Uttarakhand: Traders' union booked after forced deregistration of Muslim shopkeepers
The police in Uttarakhand on Tuesday booked members of the traders' union in Dharchula town of Pithoragarh after they deregistered 91 shopkeepers, most of whom were Muslims. The union had labeled these shopkeepers as "outsiders," accusing them of illegal activities and ordering them to cease their operations and depart. This move came on the heels of a February incident where two underage girls were reportedly kidnapped and assaulted by an 18-year-old man from Bareilly, which escalated tensions in the region.
Administration guarantees safety for deregistered traders
Local administration took action after observing that the shops of deregistered traders remained shuttered for two-three days. On Tuesday, Dharchula Sub Divisional Magistrate Manjit Singh confirmed that all shop owners have been granted security and no one was compelled to leave unless they decided to do so. A formal complaint has also been lodged against the traders' union. Pithoragarh District Magistrate Reena Joshi has categorically stated that any illegal activity will not be tolerated
Police official details suo-motu FIR
Dharchula Circle Officer (CO) Parvez Ali said, "A suo-motu FIR was registered by the police against six named by the union and 40 unidentified people under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections in relation to rioting and intentional insults leading to breach of peace amongst others."
Traders' union alleges 'outsiders' threat to business
Meanwhile, the federal secretary of the traders' union Mahesh Garbiyal argued that these "outsiders" were not only encroaching on their business but also creating security issues in Dharchula. He reported that local residents were upset and persistently protesting against these outsiders. The union has deregistered 91 traders who arrived post-2000, with most being Muslims. Despite administrative intervention, Garbiyal declared they would resume their protest once the model code of conduct is lifted.
Outrage triggered by recent assault of local girls
Speaking about the incident, SDM Singh said, "Several traders involved in business here are from the neighboring state, mainly western Uttar Pradesh." He blamed an incident last month as the cause behind the anger. "There was an incident in Dharchula in February when two 'outsider' Muslim boys working here lured away two minor girls. The girls were rescued and the accused were arrested... Since then, there has been some anger among the locals," he said.
