By AKANSHA DESHMUKH / Maktoob Media
“Hum sankalp lete hain vidharmiyo ki dukaano se kapda, chappal, anya koi bhi vastu nahi kharidenge na hi unhe apni koi vastu bechenge,” which translates to: “We take a pledge that we will not buy clothes, slippers, any other item from the shops of heretics, nor will we sell any of our items to them.”
Here the word ‘herectics’ is used in reference to the Muslim minority community of the religion.
These are the words during the oath-taking ceremony organised by the Hindu Organisations after the Khargone anti-Muslim violence in Madhya Pradesh. The video footage shows mostly women and children gathered in massive number in a hall taking an oath to boycott buying and selling from and to the Muslim community respectively.
The animosity among the people from the majority Hindu community and hatred can be clearly seen in the video. From Khargone this has even trekked to the neighboring villages too. In many villages of the district, members of the Hindu organization are publicly taking pledge. They are being administered an oath not to buy clothes, slippers, or any other item from the shops of the minority community.
The police is yet to take action against the organisers of such oath ceremonies.
Similarly in another viral video clip doing rounds on social media, an announcement on a truck-mounted sound system is heard calling for the boycott of the muslim community members, accusing them of spreading communal violence in Madhya Pradesh. A case has been registered under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) Section 153-A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion) in the Karahi police station of Khargone district.
[English Caption]
This is happened in district Khargone, MP.
A public announcement was made for the economic boycott of Muslims after anti Muslim violence in Khargone. pic.twitter.com/60Fl53xuUF
— HindutvaWatch (@HindutvaWatchIn) April 26, 2022
When asked about the viral video pertaining to women and children in considerable numbers taking oath to boycott buying and selling to the Muslim community, the authorities said to Maktoob that they are still investigating the matter.
Similar events and ceremonies have already worsened the communal tensions and thwarted brotherhood in Ubdi, Pipri, and Ichhapur villages of the Khargone district. At the same time, such cases have also been reported in Bistan and Kelly. Videos of taking oath are also going viral. The people here belonging to the Hindu community have also decided to economically boycott muslim community in Haat-Bazaars as well.
On WhatsApp, Hindutva groups have been circulating a list of at least 40 Muslim-run shops in Khargone, with a direction to Hindu women to stop buying from these establishments, Article 14 reported.
The WhatsApp message also directs Hindu women to stop going to certain neighborhoods. “Jawahar Nagar evam Birla Marg par yahan pure nagar ki Hindu mahilayein jana band karein” (Hindu women from the whole locality should stop going to Jawahar Nagar and Birla Marg),” read the message.
This is not the first case where muslims were deprived of their fundamental right to trading and business. Just few days after the violence in Khargone, audio surfaced on social media where Shubham Raghuwanshi- a Bhajan singer of Khargone was heard in the viral audio heckling the owner of Baby Oil Mill for selling Muslim women oil. In his threatening audio, he claims that he is calling each and every owner of the shop to stop them from selling products to the members of the Muslim community.
With increasing communal tensions in the area, such ‘muslim ban’ call-outs can increase further majorly affecting the livelihoods and security of the members of the minority community.
In Madhya Pradesh’s Khargone, anti-Muslim violence that emanated from Ram Navami processions on 10 April left a trail of destruction for the Muslim community.
Dozens of Muslim houses were set on fire by Hindutva rioters on 10 April. A day after, on 11 April, the Madhya Pradesh BJP government demolished homes and shops belonging to Muslims.
Hindutva violence broke out in the Talab Chowk area of Khargone city. Subsequently, anti-Muslim violence was unleashed in the Gaushala Marg, Tabadi Chowk, Sanjay Nagar, and Motipura areas. Ibris, a 28-year-old Muslim was killed during the violence and at least 40 were injured in the violence by Hindutva groups.
This article first appeared on maktoobmedia.com