Nadine Osman
More than ninety Muslim families were left without shelter in freezing conditions this month after Indian authorities demolished an entire neighbourhood in a pre-dawn operation in the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand.
Bulldozers, backed by a heavy contingent of police and forest officials, moved into the Puchdi area of Ramnagar before dawn on December 7. Within hours, homes, some standing for generations, were levelled as temperatures hovered near freezing.
Residents reported being jolted awake by the machinery, claiming they received no prior notice nor opportunity to salvage their belongings.
“We were asleep. They gave us no warning,” said one woman standing amid the rubble. “How are we supposed to keep our children warm in this cold?”
State officials have defended the demolition as a lawful action to clear encroachment on reserve forest land. Vivek Rai, Additional District Magistrate of Nainital, stated that legal notices had been issued and the operation was conducted transparently under the supervision of magistrates.
Residents strongly contest this, insisting they received no formal eviction order. Many said they had purchased plots years ago through local intermediaries. Some alleged complicity by forest department staff—a claim officials say is now under investigation.
The timing and severity of the operation have drawn sharp criticism. “If these homes were illegal, why were they tolerated for decades? Why act in the peak of winter?” asked a local social worker who requested anonymity.
A central point of contention is the allegation that only Muslim households were targeted, while nearby Hindu homes were left untouched. Critics contend the operation reflects a broader pattern in states governed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), where bulldozers have been used disproportionately against Muslim properties.
The BJP-led Uttarakhand government has recently intensified a campaign against what it terms illegal religious structures, including mosques and shrines, drawing condemnation from opposition groups and human rights organisations.
“This is not about land law. This is about making a community feel unwelcome in its own homeland,” said a Delhi-based lawyer at the site, who vowed to mount a legal challenge.
Journalists were barred from the demolition zone and instructed not to film, prompting a sit-in protest by local reporters. Authorities described the restriction as a measure to maintain public order.
Forest Department official Prakash Arya said approximately 170 families in the broader Upper Kosi area had previously been served eviction notices. He stated that around 40 families had secured court stays, and only those without legal protection, roughly 90 households, were removed.
Displaced residents dispute this, saying even those with pending cases lost their homes. Among them is 60-year-old widow Khurshid, who said, “I have lived here my whole life. Where do I go?”
Feature photo: Khurshid, who had been living there for six decades, broke down in uncontrollable tears when the house was demolished. (Credit: Wikimedia)
