Stand up and be counted: VHP tells Hindus to mark themselves

The Hindu organisations have given a call to boycott the minority community to teach them a lesson in the wake of a spate of incidents wherein Muslims either married or eloped with Hindu women. After a rally last Thursday to protest these incidents, Bardoli is putting up with recurring bouts of communal violence.

Though Muslims have been at the receiving end of rioting and arson, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and allied organisations have given a call to boycott them. Boycott includes severing social and business tieswith members of the minority community, who account for 10 per cent of the 60,000-odd population.

“If Muslims don’t mend their ways we will be forced to take extreme measures,” declare Harshad Shah of RSS and Dr Kalaben Patel of the VHP. The town had witnessed selective three-wheelers carrying Om stickers in 1984, when Bardoli was ravaged by communal violence leading to a 45-day prolonged curfew. But the measure was not fool-proof as even Muslims started sticking Om stickers. “We will use saffron flags or give specific numbers to our drivers, ” thunders Shah. A majority of autorickshaws are owned by Muslims.

“They will have no option but to walk for we control nearly 70 per cent of rickshaws,” says an angry Muslim resident. “ No passenger checks the driver’s identity before getting into the rickshaw, ” says another.

However, three-wheelers are not the only target. Even Muslims shops will be boycotted. “Boycott is the most effective non-violent means to weaken the Muslim community,” says anoffice-bearer of RSS. “We know 100 per cent boycott is not possible but we will ensure that they pay for their deeds.”

Even Hindu organisations are sceptical about the boycott’s success. “Hindus supply goods to most Muslims shops. They are not going to sever ties,” admits a Hindu supplier. Two days of curfew- now only night curfew prevails- have already cost shopkeepers a fortune for not many customers are venturing out to make purchases with uncertainty hanging in the air. When asked will he boycott Muslim customers, Shah who owns an automobile agency replies, “No”.

He justifies this saying, “Money will come to Hindus and weaken them further.” Yunusbhai, a garment shop owner, scoffs at the boycott threat. “Tempers will cool down in 15 days. Customers will find their way.” If Bardoli customers don’t patronise us, those from the neighbouring areas will do. What if Hindus stop supplying goods to their Muslim customers once the present stock gets exhausted, questions a Bajrang Dal activist.However, all agree that it is easy to source the goods to sellers outside Bardoli.

The Hindu organisations have already held several meetings where call to intensify boycott was given. A meeting convened by Durga Vahini was attended by over 200 women. Muslims are reacting cautiously to the boycott threat thinking the heat will subside sooner or later.

With clear cut segregation of Muslim and Hindu localities, social boycott is easy to practice, though most refuse to be drawn into answering questions on the boycott.