The situation in Haryana’s Nuh remained tense a day after the region witnessed intense violence during a religious procession by Hindutva groups on Monday evening.
However, on Tuesday morning, the Haryana Police arrested close to 30 Muslim men including minors in connection with the violence, leaving their families grieving.
Located in Mewat District of Haryana, a small village called Muradbas is eerily quiet as all the young men have been forced to leave their homes due to a police raid early Tuesday morning.
From Muradbas alone, 22 men were picked up, out of which Maktoob learnt many were minors.
Speaking to Maktoob, 65-year-old Mohammed is sobbing in his home. Five men from his home, including a minor, were picked up by the Haryana Police on Tuesday morning.
“My children were not even there when the violence took place. They work in a factory and were there at the time. The police can speak to the owners and check the sign in sheet, they will find their names,” he said quietly crying.
Mohammed‘s wife, Farzana is beside him praying as tears keep rolling down her face. According to the locals, violence in the village started on Monday after a Hindu procession with weapons provoked the Muslims in the area.
At around 2 pm, hundreds of people started walking from Edward Chowk in Nuh town. Reports claim that Muslims in the area started pelting stones. The locals said that the procession had instigated violence. There was anger among the villagers against Monu Manesar, a cow vigilante who was booked earlier for the murder of two Muslim men whose charred bodies were found in the Bhiwani district in February this year.
“A day before the yatra, he posted a video saying Monu Manesar will join the yatra and is seen saying ‘our (Muslims) brother-in-law will be coming to the procession as well’. If this is not provocative language then what is? And what were people doing with weapons on the other hand?” Mustafa Badar, a local in the area asked.
Meanwhile, Mohammed and his wife said that no matter who did the violence, his innocent kids became the victims.
“At about 5 am on Tuesday, I was in this house and we have another house behind it. Four of my sons and a grandson were picked up by the police. My grandson is a minor. All of them were working when the incident had taken place and were not here,” he repeated.
According to the aadhar card of Mohammed’s grandson, he is 17-year-old.
Each house in the village had at least one boy or man being picked up. However, the police have neither explained any reason nor have registered any FIR.
“On what basis were these men picked up? We were given no reason. They just came and picked up our men. People have run away or are either hiding because the police are raiding our village. The violence happened because the Bajrang Dal people instigated it and the clash happened. So, then why is only one side getting persecuted?” a resident of the village said.
Just a few houses away, Sheru Mohammed is anxious. His 13-year-old son was picked up by the police. “At around 5 am, the police came and were lurking in the houses. I was on the cot outside. They saw me and did not do anything. Later, they saw my son and said he is a child but returned and took him away,” he told Maktoob.
The aadhar card of Sheru’s son shows he is 13-year-old.
Sheru’s neighbour Shaiza (name changed on request), on the other hand, was beaten by the police and her clothes torn by male police officials. Still wearing the tattered clothes, which were torn from her chest and shoulders, three of her sons were picked up and arrested.
“One of my sons has typhoid. I had gone to show him to the hospital yesterday and had given him medicines. I don’t have a husband and don’t know what to do,” she said, sobbing.
The village is silent with only women seen around inside the houses. “If this is how the police are going to act, we can’t stay in our own homes anymore,” another woman quipped.
The whole village is tense and wondering why the men were picked up. The locals said that many young men are in the Indian Army from their village.
For Farooque, a local police officer from the village, it was a shock when his younger brother was arrested along with the 22 men.
“I have no words at the moment. My brother was sleeping when he was picked up by the police. They did not even let him wear his clothes and took him just as he was. I made them speak to the district magistrate, but to no avail,” he told Maktoob.
Farooque is stationed at the PWD Headquarters. All his family has been in the army. Still visibly shocked, he said no police official was responding to him.
“I have visited all the stations since morning but nothing. This is just a way to attack the Muslim community is what I can think. Why were only our kids arrested,” he asked.
On asking where the young men were kept, Farooque said that he was told it was either at Sadar or Palwal Police Station.
“There is no FIR, nothing as of now to tell us on what basis these men have been arrested,” he added.
Farooque’s brother had returned from Hajj ten days back and was not involved in the local politics, according to the villagers.
The locals also said that more than eight men were also arrested from the neighbouring village Mehli.
The police officials in Nuh, however, did not respond to any queries from Maktoob.
