Some 4,500 families, most of them Muslims, face an uncertain future after a court order was issued to demolish their homes in favor of a railway project in the Banbhul Pura district of Haldwani district in northern India’s Uttar Khand state. make room a week before the demolition of the buildings of their dwellings, inherited from their ancestors. Residents face what they say is an uncertain future as they are denied the opportunity to continue their children’s education in the region and face the risk of living outdoors during the peak of the winter season, locals say. the 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 Council of Muslim Indians of America also considered the decision of the court a gross violation of human rights, subordinate to the ruling Indian People’s Party, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The Indian American Muslim Council said the ordinance threatened 4,365 homes, home to about 4,500 families, most of whom are Muslim, and explained that bulldozers and heavy equipment would demolish homes guarded by some 7,000 police officers and 15 popular groups.
The council rejected the court’s contention that thousands of families were settled illegally and that the land was owned by the railroad authorities. He said it was a “false statement,” pointing out that thousands of families in the region are paying electricity bills, services, taxes, and other paperwork and loans that legalize their homes.
The State Supreme Court issued a ruling asking the relevant authorities to enforce it in relation to the old quarters located near the Haldwani railway 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, a spokesman for the All India Council of Muslim Union party.
