Indian Muslim families in constant fear of forced evictions

Nearly 200 homes and shops face demolitions near major Hindu temple in PM Modi’s constituency as families fear winter homelessness. NEW DELHI, India (MNTV) — Muslim families in northern India say they are facing forced evictions after local authorities carried out night-time demolitions in a densely inhabited market area of Varanasi, a city represented in Parliament by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and located in Uttar Pradesh, a state ruled by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Residents described bulldozers arriving after midnight and forcing families to vacate under pressure, according to the independent outlet Clarion India, with many warning that people could be pushed into homelessness during the winter. The demolitions are centered in Dal Mandi, a historic Muslim-majority market located a few hundred metres from the Kashi Vishwanath Temple, one of Hinduism’s holiest pilgrimage sites. The area is known for its Banarasi textile trade, narrow lanes, and a centuries-old history of Hindu-Muslim coexistence — now shaken by abrupt clearance drives. Families say at least six houses have already been demolished, while more than 190 homes and numerous shops have been identified for potential removal. Residents allege that officers ordered people to vacate at night, leaving many unsure where to take their belongings or how to protect elderly family members from the cold. “This is our home and our livelihood,” said Mohammad Shafi, a shop owner whose family has lived in Dal Mandi for generations. “Thousands of families are at risk. It feels like our heritage is being erased overnight.” Officials say the demolitions are part of a road-widening plan to expand a 3.5-metre lane into a 17.5-metre corridor. But residents argue the project disproportionately affects the Muslim community and is being carried out without consultation or resettlement measures. Local historians warn the clearance could dismantle a culturally significant neighbourhood. “This area represents centuries of Banarasi heritage and communal harmony,” said historian Tariq Anwar. “Destroying these homes and shops erases the city’s shared history.” Police and local administrators have been deployed to maintain order as tensions increase. Residents say their greatest fear is forced eviction without alternatives, especially amid dropping winter temperatures. With more structures marked and bulldozers still present in the narrow lanes, families in Dal Mandi are urging authorities to halt the demolitions and consider the human, cultural, and economic cost of reshaping one of Varanasi’s oldest neighborhoods