Those fired were coaches and trainers employed by private companies in various districts of the state. They ranged from coaches who trained students for judo, volleyball, basketball, and several other sports. The Wire reported that the sports coaches have written to the state ministry for home, industries, transport, youth and sports but have not received a response as of yet. The report also states that trainers whose performance had been appreciated by seniors were terminated from their jobs. When they asked for the reasons why they were fired, they did not receive an answer. One company official even responded that he himself did not know why the individual was being terminated.

Other than that, the coaches say there is little else they can do, speaking to The Wire, one of them states, “We have tried our best, pleaded to employers, pleaded to the schools we work at, using the kind of work ethics we follow and the laurels we have brought to our respective institutions, even written to the sports minister, but being Muslim, nothing helps.”

While Muslims constitute about 9 % of the state’s population, it is notable that for almost 40 years, the state of Gujarat has not seen a single Muslim MP in the Lok Sabha. The last parliamentarian from the Muslim community elected in Gujarat was Ahmed Patel in 1984. Minorities in the state have also reported facing discrimination and violence. In an essay by SabrangIndia, a young Muslim from Gujarat revealed targeted discrimination against the community as he narrated harrowing tales of discrimination – some of which even took place with the individual’s young children in school.

The community already holds dismal figures in the education sector. According to the 2023 AISHE report (All India Survey of Higher Education), Muslim students represent only 5.5% of overall enrolment in the country but furthermore, it is noteworthy that teachers from the Muslim minority constitute only 5.6% of the total percentage of teachers across India. Gujarat recorded around 1718 number of teachers from the community in the survey with Uttar Pradesh having the highest number of minority teachers at 10566. Reports attest that discrimination and violence has prevented the community’s figures from rising.

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The post Report says 30 Muslim sports coaches and trainers fired without reason in Gujarat appeared first on SabrangIndia.

The episode began when Faizaan found that he did not have a pencil during class. Following this, he asked his classmates if he could borrow one thinking that he had left it at home. However, as no one offered assistance, Faizaan went back to searching through his school bag and finally found a pencil.

However, to his dismay, his peers who witnessed the incident began saying derogatory and biased comments about Muslims. As per the report, the classmates even stated, “Musalman sab aise hi hote hai” (All Muslims are like this). Faizaan heard this and urged his classmates to not make such remarks and to let this be behind them, however the students did not listen and continued. Some of them even said, “Humne tumhe is desh me rehne diya hai nahi to tum katora le kar kahi bheek maang rahe hote” (We allowed you to live in this country otherwise you would be begging somewhere else with a bowl). This made Faizaan leave the classroom, being distraught and feeling helpless. He also reported the incident to the school coordinator. However, the incident was not addressed immediately. According to the report, the school coordinator was involved with another issue.

Struggling with the distressing encounter, Faizan told his parents about the incident and even asked them whether they would cut his throat. According to his paternal uncle, Sagir Ahmed Ansari, the episode has left Faizan traumatised, and his family is now seeking professional assistance from a doctor who has at this point advised Faizan to stay at home.

The students who abused Faizaan have reportedly confessed, and the school has promised to give them counselling. However, the report stated that even though the school had reassured the parents of Faizaan’s safety, he was also reportedly hit on his head during recess by a bottle. The report also says that the school has reportedly seen similar such discriminatory incidents in the past.

Similarly, an incident of disturbing discrimination had taken place in August in 2023 in Gujarat. A school was under media scrutiny after it did not give the first prize to the higher ranking student, but awarded the one who came second on its Independence Day celebrations. . Reports revealed that Arnazbanu, A Muslim girl student who secured the top position in her class 10 examination, was left in tears during the prize distribution event when the award was instead conferred upon the second-ranking student.

Arnaz’s father Sanwar Khan also expressed his disappointment and even claimed that his daughter was overlooked for the award due to their religious identity, stating, “We have to face discrimination because we follow Islam.”

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The post Class 3 student threatens to kill Muslim classmate in Gujarat appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Dehradun, Uttarakhand

The Uttarakhand Police has reportedly initiated legal action following an incident where a Muslim shop manager in Dehradun was harassed by a group of Hindutva supporters. The dispute arose over a poster depicting the Hindu deity Ram installed. Shared widely on social media, the video captured the altercation, where two Muslim men clarified that they were employees, not owners of the shop. The Dehradun police revealed that the shop, Aman General Store, was owned by Rakesh Borai who had rented it to one Girish and who in turn had employed Mohammed Ayub Khan to manage the shop. The shop owner had reportedly instructed against alterations or removal of items of the way he had placed objects. However, on January 9, Radha Dhoni and her supporters forcibly removed the poster and made communal remarks. A case has been filed under the Indian Penal Code for promoting enmity between groups, hurting religious sentiments, and making statements that amount to public mischief.

Bangalore, Karnataka

On January 9 in Mudigere, Chikmagalur district of Karnataka, two Muslim teenagers, Mohammed Munaaz and Sameer were brutally attacked by a group of right-wing people. The shocking video of the incident has circulated widely on social media. The people on ground have suggested that this was a planned and targeted attack. Sameer was targeted while attempting to get his phone back from a shop. He was accompanied by his cousin Munaaz who was also beaten with him. Sameer revealed that he had been assaulted and faced an attempted kidnapping six months prior, but the family had kept it hidden to avoid complications. The attackers this time had initially confronted Sameer, who managed escape. However, the situation became worse when the attackers were joined by friends in a car and they attempted to kidnap both Munaaz and Sameer. However, when they did not succeed in their attempt, the attackers resorted to brutal physical violence and even resorting to using a lever to assault the teens. Despite a sizable crowd, bystanders did not do anything until the police intervened. Upon arrival, the police took the cousins in turn into custody because they were being accused by the attackers of being involved with Hindu girls. Munaaz has strongly denied these baseless claims, according to reports. He also recounted a prior incident where he and a friend were chased and threatened by people who were drunk. Currently hospitalised in Chikmagaluru, Munaaz expressed concern about the attackers being released on bail after their arrest. Highlighting a plausible reason for the repeated attacks, Munaaz says that these incidents were taken due to Sameer’s conversion to Islam. Sameer’s mother had reportedly adopted Islam following her husband’s death.

In #UttarPradesh‘s #Meerut, a 28 year old #Muslim boy named Bilal was killed in a police encounter over the allegations of theft.

Local activists alleged that the encounter was fake. The deceased used to sell vegetables.

Family members of Bilal said that he was shot by the… pic.twitter.com/gKZs5EdZMC

— Hate Detector (@HateDetectors) January 19, 2024

Mawana, Uttar Pradesh

On the night of January 20th, in Meerut’s Mawana region a 28-year-old Mohd Bilal, a Muslim man, succumbed to the gunshot wounds he reportedly sustained during an alleged “exchange of fire” with the police the day before. The situation escalated into gunfire and resulted in Bilal being injured by bullets. He was rushed to a city medical facility where the doctors there had stated that injuries were very complicated and the bullet was still remaining due in his body. The family has contested the police’s version of events and has said that he was an innocent and honest vegetable seller. They have claimed that he was killed in a fake encounter and reportedly staged a protest at the police station.

Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh

In a recent incident in Lucknow, a catering contractor named Pradeep Kumar Gupta has lodged a police complaint against his customer. The customer whose name is Madan Lal Vajpayee had reportedly refused to pay him. According to The Observer Post, the dispute arose when Vajpayee allegedly refused to pay the outstanding amount of Rs 70,550 and, furthermore, demanded details regarding the waiter’s caste and religion. The owner of Yash Caterer, provided catering services for Vajpayee’s daughter’s wedding. Despite an agreed-upon total sum of Rs 4,25,000, Vajpayee reportedly did not settle the remaining balance after which Gupta was compelled to take legal action.

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The post Payment denied for hiring a Muslim server: Tide of hatred against India’s Muslims continues appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Saiyada Khatoon is an MLA from Domariaganj. According to reports, she has  stated that she had been invited by the villagers of her constituency to participate in the programme on “Maha Chandi Yagya” on Sunday, and after a Ram Katha ceremony, had decided to visit the temple.

However, it became a contentious issue the next day of even when the chairman of the local panchayat, Dharmaraj Verma, along with other members of various Hindu organisations, performed purification rituals which included sprinkling Gangajal, reciting the Hanuman Chalisa in the temple.

Badhani Chafa’s Nagar Panchayat Chairperson Verma has defended these actions by asserting that the sanctity of the Samya Mata temple had been “compromised” by Khatoon’s visit. He alleged, “Samya Mata Mandir is a centre of faith for devotees. People throng the temple with dedication that was disrespected by the local MLA’s visit. She is non-vegetarian, and her visit affected the sanctity of the place.”

Khatoon has stated, that Verma is associated with the BJP and the Hindu Yuva Vahini.

Domariaganj Circle Officer Sujit Kumar Rai has informed the media that a police team was patrolling the area to prevent any potential flare ups. However, as of now, no formal complaint has been lodged regarding the incident, Rai has affirmed, “We will take appropriate action if a complaint is filed in this regard.”

Rai also confirmed that Khatoon had been invited at the behest of the local villagers. An organising committee for the Ram Katha had been formed by local villagers. The pujari of the temple, Sri Krishna Dutt Shukla has asserted that the SP MLA was invited for the event, she had spoken a few words of about peace and harmony and then left.  Shukla and a pujari named Prasad were part of a committee which had given the invitation to the Samajwadi Party MLA.

The superintendent of Police for Siddharthnagar, Abhishek Kumar Agarwal, stated, “We are inquiring into the incident and keeping a close eye on the development.”

Meanwhile, Saiyada Khatoon has stated that she will not refrain from visiting religious sites of all religion due to these acts.

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This time, one in Bahraich town in western Uttar Pradesh (UP) has triggered a controversy after its Class 9 Hindi paper was said to have included a question on ”Indian Muslim Terrorism.”

Media reports that local Muslims have protested and called for action against the school. The school is said to have apologised and said the word ‘Muslim’ was added inadvertently and used in the now contentious question paper. The school management has also “dismissed from service” the Hindi teacher, who had prepared the question paper, and cancelled the examination.

The question was part of a comprehension exercise in Hindi on terrorism. One of the sentences in the paragraph, according to the newspaper report said, ”Yeh ek vicharsheelata ki pranali hai jisme Bharatiya Muslim atankvad, Lashkar-e-Taiba, Al Qaeda, Taliban aur Islamic rajniti ke vibhinna sangathan shamil hain”. Translated, it says: It is part of an ideology in which Indian Muslim terrorism, Lashkar-e-Taiba, Al Qaeda, Taliban and various organisations of Islamic politics are included.

This paragraph also said that the government of India must be prepared for a war with Pakistan along with holding bilateral negotiations on the issue of Jammu and Kashmir.

Just 26 days ago, on Monday (September 2) the Supreme Court came down heavily on the Uttar Pradesh government and police for their handling of the matter in Muzaffarnagar, where a school teacher encouraged other students to repeatedly slap a young Muslim boy. The young boy can be seen sobbing continuously on a video that went viral.

The apex court castigated the delay in registering an FIR and the lack of reference to allegations of communal hatred in it, and said that the case must be investigated by a senior IPS police officer, as per LiveLaw.

“We take serious objections to the way the FIR was filed. The father had made a statement saying allegations were made and he was beaten due to religion. But this is not mentioned in the FIR. Next is, where is the video transcript? This is about quality education. Quality education includes sensitive education. The manner in which it has happened should shake the conscience of the State,” Justice Oka said in court, according to Bar and Bench.

Education in UP has been in a serious crisis for some years but Hindutva indoctrination has added another level of complications.

Last week, an investigation done in the state of UP for The Diplomat revealed that in rural India, private schools run by the Ekal Foundation provided access to education – “but forced children to imbibe divisive teachings that preach Hindu superiority.”

The paper may be seen here:

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The post UP: School question paper, on ‘Indian Muslim Terrorism’, calls for India to prepare for war with Pak appeared first on SabrangIndia.

The government stated, “Guidelines are being issued to teachers and principals to ensure that there is no discrimination based on religion, caste, region, language, and more.”

Authorities have also registered a case against her under several sections of the Indian Penal Code, including Section 153. The school teacher in Delhi was booked for allegedly making derogatory remarks against the Kaaba and the Quran within her classroom. Sections of the IPC, including Section 153 A, promoting enmity between different religious groups), Section 295 A (insulting religious beliefs), and Section 298 (intention to wound religious feelings) have been invoked against her.

“The police received a complaint and subsequently filed a case at Gandhi Nagar police station. The investigation is ongoing,” the officer added.

This occurrence comes in the wake of a similar incident in Uttar Pradesh, where a teacher was caught on video for inciting violence against a Muslim student, prompting a nationwide discourse the dangers that marginalised students face while accessing education.

The teacher in question, identified as Hema Gulati, holds a position at Government Sarvodaya Bal Vidyalaya in Gandhi Nagar. Journalist Meer Faisal reported for The Observer Post, as the incident came to light after families of Class 9 students raised concerns about the use of derogatory language targeting their Muslim identity and religious convictions. Currently, the Delhi Police are conducting an investigation into these allegations.

In a concerning incident reminiscent of recent events, another case involving religious remarks has emerged, this time in a school located in Delhi. The incident unfolded at Kailash Nagar Government Sarvodaya Bal Vidyalaya in Gandhinagar.

Students and their relatives from the… pic.twitter.com/bU6JloKiQG

— Meer Faisal (@meerfaisal01) August 28, 2023

According to the Delhi Police, the teacher employed offensive language that wounded the religious sentiments of certain Muslim students. DCP Shahdara, Rohit Meena, affirmed, “We received a complaint about a school teacher using some religious words before students. We have taken note of the issue. Our Juvenile Welfare Officer, along with counsellors, is providing guidance to the affected students. Since there are 2-3 students involved, we are counselling all of them. It is a government school.”

Allegedly, the teacher also remarked, “During the Partition, you chose to stay in India rather than moving to Pakistan. Your contribution to India’s struggle for independence is minimal.” The complaint was officially lodged on a Friday evening, after the councillor of the area was notified.

Demanding the immediate removal of the teacher, families of the students stress that such comments possess the potential to disrupt the harmony within the school environment. An anxious parent conveyed to ANI, “If this teacher faces no consequences, it might set a precedent. Teachers should concentrate solely on teaching and abstain from commenting on topics they lack an understanding of. Having a teacher who fosters division among students is counterproductive. Our request is simple: remove the teacher from the school; she should not be permitted to teach in any institution.”

#WATCH | Parents of a government school in Delhi accuse a woman teacher of “using religious words” before students.

A parent, Kausar says, “Two of my children study here – one in std 7 and the other in std 4. If the teacher goes unpunished, other teachers will get emboldened… pic.twitter.com/SZQBpt0B2M

— ANI (@ANI) August 29, 2023

Anil Kumar Bajpai, a local MLA and a prominent figure in the Aam Aadmi Party, expressed vehement condemnation of the teacher’s behaviour. He stated, “This is entirely unacceptable. A teacher’s foremost duty is to provide quality education to children. Derogatory remarks regarding any religion or sacred place should never come from a teacher. Individuals of this nature should face legal consequences.”

This incident closely follows another controversy that emerged last week when a video emerged from a private school in Uttar Pradesh’s Muzaffarnagar. The video depicted a teacher instructing students to take turns assaulting another student while making derogatory references to his Muslim faith. These incidents have triggered a nationwide dialogue about the pivotal role of educators in fostering respect, tolerance, and diversity within educational institutions. However, the divergences close here because the case in Muzaffarnagar seems to have been held with less sensitivity and diligence, as reports of political and administrative pressure put on the parents of the child have risen. The accused teacher had also refused to be apologetic about her action in a statement to media.

Such incidents will have the tendency lead to increase in dropouts. In fact, recent findings have noted the alarming decline in enrolment of Muslim students in both primary and higher education. Muslims also have one of the highest dropout rates in primary education. The ongoing debate about the hijab ban, which is currently being reviewed by the Supreme Court, along with a widespread intimidating socio-political atmosphere, discrimination and violence, all play a role in this decline. Academics have noted that it is important to work on providing specific assistance to marginalised groups and eliminating obstacles to their educational and career progress. Moreover, thus can only be done by ensuring justice is accessible to all members of society. The happenings in Muzaffarnagar and in Delhi reminds us of the need to make the classroom a safe and harmonious place for students.

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The post Delhi Government teacher booked for telling children to “go to Pakistan”, parents demand action appeared first on SabrangIndia.

“Segregation not only harms one physically but injures one spiritually. It scars the soul. It is a system which forever stares the segregated in the face, saying you are less than. You are not equal to.”

– Martin Luther King Jr

Poor access to public services like ready piped water and sewage facilities marks the areas where both Dalits and Muslims are relegated to live. This is especially true in Indian cities.

A recent study exposes this distressing reality of residential segregation and stigma faced by Muslims and Dalits in Indian cities. It argues that segregation ends up relegating marginalised Muslims and Dalits to areas with poor access to public services like piped water and sewage facilities, bringing these groups to the brink of precarity and maintaining their presence at the bottom of the hierarchy. These latest findings align with previous research demonstrating the prevalence of segregated living based on caste and religious identity in urban Indian cities.

While Dalits continue to suffer a historical prejudice and cruel exclusion, for Muslims the past four decades have seen the slide. A recent Pew research exposes the distressing reality that while 45 % of Hindus show an openness to have neighbours of all faiths, a worrying 45 per cent exhibit a preference for excluding neighbours of certain religions. Specifically, 36% of Hindus do not desire Muslim neighbours. The Pew research also reveals that most Jains (61%) are unwilling to have neighbours from at least one religious group, with 54% indicating their refusal to accept Muslim neighbours.

Now an international study conducted by Novosad and shared on twitter, conducted by renowned developmental economists gives us the startling reality of urban India’s ghettoisation. The recent study confirms earlier findings by the Sachar Committee in 2006 and work done by academics in 2018 and thereafter,

Soon after the post Babri Masjid-demolition driven targeted communal violence in Bombay in December 1992-January 1993, Teesta Setalvad’s field study, published in Communalism Combat mapped the impact of the violence on community insecurity and how Muslims were driven to find “safety” in certain neighbourhoods. See Their Bombay, Our Bombay, December 1993, Communalism Combat republished here.

The 2023 study has now found that religious and caste-based segregation in India is comparable to the levels of Black/White segregation currently observed in the United States. However, it is less severe than the peak levels experienced in the US during the 1960s and 1970s.

The study involved over 1.5 million urban dwellings in India, indicating that despite rapid urbanisation, caste and religious divisions persist, resulting in the segregation of marginalised communities and their limited access to essential services.

The study was conducted by five developmental economists from renowned institutions, namely Sam Asher from Imperial College London, Kritarth Jha from the Washington-based Development Lab, Paul Novosad from Dartmouth College, Anjali Adukia from the University of Chicago, and Brandon Tan from the International Monetary Fund—their collaborative efforts aimed to quantitatively measure segregation in urban areas of India. The findings of their research, compiled in a paper titled “Residential Segregation and Unequal Access to Local Public Services in India: Evidence from 1.5m Neighbourhoods,” were recently shared by Novosad on Twitter.

A significant percentage of India’s Muslims and Scheduled Castes (SCs) or Dalits reside in neighbourhoods where the majority population is of the same religious or caste group. This pattern of segregation is prevalent in both urban and rural areas, and the level of segregation is even higher for Muslims.

The study’s findings are consistent with other research that highlights the pervasive residential segregation based on caste and religious identity in Indian cities. Despite 75 years of independence, Muslims and Dalits continue to face the worst discrimination in urban housing, with limited signs of improvement. Both communities encounter prejudice and limited social and economic mobility. Additionally, the waves of communal violence have resulted in the ghettoisation of Muslims in riot-prone cities, irrespective of their social class, education, and status.

According to Massey and Denton (1993), extensive studies conducted using data primarily from the 1970-1980 decade revealed that African Americans in the United States faced a situation of near-apartheid. These levels of residential separation experienced by African Americans were largely unresponsive to improvements in their socioeconomic status. African Americans remained highly segregated even in metropolitan areas where they had relatively higher incomes and education.

The recent study by Novostad et al. proves that neighbourhoods predominantly inhabited by SCs and Muslims have limited access to government-provided public services compared to other neighbourhoods within the same cities. The Sachar Committee has also previously made similar observations regarding Muslims in India. Various essential services such as secondary schools, healthcare facilities, electricity, water, and sewage systems are consistently of inferior quality in SC and Muslim neighbourhoods. This disparity in service provision is extremely substantial, with one exception being the presence of urban primary schools, which are relatively more common in urban SC neighbourhoods but less prevalent in rural SC neighbourhoods and similarly both urban and rural Muslim neighbourhoods.

“Young people in SC neighbourhoods have systematically worse outcomes than those in non-SC neighbourhoods — but the difference is mostly explained by the economic status of their families. This does not rule out a negative causal effect of growing up in an SC neighbourhood on child outcomes, because those parent outcomes could themselves be caused by living in a bad neighbourhood. For example, parents might invest less in their house (lowering the value of the consumption control) if they lack security of tenure.”

Children growing up in SC and Muslim neighbourhoods face disadvantages compared to those residing in non-marginalized neighbourhoods within the same cities. This disparity holds true even for non-SC non-Muslim children residing in SC and Muslim neighbourhoods. For instance, a child growing up in a neighbourhood with 100% Muslim population can expect to receive two fewer years of education compared to a child in a neighbourhood with no Muslims. Similarly, children in SC neighbourhoods experience a slightly smaller educational disadvantage. The neighbourhood effect explains approximately half of the urban educational disadvantage faced by SC and Muslim children.

Research indicates that neighbourhoods with a higher concentration of Muslims or Scheduled Castes (SC) have poorer educational outcomes. For instance, 17-18-year-olds in neighbourhoods that are 100% Muslim have 2.1 fewer years of education compared to those in neighbourhoods with no Muslims. Similarly, SC neighbourhoods have an educational disadvantage of -1.6 years.

According to the authors, residential segregation has a significant impact on cross-group inequality in India, particularly for marginalised social groups such as Muslims and Scheduled Castes. These groups face barriers in accessing public services and experience educational disparities, highlighting the need for addressing residential segregation and its consequences.

In a paper titled “Fractal Urbanism: City Size and Residential Segregation in India” (2021), authors Naveen Bharathi, Deepak Malghan, Sumit Mishra, and Andaleeb Rahman concluded that caste-based residential segregation is prevalent even in India’s most urbanised centres, with no significant variation based on city population size or growth over the past six decades.

One can observe similarities with the case of blacks in the USA, as the authors of the paper mentioned above argue that despite the ‘emancipatory promise of urbanisation’, Dalits and Muslims continue to face marginalisation as they are confined to neighbourhoods with inadequate access to public services. The findings suggest that even individuals belonging to elite or affluent backgrounds are limited to a few specific neighbourhoods, further reinforcing the pattern of segregation.

2018 Study confirms caste-based segregation

Furthermore, a research paper published in 2018 by three co-authors, Naveen Bharathi, Deepak Malghan, and Andaleeb Rahman, provided insights into caste-based residential segregation in specific cities. The study revealed that 30% of Delhi’s neighbourhoods, 60% of Kolkata’s, and 80% of Rajkot’s lacked any significant presence of Dalits and Adivasis. These findings underscore the alarming extent of exclusion experienced by marginalised communities in urban areas.

While the Census of India does not publicly release enumeration block data on religious lines, ongoing research by Naveen Bharathi indicates that Muslims face the highest levels of segregation in urban areas of Karnataka.

The promise of urbanisation as an emancipatory force has failed to materialise for Dalits and Muslims as their identities continue to shape their living conditions. Indian cities remain organised along caste and religious lines, undermining the notion of anonymity often associated with urban spaces.

Noteworthy scholars have explored the issue of residential segregation and the marginalisation of Muslims in Indian cities. For instance, Christophe Jaffrelot, a senior research fellow at CERI-Sciences, Paris, has discussed how the Disturbed Areas Act in Gujarat has been misused to prevent Muslims from mixing with other communities.

Gujarat’s Disturbed Areas Act

Jaffrelot has extensively studied the issue of urban segregation and the misuse of the Disturbed Areas Act in Indian cities. In his research, he explains that the Disturbed Areas Act, enacted in 1991, was originally intended to prevent distress sales and sales under duress in areas affected by communal riots. However, he points out that the state has wielded this law to restrict Muslims from mixing with other communities in major cities. The act allows Muslims to sell their properties to Hindus, but not vice versa, leading to the perpetuation of residential segregation.

In one of his writings, Jaffrelot highlights how the Gujarat government, prior to Narendra Modi’s tenure as prime minister, declared 40% of Ahmedabad as “disturbed” under the act. He also notes that in more recent times, the state government has classified new areas in Surat and Vadodara as “disturbed,” even though no riots took place there.

Thereby, cities in India exhibit significant levels of segregation, which is only slightly lower than in rural areas. In rural areas, neighbourhood composition is heavily influenced by the caste system, which has historically determined occupation and social status. In urban neighbourhoods, the religious and caste identities of residents strongly predict their access to public services and socioeconomic standing. Both Muslims and Scheduled Castes face high levels of segregation, but Muslims, in particular, experience greater challenges in accessing public services due to their segregated living arrangements. The rapid urbanisation in India has, to a large extent, replicated the caste and religious divisions observed in rural villages.

The Sanatana Dharma Parirakshana Trust

In 2014, the Sanathana Dharma Parirakshana Trust embarked on the development of an exclusive township, aiming to revive the traditions of the Brahmin community that were deemed to have diminished in modern India. The brochures promoting the township explicitly expressed the developers’ desire to “bring back the tradition of Brahmins” that they believed had ceased to exist in contemporary India.

Prospective buyers were required to complete thorough application forms, subject to scrutiny by the Trust, in order to purchase plots within the township. Notably, the Trust imposed a restriction that allowed plots to be resold exclusively to individuals belonging to the Brahmin community.

Concerned by these practices, K V Dhananjay, an advocate, and his colleagues lodged a petition with the Supreme Court, seeking legal action to halt these activities (which occurred in 2014).

Pew Research Centre

Pew Research Centre highlights the distressing reality that many Hindus (45%) exhibit a preference for excluding neighbours of certain religions. While a significant portion of Hindus claim openness to neighbours from all religious backgrounds, including Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, and Jains, an equal percentage (45%) express unwillingness to accept followers of at least one of these groups. Specifically, 36% of Hindus do not desire Muslim neighbours. The study also reveals that most Jains (61%) are unwilling to have neighbours from at least one religious group, with 54% indicating their refusal to accept Muslim neighbours.

Historically, cities in India had neighbourhoods with people of similar occupations and sometimes mixed religions. These neighbourhoods were self-governing, handling their own public services and even self-defence. Many neighbourhoods had limited entry points, leading to distinct boundaries between them. This structure continues today, resulting in segregated neighbourhoods.

However, modern-day residential segregation of marginalised social groups in poor neighbourhoods contributes to ongoing inequality between different groups. It has negative effects, such as increased discrimination in accessing public services, limited employment opportunities, and perpetuation of stereotypes. These disadvantages are difficult to address because segregation patterns persist over time.

Muslim neighbourhoods have increasingly become more concentrated due to safety concerns following Hindu-Muslim violence. These neighbourhoods are home to individuals from various social classes, with income segregation also existing within them.

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The post Theirs & ours, how Indian cities discriminate against Dalits & Muslims appeared first on SabrangIndia.

New Delhi: A development audit report by the SPECT Foundation, a non-profit outfit, titled ‘Marginalisation of Muslims in Ten Minority Concentration Districts: Bringing the Equity Question Back Into the Political Discourse’ looked at the socioeconomic backwardness in 10 minority concentration districts. The report, released in Press Club of India recently, also addressed the narrative around the “rise of radical Islam” in many districts that lie on India’s borders.

The 10 districts selected for the audit have around 1.41 crore Muslims; the community represents 52% of the population of these districts. Moreover, the report says that the choice of the districts was also dictated by the fact that they have been targeted by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for various reasons, “including alleged population explosion and ‘illegal infiltration’ from neighbouring countries.’

The chosen districts include Araria (Bihar), Purnea (Bihar), Kishanganj (Bihar), Katihar (Bihar), Dhubri (Assam), Kokrajhar (Assam), Shravasti (Uttar Pradesh), Balarampur (Uttar Pradesh), Malda (West Bengal), and Murshidabad (West Bengal).

The data reveals that the Muslim population in these 10 districts have remained more cut off from basic resources than other regions of the country, which puts into question the myth of ‘appeasement of Muslims.’

The primary development parameters in four districts of Bihar portrayed an abysmal socioeconomic picture. The literacy rates are lower than the state average. Moreover, the student-teacher ratio in schools is much higher than the state average, indicating abysmal education infrastructure.

The report also found evidence of ‘systematic discrimination against minorities in scheme distribution.’ While all these four districts have a low-income population, only 31.20% of the Pradhan Mantri Gramin Awaas Yojana (PMGAY) beneficiaries were Muslims, which ‘is 17.5% less than the total average of the Muslim population.’ The socioeconomic backwardness is further reflected in Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) numbers. The report shows that between 2014-15 and 2020-21, ‘there was a greater demand for work in this region than the state average.’ The situation worsened during the COVID pandemic.

The myth of population explosion among Muslims gets busted in the two districts of Uttar Pradesh. The decadal population growth (DPG) in Shravasti was -5.02% between 2001-11. It declined by 32.23% from the previous decade. In Balrampur, the DPG saw an increase, which was marginal compared to other districts.

The literacy levels in both Balrampur and Shravasti are relatively lower compared with other districts. While the state average is 57.25%, it comes down to 49.51% in Balrampur and 37.89% in Shravasti. The NFHS-5 data shows only 16.8% of women in Balrampur districts have completed 10 or more years of schooling. The state average is 39.3%. Shravasti also fares poorly when it comes to health infrastructure. It ranks as the poorest among all Uttar Pradesh districts.

The situation is similar in the two districts of Assam selected for the development audit. In Kokrajhar, ‘the number of functional lower primary schools has declined.’ The lack of universities in the district means that students often migrate for higher education. Both Kokrajhar and Dhubri have ‘poor infrastructure and poor health outcomes.’

Malda and Murshidabad, districts of West Bengal, have a higher concentration of Muslims, at 51% and 66%, respectively. The BJP has attacked these districts for ‘rising population owing to infiltration from neighbouring Bangladesh.’ The report shows that these districts saw a negative decadal population growth, indicating that the BJP’s propaganda is false. The state of education and health infrastructure is also poor.

The report also called out secular parties for succumbing to the ‘prejudiced and motivated ‘appeasement’ bogey raised by the BJP.’ As a result, the secular parties shy away from addressing the issues concerning the marginalisation of Muslims.

“The socioeconomic marginalisation of Muslims is part of the larger process of persecution of the community. It is also against the basic ethos of democracy if a community is systematically left underdeveloped and affirmative actions for its social welfare are intentionally and vindictively stymied,” the report stated.

Courtesy: Newsclick

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Last week, a heartbreaking incident was reported from Noornagar of Sujangarh in Churu district of Rajasthan as a 17-year-old boy, Razzaq died by suicide fed up with the harassment and targeting from his teachers over his religious identity. Razzaq was a Class 12 student of the state-run Poonam Chand Bajadiya School and he reportedly ended his life on January 31, reported The Mooknayak.

Speaking to The Mooknayak, his brother said, “When asked the reason for being scared, he said that he wanted to study, but his teachers told him what he would do after studying. You are a Muslim anyway you have to become a terrorist.” Razzaq’s family has alleged that he faced discrimination at the hands of these teachers. In the complaint to the police it has also been stated that Razzaq was expelled from school at the instance of the teachers and when his brother accompanied him to the school to meet with the staff, even he was ill-treated there.

In the complaint, three teachers, Dhannaram Prajapat, Shashi Sharma and Ranjit Bhinchar have been named for harassing Razzaq and for being responsible for Razzaq taking such a drastic step. Razzaq’s body was recovered from the railway tracks by Ladnun Police. As reported by the publication, a suicide note has also been found on Razzaq by the police where he named these teachers, as alleged by Rustam Khan, Razzaq’s brother.

The Chief District Education had initially suspended four teachers including Dhannaram Prajapat, Shashi Sharma, Ranjit Bhinchar as well as Sunita Sharma. However, following protests in support of the accused, their suspension was cancelled and “Awaiting Posting” order was issued. Meanwhile councilors of Sujangarh Municipal Council of Churu district as well as councilors of Ladnun Municipality of Nagaur district have written to the Chief Minister demanding arrests of  the accused teachers.

In November 2022, one such incident of religious targeting and harassment due to religious identity occurred at the Manipal Institute of Technology, Karnataka and the same was recorded by one of the students on video. The lecturer, during class, had made a jibe at one of the students. The professor had asked the student his name, and on hearing the name, he remarked: “Oh you are like Kasab”, NDTV reported. He was referring to Ajmal Kasab who was convicted and later hanged to death on various charges including murder, for his involvement in the terrorist attacks of November 26, 2008 that happened in Mumbai. The student defended himself and questioned how a Professor can make such a joke. The professor was then suspended by the University.

When targeted, students are confident to stand up for themselves as they study in bigger universities and are given a sense of security when such prompt action is taken. However, in such small villages, the youth do not have the privilege of the same and some succumb to the harassment, by tragically ending their lives.  

Related:

Manipal University suspends professor who made “terrorist” jibe at student

Being a Muslim in this country and facing this every day is not funny

MP: Dalit boy dies by suicide, blames teacher’s casteist remarks

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A case of misuse of the Disturbed Areas Act and blatant Islamophobia and outright boycott of the Muslim community has come to light in Gujarat. Not that there is any dearth of such incidents in many parts of the country, but this time, the same has come to light in the Gujarat high Court, where the court imposed cost on the litigants for opposing the sale of property from a Hindu man to a Muslim man, after the sale was executed. The bench of Justice Biren Vaishnav questioned the motive of the applicants while imposing costs. The neighbours in the locality opposed the renovations being made to the property, even though earlier two signatories had consented to the sale during a panchnama.

The Gujarat Prohibition of Transfer of Immovable Property and Provision for Protection of Tenants from Eviction from Premises in Disturbed Areas Act, 1991 requires previous permission before a sale can be executed in a disturbed area. The permission was sought as per the law however, since the police report opined that such a transfer would create a law and order problem as a sale through a Muslim by Hindu would result in polarization, it was opined that the application should not be granted.

An application was thus filed by Onali Ezazuddin Dholkawala challenging the order of Deputy Collector, Vadodara dated January 30, 2017, which was confirmed by Secretary, Revenue Department in June 2018. By this order, the petitioner’s permission for purchase of property in predominantly Hindu areas was rejected on the ground that  such sale was likely to affect the balance in the majority Hindu / Minority Muslims and could develop into a law and order problem.

The court noted that the “consideration on whether it would create a law and order problem and disturb the equilibrium was misconceived” and only wished to look at whether the sale was for a fair consideration and with free consent.

In a judgment dated March 9, 2020 the high court had opined that this was “foreign to the concept of the decision making process as what was only important was whether it was not a distress sale and the property was sold for a fair value with free consent.”

Even after this judgement, the Sub Registrar was not completing the registration procedure for the sale deed and hence another application was moved, after which the registration was done. However, the signatory to the panchnamas who had otherwise supported the sale approached the Division Bench challenging the 2020 judgment.

The Assistant Government Pleader Ms. Dharitri Pancholi submitted before the court that the state undertaken the exercise of recording statements of the panchas who have said that they were constrained to sign the panchnamas as neighbors and subsequently some other statements of the neighborhood were obtained which indicated that the neighbors had expressed reservations against the transaction of the sale of the property in question.

The applicants seeking recall of the judgement argued that the judgement has several mistakes. It is the case of the applicants that the shop was of Hindu which was sold to a Muslim in a Hindu community area whereas, in paragraph Nos.5 and 6 of the judgment the Court has mentioned that it was a sale to a Hindu. However, the court noted that this particular one was a singular error and a minor one. The court also refused to accept the argument that the judgement was obtained by fraud.

The applicants, who signed the panchanamas, sought recall on the ground that their signatures to the panchnamas were taken without them actually understanding the repercussions. In a set of fresh statements recorded by the state, the applicants said that they do not dispute the signatures but they were compelled to sign such statements and were not residing in that neighbourhood. However, the petitioner produced evidence to show that the signatories were indeed  residing in that neighbourhood.

The court said that the motive of the applicants was questionable. The court also observed that the retaking of the statement, as earlier directed by a bench, brought forth other neighbours who came forward suggesting that the sale should not have happened as it was creating a situation where the equilibrium was being disturbed.

The court dismissed the applications filed by the signatories and the other neighbours while observing thus,

“this when seen in context of the facts itself is a disturbing factor that a successful purchaser of property in a disturbed area is being hounded and thwarting his attempt to enjoy the fruits of the property which he successfully purchased.” (para 21)

The court also imposed a cost of Rs. 25,000 on the applicants.

The Gujarat High Court judgement may be read here:

Boycott during COVID

There are many such incidents of Muslims facing socio-economic boycott in various parts of the country. The most brazen of these were witnessed in 2020 when during the COVID-19 pandemic, at its peak, Muslims were literally ostracized in the name of the Tablighi Jamaat members, who were detained one by one in various parts of  the country and who were let off by courts finding no criminality in their actions, as per the law. In 2020-21, one by one, these cases against Jamaat members came up before courts across the country and one by one they were either discharged from the offences or they were granted bail. Sabrang India’s analysis of these multiple orders, reveals that the Courts not just bailed out Tablighi members, but seriously questioned the charges invoked against them, quashing the cases filed against them. The narrative around the Tablighi Jamaat turned turtle with courts discounting such charges viewing them as unsubstantial. The Tablighi narrative was used against Indian Muslims as the visiting foreign nationals were given refuge by the Muslim community in India, in mosques or madrassas or in some cases, their homes as well. This was then twisted into socio economic boycott of the entire Muslim community by using terms like “corona jihad” and a “conspiracy” was ascribed to the community that they were conspiring to spread COVID-19 in the country.

Socio-economic boycott still active

After this narrative died down and life was coming back to normal after COVID-19, the socio economic boycott continued in some way or another. One such series was documented by Citizens for Justice and Peace, pointing towards boycotts at temple fairs in Dakshin Kannada. Early in January, management committee of Sullia Sri Channakeshava Temple, Mangaluru had decided to have an open auction of the stalls irrespective of religion but after pressure mounting from  the local Hindutva group Hindu Hitarakshana Vedike, the temple management decided that Muslim vendors will not be allowed at the fair. In November last year, during the Champa Shashti festival of Kukke Sri Subrahmanya temple as well, Non-Hindu traders were disallowed. What had begun at a Shimoga temple and was followed by more in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi has spread to shrines in Tumkur, Hassan, Chikmagalur and other districts including temples of Belur Channakeshava in Hassan, Siddhalingeshwara in Tumkur and the 800-year-old Bappanadu temple (built by Muslim merchant Bappa Beary of Kerala) which has been a symbol of communal harmony.

Despite the Constitution of India providing protection to all citizens against such a blatant discrimination on the grounds of religion etc, the boycotts are pretty much prevalent and seeing the outreach of the fringe groups, looks like they are here to stay. Under the Constitution, Article 19 ensures freedom of movement and the right to undertake economic activity. While Article 14 says that the State shall not deny to any person equality before the law or the equal protection of the laws within the territory of India, Article 15 prohibits discrimination on grounds only of religion, race, caste, sex, place of birth.

Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh apart from Uttar Pradesh have also seen similar blatant calls for a socio-economic boycott driven by such right wing groups and some fringe groups that drive these vehemently on the ground.

Related:

HATE WATCH: DAKSHINA KANNADA AND A PATTERN OF BOYCOTT AT TEMPLE FAIRS

HATE WATCH: PARVESH VERMA CALLS FOR TOTAL BOYCOTT OF A PARTICULAR COMMUNITY

HATE WATCH: INDIANS REJECT #BOYCOTTMUSLIMS CALL

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