MP village enforces social boycott against 10 families over religion

Ten Muslim families of Ghoti-Nandora village in the Balaghat district of Madhya Pradesh have allegedly been facing social boycott following a resolution adopted in a mahasabha against them.

According to a report by Mooknayak, in January, the mahasabha decided that no Hindu family would engage in any kind of commercial or personal activity with the Muslim families. This includes buying food and goods, grocery items and taking barber services.

School bus driver Asif Hussain is suddenly left with no job, and so is electrician Sadiq Hussain, who has been unemployed for a week. The families allege the disruption of livelihoods is a deliberate effort to force them to leave the village.

In all this chaos, the women and children bear the brunt of the boycott. Mothers live in constant fear and children are afraid to go to school for fear of getting harassed by their classmates and teachers.

Kishore Samrite, a former Independent MLA, condemned the boycott and appealed to the Union Home Ministry to launch an enquiry into the matter. Calling it a clear violation of constitutional rights, he accused the village sarpanch, secretary and some district representatives of creating a communal atmosphere.

“This social exclusion is illegal and undermines the fundamental principles of equality, freedom, and dignity guaranteed by our Constitution,” he said.