It was one of the worst days of Saqib’s life. The 22-year-old has a coconut stall in Nissing, a village in Haryana’s Karnal district. On 24 April, two days after the militant attack in Pahalgam, Saqib was assaulted as Hindutva organisations led a series of processions across Haryana, with instances of mob violence reported from districts such as Kurukshetra, Ambala, Karnal, Kaithal and Rohtak. “You may publish my name, but do not take my photo,” he told me as he recounted the traumatic event.
On 23 April, Saqib said, his “younger brother was manning the cart. He was saved from the mob only because he hid in the adjacent shop.” Assuming that the worst was over, Saqib set up shop the following day. In a couple of hours, he was surrounded by four motorcycles, each with three riders. “They abused me, hit me with sticks on my legs. One even struck my head,” Saqib told me, adding that he recognised some of them as Rajput boys from the neighbouring village of Gondar. He was taken to a hospital by a social worker. “I stayed in the hospital for several days. Now we don’t set up our stall there.” He did not file a police report out of fear. Though he has returned to Karnal, he has still not set up his cart.
Like Saqib, several Muslim shopkeepers were beaten up, and their shops were vandalised and burnt. They were also threatened to leave their villages. Many did. Those who remained were unwilling to speak about it. In many cases, I found that the police had been present but looked the other way. The impunity with which these mobs were allowed to function has led to an atmosphere of fear that continues to persist. Some cart owners who left after the violence have since returned but have either not set up their stalls or have done even as they fear of further reprisals. I sought a response from police officials in the districts I visited, but did not receive one from most.
Loknayak Jai Prakash Narayan Civil Hospital in Kurukshetra wore a bleak look when I visited it a week after the violence. Half-burnt fruit and juice carts, as well as burnt watermelons and sugarcane were strewn around the area. The carts that were intact had flags with “Jai Shri Ram” written on them. When I asked the shopkeepers who burnt the carts, most refused to speak. A few said that the flags were put up by Hindu organisations.