Hindu supremacists drive Muslims out of villages in western India

NEW DELHI, India (MNTV) — A wave of religious intimidation and forced displacement has gripped several villages in Mulshi region of Maharashtra, a western Indian state, where Muslim families have been threatened, economically boycotted, and driven out by Hindu supremacist groups following a spate of communal incitement in May.

A joint fact-finding mission by the People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) and the Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR) found that Muslims in villages like Paud, Pirangut, Kolvan, Suatwadi, and others have faced violent threats, illegal restrictions, and open calls for a complete boycott.

The crackdown began after an alleged desecration of a Hindu idol in Paud on May 2, reportedly involving a minor. Days later, members of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and affiliated Hindu nationalist groups held rallies where public threats were made against Muslim residents, despite many of them having lived there for decades.

Soon after, banners and posters appeared across villages warning against the entry or presence of “non-local Muslims.” These signs were even posted outside religious spaces, with village councils passing formal resolutions barring Muslims from outside villages from offering Friday prayers at local mosques. This included the Pirangut Juma Masjid, the largest in the region.

Under pressure, the police later removed the banners, but by then, the damage had taken root. Muslim-owned businesses—bakeries, scrap shops, salons, chicken stalls—were forcibly shut, and owners warned not to reopen. At least three major bakeries employing hundreds, including Hindus, were padlocked indefinitely.

One business owner said he was warned to lease out his shop or face “consequences.” Another whose scrap shop was set ablaze, suffering a financial loss of over 2 million Indian rupees ($24,000), has since relocated his family to another place for safety. He, like many others, awaits compensation and the chance to return.

The harassment extended to mosques, where signs barred worshippers from neighboring villages like Kolvan. Even after their removal, fear persists. 

A local resident said Muslims are avoiding public prayer due to fear of violence. Surveillance, too, has intensified: one man said villagers use a WhatsApp group of 400 members to track Muslims’ movements, sharing photos of them visiting medical stores or walking in the street.

The PUCL has condemned the boycott campaign as unconstitutional, stressing that India’s constitution guarantees freedom of religion, residence, and the right to conduct business anywhere in the country. They have submitted memoranda to the state chief secretary and district officials, demanding protection for the targeted families.

Civil rights activists have also linked the escalation to hardline groups like the RSS, Hindu Rashtra Sena, and Shiv Pratishthan, who they say have poisoned communal harmony in Mulshi. 

Dhananjay Desai—a leader of Hindu Rashtra Sena who was previously tried (and acquitted) in the 2014 murder of Muslim tech professional Mohsin Shaikh—has now been accused of issuing fresh threats from a farmhouse near Vitthalwadi. Police confirmed he is currently absconding and a case has been filed.

The exodus continues. Several families have returned to ancestral villages in the state of Uttar Pradesh, while others have taken temporary refuge in nearby towns. Children have been forced to drop out of school. One former local leader mourned the collapse of what was once a peaceful, interwoven community, recalling how Muslims used to participate in Hindu festivals in traditional dress.

For now, the future remains uncertain. “This isn’t just about religion,” said one displaced bakery owner. “It’s about survival—and we’re losing it.”