What happened to Hindus in Kashmir in 1990s is happening again in UP’s Kairana

Zee Media Bureau

Kairana (Uttar Pradesh): At a time when the Central government is mulling to award citizenship to Hindu migrants from Pakistan and Bangladesh, there are reports that the community is being to forced to migrate from a city in Uttar Pradesh

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The disturbing trend has been witnessed in Kairana, located 124 kilometres from Delhi in Uttar Pradesh’s Shamli district, and is similar to what happened with Kashmiri Pandits in J&K in the 1990s.

At least 346 Hindu families have migrated from Kairana due to goondaism and extortion threats. This figure has been provided by none other than Kairana MP Hukum Singh (BJP).

Kairana is both an Assembly as well as Lok Sabha constituency, but the migration has been witnessed mainly in area that falls under the Assembly constituency.

As per the 2011 Census, Kairana had 30% Hindus while the percentage of Muslims was at 68%. However, the figure now stands at only 8% Hindus and 92% Muslims, as per the local administration.

Kairana is located close to Muzaffarnagar which was hit by communal riots in 2013.

When Zee Media correspondent Rahul Sinhatravelled to Kairana, he found that people there were afraid of speaking on camera fearing for their lives.

They recalled that four businessmen had been murdered recently in the area.

“The atmosphere here is not good. After (Muzaffarnagar) riots, relief camps were established here. The atmosphere has turned bad after that,” Gurpreet Singh, a resident, told Zee Media.

It may be recalled that when Muzaffarnagar was hit by riots, not a single incidence of violence was reported from Kairana.

Anmol, another resident, said, “It has become very difficult to live here.”

BJP MP Hukum Singh said that “most of the families who have migrated from here were well-off”.

“People who forced them out likely had their eyes set on their properties,” he suspected

The MP said Home Minister Rajnath Singh would visit the constituency at the end of this month and is likely to meet the affected families.

Ashok Kumar Raghav, DIG, Saharanpur Range, said, “There is law and order, crime rate is under control. The matter has come to our notice, we are studying this.”

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