Muslims who returned to Purola told not to hold Eid gatherings even at home

Days after Muslim families of the Uttarakhand town of Purola began returning to their homes and opening their businesses — they fled in early June in the wake of threats from right-wing Hindu groups — they have been instructed by the same groups and also local market associations to not congregate for Eid ul-Zuha, even inside a home.

- Amit Bathla

COMMUNAL FLARE-UP

The festival falls on June 29.

The communal flare-up started with the attempt to abduct a minor girl on May 27, but despite one of the two accused being Hindu and arrests being made the very next day, right-wing groups led a protest in Purola , identified (and marked) shops owned and leased by Muslims, and even vandalised some of the outlets.

Over the following five days, more violence followed, and posters asking Muslim traders and families to leave began cropping up around town. The state government seemed to agree with the right-wing groups with the chief minister speaking about a conspiracy to occupy land. There was a plan to hold a Hindu mahapanchayat on June 15, which was then stayed by the Uttarakhand High Court, but most of the 40-45 Muslim families chose to leave, taking shelter with relatives in Dehradun or in parts of western Uttar Pradesh.

On Monday, HT reported that at least 20 families had chosen to return and resume their businesses.