Haryana violence: Muslims reopen shops in Gurugram as semblance of calm returns

According to police, at least 15 shops were burned, and several others were attacked in Gurugram by violent mobs between August 1 and August 8

Two weeks after several meat shops, salons and other businesses owned by Muslims shut down in the aftermath of July 31 communal violence in Nuh, the owners reopened their establishments on Wednesday with the administration saying that the community has been assured of normalcy in the area.

A meat shop reopened on the Sector 9 road near Pataudi Chowk in Gurugram on Wednesday. (Parveen Kumar/HT Photo)

According to police, at least 15 shops were burned, and several others were attacked in Gurugram by violent mobs in Badshahpur, Pataudi Chowk, Sector 70A, Kherki Daula, and Sector 67 between August 1 and August 8.

The administration estimated that at least 115 shops owned by Muslims were closed in the days following the outbreak of violence. Officials said that most of these were salons, mobile phone sales and repair shops, tailoring, welding, furniture, bike and four-wheeler repairing shops, eateries, meat shops, and other such businesses.

Javed Khan, a barber who shut his shop in Badshahpur, said he and 15 others went to Delhi to stay with relatives after the violence erupted and threats by mob to leave the city. “We returned to Gurugram on Tuesday evening after receiving calls from district administration assuring us of our safety. We invested our life’s savings in establishing the shops, we couldn’t leave and return to our villages,” he said.

Sahil Hussain, who ran a salon in Sector 70A, said he was watching the situation, and returned to the city only after all shops in the sector reopened. “Last week, some senior leaders from our community met the deputy commissioner. They called a meeting and requested that businesses may resume,” he said.

Aamir Khalid, owner of a meat shop in Sector 56, said the decision to open the shops on Wednesday was taken collectively by community members. “More than 300 community members have returned to work and reopened businesses that remained shut since August 1. So far, the day has been peaceful, and many Hindu brothers came and bought meat from my shop. They and were very cordial,” he said.

Gurugram deputy commissioner Nishant Kumar Yadav said they have asked Muslim migrants and others who left the city after violence to return. “Our primary focus and goal was to bring the situation under control. We assured the community of their safety and increased patrolling in the area. We have also deployed teams of our officials in the affected areas and works towards establishing peace and harmony,” he said.

“Many Muslim migrants have left and returned to their villages, and some went to stay with their relatives and friends across the National Capital Region. We have asked them to return and resume work as soon as possible. We have shared phone numbers of all officials concerned as well as the police with the people who have returned to the city so that they can report any incident of harassment,” he added.