BHAVNAGAR: Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Pravin Togadia- best known for his provocative hate-speeches against minority groups has succeeded in his bid to keep a Hindu-dominated locality in Bhavnagar, Gujarat, out of bounds for Muslims. After forcing Aliasgar Zaveri- a Bohra Muslim who had bought a bungalow in the posh Sanatorium area to sell it through coercive psychological intimidation and plain nuisance-making, and getting him to return to a Muslim area, Hindu Right-wing groups that reportedly brokered the sale are relieved. They are glad, that Hindus in the neighbourhood wont have to endure the food habits of Muslims, which offend them.
Indian Express reports that Scrap dealer Aliasgar Zaveri had bought the bungalow in Bhavnagars relatively well-off Sanatorium area on January 10, 2014. But under pressure from Hindu neighbours, VHP and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)- the ideological fountainhead of Indias ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Zaveri, sold his bungalow to real-estate firm Bhumiti Associates on December 30, 2014. The problem with Zaveri was that he was a Bohra Muslim.
Sanatorium near Meghani Circle is a Hindu-dominated locality. Out of around 150 bungalows in the area, only four have Muslim owners. Out of the four, two migrated to the Shishoo Vihar area after the 2002 riots. Two months after Zaveri bought the bungalow from hotelier Kishoresinh Gohil for Rs 49 lakh, Hindu residents of the area started protesting, saying the food habits of Muslims may offend them and that it could open the floodgates for the entry of other Muslims into the area.
They started holding Ram Darbars, gatherings at which they would play Hanuman Chalisa and bhajans on a music system, outside the bungalow every evening. They invited Togadia to their darbar on April 19, 2014. Togadia reportedly asked residents to attack Zaveris office in Bhadevadi Street if he did not give up the bungalow within 48 hours. Following the alleged hate speech, Togadia was booked for inciting communal passions and police were deployed at the bungalow. Zaveri, who lives in a Muslim-dominated area, could never move in.
A senior RSS functionary who lives nearby and was among those leading the protests, said, Zaveri tried many things to gain a toehold in the area. He suggested renting the bungalow out to Hindus but we rejected it. He also tried to give it to a firm for shooting a film, but we did not allow that. Meanwhile, we were in touch with real-estate developers. Having realised that neighbours would not relent, he agreed to sell it.
Bhumiti Associates, a partnership firm of three Jains, who bought the bungalow from Zaveri razed it to the ground a few months ago.
According to Chetan Kamdar, one of the partners of Bhumiti Associates, He (Zaveri) wanted to get rid of it. We got the plot at market rates. I can assure you, it was not distress selling on his part, he insisted.
While Zaveri refused to comment on the development, the Bhumiti Associates said the deal did not involve any political or religious group. But the RSS and VHP leaders were glad to claim they had facilitated it.
S D Jani, president of VHPs Bhavnagar city unit, said: Due to our agitation, the vidharmi (one from another faith, Zaveri) realised he would not be able to settle in and eventually gave in.
With the plot having gone to Jains, Hindu residents of Sanatorium are relieved. A retired teacher who lives in Sanatorium said, Many of the present residents migrated from Muslim-dominated Prabhudas Talav to Sanatorium two-three decades ago. Now, if Muslims follow us here, our lives will become difficult due to their food habits and other customs.
That this has happened in the Prime Minister Narendra Modis home state- Gujarat gives the entire sequence of events a meaning that his critics will be glad to exploit. –EJ
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