The demographic imbalance in Uttarakhand has become a cause of concern for the government and the administration of the state. Security agencies are concerned over the fact that there has been an unprecedented increase in the Muslim population in specific areas of the state bordering Nepal, which is seen as problematic.

The influx of Muslims from neighbouring states and the subsequent problem of land encroachment in Uttarakhand has become a major source issue states Govt officials. As in many other parts of the state, Nainital’s demographics has also been changing very rapidly. The local residents of Nainital, which is also the headquarter of the Kumaon division, are worried about the rapid demographic shift and its impact.

In light of these circumstances, the security agencies had submitted a report to the Home Ministry earlier this year, with information on such vulnerable areas. Seeing a specific conspiracy behind the sudden surge in the Muslim population in several districts of Uttarakhand, the security agencies had alerted the state Home Ministry.

A report submitted to the Ministry of Home Affairs by the security agency had marked three areas of Kumaon as sensitive. These areas are Udham Singh Nagar, Champawat and Pithoragarh. Amongst these areas, two towns of Pithoragarh, Dharchula and Jauljeevi have been tagged in the ‘extremely sensitive’ category.

Many reports have highlighted the concerns that the Muslim migrants, who have pervaded Nainital, one of the most popular hill stations in North India, have started interfering and snatching businesses from the locals living there.

“This kind of in migration is also affecting the distinct cultural identity of Dev Bhumi (Land of Gods) Uttarakahnd is known as,” Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) leader Indresh Kumar mentioned on the sidelines of a seminar. “There are also incidents of Christians (migrating from neighbouring states) carrying out forced conversion (of Hindus) in the hill state.”

Kumar said forced migration induced by outsiders must stop. “Such a process can only be stopped if the distinct culture of Dev Bhumi remains strong,” said the RSS ideologue who is also margdarshak (guide) of the Rashtriya Muslim Manch (Muslim National Forum), a wing of the Sangh Parivar.

Dev Bhumi, he said, will remain strong provided the purity and virtuousness of its inherent culture remains intact. “More than the state government the people should play a role (to ensure that outsiders do not capture the livelihood opportunities meant for the locals),” Kumar said, suggesting that such a situation will only come when dignity of labour is realised and no job is considered menial.

The government’s intelligence agencies believe that Muslim migrants’ intervention in the leasing of horses, taxis, ferries, tourist guide jobs, and hotels has increased dramatically. As a result, locals find themselves being pushed out of jobs and livelihoods they had been holding for generations.

More importantly, Muslim migrant workers who had first built kutcha houses in restricted areas including upper hill and Barapathar behind CRST school, are gradually converting them to illegal pukka houses. Locals have been also complaining of illegal land encroachment and grabbing, neglected by the local government on a large scale.

Locals say that these migrants have been continuously snatching away small businesses run by locals in Nainital. Their interest in buying and selling land in the hills have also grown and they have started acquiring land through illegal means. The local police administration, instead of taking meaningful action, is said to have sat on its hands until now.

Over 400 madarsas and mosques have mushroomed in districts along Nepal border

Apart from the border areas of Uttarakhand, an alert was issued for many areas in Uttar Pradesh as well. Reason being, that within the last 2 years, almost 400 new Madarsas, mosques and religious institutions have mushroomed in areas like Bahraich that has an international border with Nepal on the Northern part and also along the Indo-Nepal border that falls under the Gorakhpur-Basti division.

The report had also mentioned that, due to the sudden increase of specific ‘non-local’ groups, an exodus of the local population cannot be ruled out.

Apprehending communal disturbance, a warning has been issued asking authorities to take precautionary measures, said DIG Dr Nilesh Anand Bharane. According to intelligence agencies inputs, a conspiracy to divide India based on demographic imbalance is also believed to have been devised.

Therefore, as per the Uttarakhand Government directives, the intelligence agencies are scrutinising every detail and keeping a strict vigil on the border areas. The reason for this sudden excessive population growth will be only identified after further inquiry.

Possibility of building a corridor to connect Pakistan?

According to a Dainik Jagran report, security agencies have revealed that these illegal settlers are attempting to build a premeditated corridor connecting Uttarakhand, Bangladesh, Bihar, Nepal, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Punjab. The possibility of connecting Pakistan with this corridor has also been stated. In fact, according to the reports, in the last 10 years, a large number of Muslims have been driven to infiltrate through this corridor under the guise of being refugees.

Security agencies claim that Pakistan’s ISI is active in India through Nepal. According to reports, madarsas or Islamic religious schools are being established primarily in locations that are crucial in terms of war policy. This list includes the Uttarakhand districts of Pithoragarh, Udham Singh Nagar, and Champawat, as well as the Uttar Pradesh divisions of Gorakhpur and Basti.

Uttarakhand being a border state, the police and the district administrators have been ordered to ensure regular meetings of the proposed district-level peace committees and “identify areas where antisocial elements are reported”.

Notably, Nanital, the Himalayan resort town in the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand has been one of the worst affected as there has been a considerable change in the demography.

Speaking on the changing demography in the state, Gajraj Singh Bisht, former state general secretary of the BJP in Uttarakhand stated that “initially, these Muslims would come to hold your feet. They will then beg you with folded hands. But, when their count grows from one to ten, they will not even let you access their streets.

According to the 2011 census, Uttarakhand, which was carved out of Uttar Pradesh 21 years ago, has an 83 per cent Hindu population. Muslims, the second-largest group after Hindus, make up 14 per cent of the population of the state. Sikhs, Jains, Christians, and Buddhists make up the remaining 3 per cent of the population.

Uttarakhand BJP leader Ajendra Ajay had also written to CM Pushkar Singh Dhami, raising concerns about the recurring issue of ‘land jihad’. He had raised objections to the purchase of land in the hills and setting up places of worship by members of the Muslim community. In the official communique, the BJP leader had said: “The rapid population growth in some areas of the state had led to a demographic shift, whose ill-effects had started showing in the form of migration of people of certain communities”.

Dilip Singh Rawat, a BJP MLA from Lansdowne, even claimed that a ‘cultural war’ is being waged by the migrant population, many of whom are illegal immigrants into India too, against Hindus in the state of Uttarakhand.

Owing to this increasingly serious issue, the BJP Government led by CM Pushkar Singh Dhami has taken cognisance of the issue. The state government has now constituted a committee, which will be tackling the issue of the sudden influx of Muslim migrants and the associated issue of land encroachment in the state.

The government’s directives about changes in demography and information about migration would be implemented in letter and spirit, Nainital DM Dhiraj Gabryal stated. The land registry will also be given special attention. In this case, there will be no leniency. This is something that local residents should be aware of, Gabryal added.

Raising concerns about the ‘demographic change’ in certain parts of the state due to ‘excessive population growth in a particular community, the Uttarakhand CM had stated that exodus of locals from the state is a matter of serious concern.

Dhami stated that there was a communal atmosphere developing in the state. Ordering authorities to launch an investigation into the demographic changes in the state, Dhami promised a non-biased probe that would not target members of any one community.

“The government has taken this step only after much deliberation. Migration and population imbalance is a matter of concern,” said the Uttarakhand CM.

References:

theprint.in
Opindia.com