‘Shown their place’: Muslim livelihoods under attack in India
Al Jazeera
Experts say rising attacks on Muslim vendors and businesses by Hindu supremacist groups point to a worrying trend.
New Delhi, India – Not everyone in India is excited about the upcoming festive season in October and November.
For Afzal, a mutton seller in Greater Noida – a suburb in Uttar Pradesh state neighbouring capital New Delhi – who did not wish to give his real name for fear of reprisal, it would mean a loss of business for nearly 10 days.
“The Bajrang Dal [Hindu far-right group] in this area distributed pamphlets ordering the closure of shops during the festival period. They have become very active ever since Yogi Adityanath came to power,” he told Al Jazeera, referring to the saffron-robed Uttar Pradesh chief minister, who belongs to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
