At least six were killed in the police firing, and over 100 were injured in the aftermath of a land conflict in Uttarakhand’s Haldwani. The trigger was the demolition of a madrasa and a mosque on Feb 8, 2024. @nayla_khwaja sheds light on a larger conflict in the suburb.

The Haldwani Municipal Corporation demolished a big hall used as a madrasa for disadvantaged kids and a spot for Namaz in the Banbhoolpura area, 7 days after sending a notice. The structures were reportedly built in 2002 on “Nazul land”– govt land meant for public utilities.

Authorities claim that the Mariyam mosque and the madrasa, spread across six bighas, were constructed illegally. However, Safia Malik, who looked after the madrasa with her husband, says her father got the land “by virtue of an oral gift”, or Hiba, by Akhtari Begum in 1994.

On January 30, 2024, Abdul Malik received a notice to demolish the structures by February 1, 2024, citing Uttarakhand's Nazul policy of 2009 and 2021, and the Municipal Corporation Act, 1959, else the corporation would do so by force.

On Feb 3, several locals visited Nagar Nigam and requested time to appeal to the High Court, agreeing to abide by the court's decision. On Feb 6, Safia moved to Uttarakhand HC alleging that a plea to renew the lease was submitted before the district administration in 2007.

On February 8, 2024, the court took up the case but deferred the matter for Feb 14. Despite the ongoing case in court, the corporation demolished the structures on the same day around 4 pm. Locals protested against the demolition and instances of stone pelting were reported.

As the violence escalated with arson and the police station being gheraoed by an unidentified mob, the police retaliated with firing, lathicharge and teargas. Some videos of the incident showed women protesters being manhandled by personnel & anti-Muslim slurs being raised.

CM Pushkar Singh Dhami called a high-level meeting in wake of the tension and assured that stringent action will be taken against miscreants. Following which, the state information department issued a statement mentioning shoot at sight order.

As six people, including a father-son duo, were killed in police firing, officials imposed a curfew and shut down the internet to curb the spread of violence. The curfew was relaxed after seven days of the incident, while the internet was restored on February 12.

Amid allegations that the corporation went ahead with the demolition drive without a court order, Haldwani’s municipal commissioner reportedly said that had the court granted a stay, the structures would not have been razed.

“We are contesting the illegality of this demolition. The matter is now listed for May 8,” said Ahrar Baig, Malik’s counsel, after the hearing on February 14.

It is important to note that in 2007, Safia’s father had filed a plea before the High Court for recognition of freehold rights. The court had directed the Collector to take a decision on the application expeditiously. As of this date, a decision is yet to be taken.

Even as 68 persons have been arrested so far, the police have intensified the hunt in Haldwani for other accused. Three FIRs have been lodged against 19 named and 5,000 unidentified persons.

The Municipal Corporation has issued a hefty recovery notice of ₹2.44 crore against Abdul Malik, a key accused in Banbhoolpura violence, for causing damage to govt properties. Police have already confiscated properties of Abdul Malik and his son.
https://twitter.com/ANINewsUP/status/1758530401151205534?s=20…

Even as police officials assert that they were attacked by locals, residents maintain that innocent individuals were fired upon indiscriminately. Amid an increased manhunt, locals are relocating to safer areas. https://thewire.in/communalism/watch-haldwani-unrest-violence-arrests-and-unanswered-questions…

The recent violence has reignited the rift between the Haldwani authorities and the town's Muslim population. In January 2023, Haldwani witnessed widespread protests after the High Court ordered demolitions of 4,000 homes, mostly owned by Muslims, over illegal settlement claims on Railways land. However, the Supreme Court stayed the order, stating that 50,000 people “cannot be uprooted overnight.”
https://x.com/LandConflicts/status/1610841035068047363?s=20…

Read the full land conflict report by our researcher from Uttarakhand, @Chicu_l
https://landconflictwatch.org/conflicts/6-killed-in-haldwani-amid-protest-over-demolition-of-mosque-and-madrasa…

Anchored by @AnupaSagarKujur