the unrest. Over the past couple of days, numerous Hindu women who were part of the yatra have been subjected to rape in Nuh, with most of them being abducted and taken to nearby fields by a frenzied Muslim mob. Sources state that the attack was preplanned, as the mob was armed with AK-47 rifles, which were fired at the Hindu pilgrims. Another shocking detail that has recently come to light is the involvement of a 14-year-old boy among the people firing.

In the midst of all this, one person deserving special recognition is Abhisek Rajput. Hailing from Panipat, Rajput had come to offer water and prayers at the Nalhad temple. Shortly after that, Rajput and other pilgrims were attacked by a mob of 250 Muslim men. Despite the efforts of the DSP accompanying the yatra and some constables firing in the air to disperse the mob, their attempts were in vain. When the mob began moving towards the women, the yatra organizers sent them back to the temple in an attempt to protect them. It was at this moment that the mob started firing.

In an act of bravery to shield a woman from abduction, Abhisek stood between the mob and the woman, resulting in him getting shot in the waist. After some time the mob approached the men who were trying to protect the women, among whom Abhisek was a favored target. The mob closed in on Abhishek Rajput, who was unable to defend himself due to his severe injuries. The attackers in the crowd first slit Abhishek's throat in a Talibani style and later smashed his head with stones, leading to his immediate death on the spot.

In the aftermath, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) also alleged that the violence was not spontaneous but rather planned. Numerous videos circulating on social media seemed to support this claim, revealing evidence of premeditated attacks by Islamists. It is worth noting that such incidents have not been uncommon in the region, with Mewat gaining notoriety for various crimes that have been extensively reported by several media outlets. The area has earned the label of a 'mini Pakistan' in neighboring regions, owing to its history of contentious incidents.

Mewat district of Haryana is known as the "homeland of Meo Muslims," and has gained notoriety as a region with a rising Muslim population and a surge in criminal activities. According to the 2011 census, Muslims constitute 79.20% of the population, while Hindus make up 20.37%. Punahana and Ferozepur Jhirka tehsils have particularly high Muslim majorities, and Nuh, the district in the news due to the attack on a Hindu procession, has over 76% Muslim population.

The Centre for Policy Studies reported that the Muslim population in the five tehsils of Mewat has increased significantly, indicating the establishment of an exclusively Muslim pocket in the region. The area is also the place of origin for the Tablighi Jamaat, a community known for propagating Islam and, in many instances, leading to communal tensions and crimes.

A committee led by former Justice Pawan Kumar investigated cases of Muslim atrocities in the region and likened Mewat to Pakistan, calling it a "graveyard of Dalits." Disturbingly, due to fear of Islamists, many Dalit victims have been reluctant to file complaints, and the statistics released by the Haryana government confirm the committee's findings. Shockingly, in 2021, only 19 crimes against Scheduled Castes (SCs) were officially registered, highlighting the challenges faced by the victims in seeking justice. The team's investigation revealed a pervasive pattern of molestation of girls and women throughout Mewat, hindering their education and well-being. Additionally, more than two hundred cases of forced conversions have come to light, causing immense pressure on families due to the lack of action by the authorities.

The communal tensions in Mewat have been festering for decades, creating a concerning situation. In 2010 alone, the official records documented alarming numbers, including 21 cases of murder, 32 cases of rape, 33 kidnappings, and 241 bike thefts. The district has also been linked to terrorist activities. In September 2018, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) apprehended three individuals associated with the Falah-e-Insaniyat Foundation, an organization run by Lashkar-e-Taiba's Hafiz Saeed. One of the accused, Mohammad Salman, was a resident of Uttawar village in Mewat, where a mosque, Khulafa-e-Rashideen, was later found to have been funded by the terrorist organization Lashkar-e-Taiba. This troubling scenario makes Mewat a hotbed of crime, with an alarming increase in crimes against Hindus. The violence that occurred on 31st July further exposed a sinister and organized anti-Hindu crime campaign.

From cybercrime and cattle-smuggling to crimes against women and Hindus, a comprehensive list of reported cases reveals the deeply rooted problems in the region. The situation in Mewat calls for urgent attention and effective measures to address the escalating tensions and ensure the safety and security of all residents in the district.

Here's a list of all the major incidents since 2018:

26 October 2020: Nikita Tomar brutally murdered in broad daylight. Nikita Tomar, a 21-year-old student, was shot dead by two men outside Aggarwal College in Ballabgarh, Faridabad. The incident exposed an attempted love jihad and forced conversion of non-Muslims into Islam. One of the assailants, Tauseef, had been repeatedly harassing Nikita and had a previous complaint of molestation and harassment filed against him by her.

25 July 2023: Muslim mob threatens to attack police. In a viral video, a mobster identified as Jabir Ghatmika from Mewat urged the Muslim mob to assault police personnel over the alleged custodial death of a Shekul Khan. He instigated violence against the police and called for self-defense against them.

2 November 2022: Minor raped by Sajid, 32. A 11-year-old minor Hindu girl was raped for six months by a 32-year-old man named Sajid. He lured her with food and then continued the sexual abuse by threatening her. The victim was six months pregnant when Sajid was apprehended.

5 September 2022: Missing minor’s body recovered in Madrasa. The dead body of an 11-year-old boy was recovered from a madrasa in Shah Chokha village in Punhana sub-division in Nuh district of Haryana. The boy had left his house to offer prayers at the madrasa but did not return home, and his body was found buried in sand inside the madrasa premises.

Nupur Sharma

6 July 2022: Mewat man offers Rs 2 crores to slit Nupur Sharma’s tongue. In a viral video, an Islamist in Mewat declared a reward of Rs 2 crores to anyone who slits Nupur Sharma's tongue. This incident occurred after a controversial statement by a Supreme Court judge regarding Nupur Sharma and led to threats against her.

26 July 2023: Girl gang-raped by four men. In Haryana’s Palwal, a girl was abducted by two men named Akram and Mansaad, who stuffed a cloth in her mouth and took her to a location in the forest where two more men were present. The four youths gang-raped the girl, who was later found lying unconscious in the field. The family feared for their lives as the accused were local goons.

19 July 2023: Seven men assault mother-daughter duo. Nasir, Rashid, Majru, Samsu, Jahoor, Tasneem, and Taufeek harassed a woman and her daughter in Palwal last month. The seven accused, armed with sticks and an axe, barged into the house of a man while he was away for work and attempted to force themselves on the mother-daughter duo.

21 May 2023: Mohammed Ikhlash entraps Dehradun woman. Palwal-based Mohammed Ikhlash posed as Manoj and trapped a Hindu woman from Dehradun in Uttarakhand. He identified himself as Manoj and trapped the woman, blackmailed her to have physical relations with him, and extorted money from her, until she learned of his real name Ikhlash. He was arrested from his hometown in Hathin in Palwal.

18 October 2022: Mewati gang kingpin arrested in Delhi. Zalaluddin, a kingpin of the Mewati gang, was arrested for cyber fraud in a raid conducted in Ferozepur Jhirka, a district bordering Mewat in Haryana. He was a wanted criminal in several cases of cybercrime and cheating.

28 June 2021: SC dismisses plea seeking protection for Hindus from Muslims in Mewat. The Supreme Court of India dismissed a petition seeking protection of Hindus from the dominant Muslim community in Mewat. The petition highlighted instances of forced conversions and atrocities against the Hindu community.

15 October 2018: Mosque built with Lahkar-e-Taiba money. The National Investigation Agency revealed that a mosque in Uttawar village of Palwal, Haryana, was built with funds received from the terrorist organization Lashkar-e-Taiba. The agency conducted a raid and confiscated financial documents related to the mosque.

Nuh, has also been in the spotlight for sheltering a significant number of Rohingya Muslims who were displaced from Delhi and other areas. It is estimated that around 600-700 Rohingya families are currently settled in Haryana, with approximately 2,000 of them residing in the Mewat district alone. The Rohingyas have also found refuge in other districts like Faridabad, Gurugram, Palwal, and Yamuna Nagar. However, their presence is difficult to trace due to the use of forged IDs like Aadhar cards, Ration cards, and voter cards.

The demographic changes in Nuh have raised concerns about potential security risks and criminal activities in the region. The situation is complex, and the rising crime rates have spilled over into adjoining areas, including Gurugram, Ferozepur Jhirka, Palwal, Faridabad, Rewari, and parts of Alwar and Bharatpur districts in Rajasthan. The national capital, Delhi, has also experienced the impact of criminal activities linked to Mewati gangs.

In some circles, there seems to be a reluctance to address the alarming crime statistics in Muslim-majority areas, with attempts to blame poverty, lack of development, and ignorance. This approach is criticized by some for providing a protective shield to criminal elements and ignoring the larger issue at hand.

Furthermore, the presence of Rohingyas, combined with the influence of Tablighi Jamaat and the support from certain political and liberal groups, has contributed to a tense environment in Nuh. The recent attack on a peaceful minority Hindu rally highlights the growing communal tensions in the region.

Migration following the Noakhali riots

As we observe the unfolding situation in Mewat district, Haryana, chilling parallels to the horrors of the past come to mind. We can examine the current communal situation in Mewat and reflect on how it resembles the torment similar to the genocide endured by Hindus during the Noakhali riots.

In both cases, we witness the deliberate targeting of minority communities. During the Noakhali riots, Hindus were subjected to brutal attacks, forced conversions, and mass killings. Similarly, in Mewat, there have been reports of atrocities against Hindus, including incidents of violence and even firing on the Hindu population during a religious ceremony. In both cases, the most prominent parallel is that Hindus in Mewat district are a minority compared to the nearly 70% Muslim population. The year 2023 has been filled with many instances of attacks on Hindus, with prominent ones being the attack on Ram Navmi processions in Howrah and several other independent incidents. Most of these are mob fights, while personal or individual attacks on Hindus have been rampant throughout the country, with most not even finding a place in national or state news.

One striking similarity between the Noakhali riots and the present situation in Mewat is the planting of communal hatred among Muslim communities against Hindus. In some instances, extremist maulanas and maulvis have been involved in propagating divisive ideologies, fostering an environment of hostility and suspicion towards the minority Hindu community. An entire segment of the Muslim community is being slowly brainwashed not only through social media campaigns but also by some Islamic fundamentalists who have taken the words of the Quran so seriously that they are hell-bent on eliminating not only Hindus but all non-Islamic elements. One of the significant problems this has created is the issue of "love jihad," one of the most talked-about topics this year, where Muslim men target innocent Hindu women to convert under the pretext of love, which is not much different from the millions of forceful conversions that were evident during the Noakhali riots.

As in Noakhali, the situation in Mewat also raises concerns about the failure of authorities to protect vulnerable communities. The absence of timely intervention, inadequate security measures, and allegations of political apathy have left the minority Hindus feeling unprotected and marginalized. Though the government's reaction was quick in both arresting and punishing some of the attackers, questions about whether Hindus are even safe in India have come up. Just as Hindus had to leave Kashmir, there are concerns about whether they will also have to leave Haryana.

In both cases, the polarization of communities is evident, fueled by divisive rhetoric and hate speech. Misinformation and incendiary language are used to heighten tensions and create an atmosphere of fear and mistrust. This polarization only exacerbates the communal crisis, pushing communities further apart. The role of Islamic fundamentalists also raises a question about their silence, as well as the whereabouts of figures like Rana Ayyub and Asaduddin Owaisi in this situation

During the Noakhali riots, Hindus faced a grave struggle for their basic rights, with access to food, shelter, and healthcare severely compromised. Similarly, in Mewat, the challenge of survival has heightened the sense of insecurity and vulnerability among the minority Hindus. Another alarming parallel to Noakhali is the spread of violence to neighboring regions like Tripura in 1946 while the violence in Nuh has also started spreading with 144 being imposed on Gurugram and parts of NCR as well.

The current situation in Mewat district echoes the torment faced by Hindus during the Noakhali riots. It serves as a stark reminder that the wounds of communal violence are not confined to history but persist even today and points out the fact that history has taught us again and again that with a rising population of a particular community comes the problem of ethnic cleansing which we have witnessed in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Kashmir and now we are witnessing in Haryana in particular Nuh.