Growing Tensions Emerge as Muslims in India Face Demolitions and Surveillance
From mass displacements in Assam to harassment of a street vendor in Rajasthan, several incidents highlight concerns over the Muslim community’s safety and rights, according to articles by Clarion India and Muslim Mirror Network.
In Assam, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s “bulldozer politics” have reignited controversy, with allegations of selective action against Muslims. The government’s campaign to clear alleged “encroachments” has instilled fear in the Bengali-speaking Muslim community, which makes up nearly half of the population in the targeted Barak Valley. While the government claims the demolitions are for ecological balance, critics, including residents and opposition leaders, argue they are politically motivated and disproportionately affect Muslims. The Supreme Court has dealt a blow to this policy by ordering a halt to demolitions in the Golaghat district, where petitioners argued their families have lived for 70 years.
In a separate incident in Uttar Pradesh, police have charged a 37-year-old imam for flying an Islamic flag higher than the national flag on a mosque’s minaret. The incident, which was reported on August 31, led to a case being filed under the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act. Local sources suggest the act was unintentional and happened for convenience, rather than being a deliberate attempt to disrespect the national flag.
Meanwhile, in Mumbai, a local mosque has installed seven CCTV cameras to ensure peace and safety, particularly during the Ganpati festival. The surveillance initiative, praised by mosque committee members, is meant to maintain communal harmony during religious events. Beyond safety, the mosque is also engaged in a prolonged legal dispute over its reconstruction after trustees allege a developer breached a contract.
