Gujarat’s Bet Dwarka Demolition Drive: A Targeted Attack on Muslim Communities in India

In yet another disturbing chapter of India’s ongoing anti-Muslim campaign, the demolition of 525 properties in Gujarat’s Bet Dwarka town highlights the systemic targeting of Muslim communities under the guise of development.

A recent fact-finding report has exposed the shocking scale of property demolitions in Gujarat’s Bet Dwarka town, where 525 properties, most belonging to Muslim families, were destroyed by local authorities. The Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR), which released the report, highlighted that the majority of the demolished homes were owned by Muslim fishermen who had lived in the area for decades. The demolition drive, which has drawn widespread condemnation, raises serious concerns about the targeting of Muslims in the name of urban development.

The report, which was compiled by a fact-finding team including APCR, the People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), and various social activists, painted a grim picture of the events that unfolded in January. Residents claimed that authorities carried out demolitions with little to no notice, leaving families with no time to salvage their belongings. Shockingly, some homes were bulldozed just a day after residents received notices, a stark violation of basic procedural fairness.

One particularly alarming detail of the demolitions was the destruction of 52 homes built under the Pradhan Mantri Gramin Awas Yojana, a government housing scheme aimed at providing affordable housing to rural citizens. Despite the fact that residents had legal documents proving their ownership, authorities ignored these documents and even tore them up in some cases.

The violence did not stop at the destruction of homes. The report also documented instances where local mobs celebrated the bulldozing of Muslim religious sites, chanting slogans as dargahs (shrines) were reduced to rubble. This further fueled fears that the demolitions were part of a broader agenda to undermine the Muslim community in the region.

The personal toll on affected residents is immeasurable. One displaced woman recounted her ordeal, saying, “We have lived here for over 30 years, yet the government demolished our home without any rehabilitation. Now we are homeless, forced to survive in makeshift tents with no support except from local well-wishers.” Another elderly resident, who had been paying taxes and electricity bills for decades, questioned the government’s actions: “If we were on government land, why were we allowed to live here for 50 years? The government has destroyed our homes without providing an alternative, leaving our children homeless.”

The demolitions have also had a profound impact on education. Nearly 400 children, who were already living in challenging conditions, have now lost both their homes and access to education, adding another layer of hardship to their lives. The community, which had already been facing severe water shortages, has been completely cut off from access to potable water, further exacerbating their vulnerability.

According to the APCR, the demolitions were carried out to make way for a new development project, which includes the construction of a corridor and a tourist complex, as well as an expanded road leading to a temple. The government’s actions have been widely criticized for advancing a divisive agenda, with APCR accusing the state of prioritizing majoritarian interests while sidelining constitutional rights and promoting religious hatred.

In its report, APCR argued that these demolitions represent a direct assault on India’s secular fabric and syncretic traditions. The government, it claimed, is using this demolition drive as a tool to foster separatism and hatred, undermining the rights and lives of Muslim communities in the region.