About 4,500 families, most of them Muslims, are facing an uncertain future after a judicial decision was issued to remove their homes for the benefit of a railway project, in Banbhul Pura district of Haldwani district in the state of Uttar Khand in northern India.

Residents threatened with eviction from the area began demonstrating and protesting, and were informed by the judicial authorities to vacate the place a week before the removal of the buildings of their homes in which they inherited from their ancestors.

 The residents will face - according to their saying - an uncertain future, as they have lost opportunities for their children to continue their education in the region, and they are threatened with residing in the open at the height of the winter season, according to local press reports.

The demands of the affected residents are supported by some opposition parties, as politicians from the opposition Congress party participated in their protest.

The Muslim Indians Council of America also considered the court's decision a flagrant violation of human rights, under the authority of the ruling Indian People's Party headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

 The Indian American Muslim Council said that the ruling threatens 4,365 homes, inhabited by about 4,500 families, most of whom are Muslims, and explained that bulldozers and heavy equipment will remove the homes, guarded by about 7,000 policemen and 15 popular groups.

The council rejected the court's claim that thousands of families had been occupied illegally and that the land belonged to the railway authorities.

He said that this is a "false claim," pointing out that thousands of families in the region pay electricity bills, various services, taxes, and other documents and credits that legalize their housing.

The state Supreme Court had issued the ruling, asking the concerned authorities to implement it, targeting old neighborhoods located near the Haldwani train station, in the Muslim-majority suburb of Ghafoor Basti.

The decision was condemned by many popular forces, such as the Association of Scholars of India, opposition figures from the opposition Congress party, as well as Nayar Kazemi, the official of the All India Muslim Union Council party.

#justiceforbanbhoolpura


उत्तराखंड के हल्द्वानी शहर के हजारों मकानों का अतिक्रमण हटाने का हाईकोर्ट का आदेश।


अल्लाह अपने नबी, peace be upon him,


अमीन


आप सभी दोस्तों से दुआ की गुज़ारिश है।#justiceforbanbhoolpura pic.twitter.com/krAaJ5Ci0A

- Furqan Ahmed Khan (@ Furqan2443) December 31, 2022

Of particular importance

It is noteworthy that the state of Uttarakhand, which means "the northern land", is of religious importance to the Hindus, as it includes a number of their temples, and its name is associated with the Himalayas and the regions of Bhibar and Terai, and geopolitically it is important as it borders Nepal as well as the Chinese Tibet region.

This state extends its borders with China for about 350 km, and with Nepal for about 275 km, and it is one of the oldest inhabited areas in India according to historical monuments, and its inhabitants are called Uttarkhandis.

With reference to the last census of the population in 2011, it is expected that the population of the state has exceeded 10 million people.

Activists and media professionals have launched a hashtag, on social media, calling for justice for the residents of Banhol Pura.

उत्तराखंड बनभूलपुरा जहां तक़रीबन 90% मुसलमान और 10% हिंदुओ की बस्ती है है इस एरिया सब के मकान तोड़ने का हुकुम सादिर हो चुका है है है मस्जिद मस्जिद सब तोड़े जायेगे।😥 जायेगे।😥 जायेगे।😥##JUSTICEFORBANBHOLPURA PIC.Twitter.com/Lnev5rjdoff

- Noor_Alam_Talha (@noor_alam22) December 31, 2022

Systematic demolition

Within the same context, and in a report issued yesterday by the "Sabrang" human rights journalist network, it was indicated that 2022 was the year of "bulldozer justice", an expression of the large number of incidents of demolishing Muslim homes in various Indian states during the past months.

This targeting takes place under the pretext of encroaching on state lands or building in an unauthorized manner, according to the author of the report, Sancha Kadam, considering that this is an organized methodology that targets poor or limited-income Muslims from the economically, socially and politically vulnerable groups.

According to the report, the implementation of this policy was distributed in various states of India, starting from Delhi, and ending with Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujrat, Assam, and Bihar.