Muslims in Modi's Gujarat shrinking to ghettos

While Gujarat CM Narendra Modi might be gunning ahead in the Lok Sabha 2014 poll campaign showcasing the BJP’s secular and inclusive values, Muslims in his home state are increasingly shrinking to ghettos. According to a report on The Hindu, Juhapura in Gujarat houses close to 4.5 lakh Muslims, from all walks of life, who have moved into the ghetto in large numbers after the riots in 2002. [caption id=“attachment_1198981” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Narendra Modi with Muslim supporters. AFP.[/caption] The report also says that several such Muslim ghettos have mushroomed in the fringes of Ahmedabad. Describing the abominable living conditions in these ghettos, the report states:

“Sajid Row Houses, that has 150 houses, and Qutb-e-alamnagar with around 500 — in Maqdoomnagar — present a picture of filth, slush and puddles of dirty water. They swarm with flies and mosquitoes. There are no sewerage lines. A foul smell permeates the air. There is no water supply, and whatever is drawn is not always potable. The garbage van from the Bharatiya Janata Party-controlled Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) is erratic.

Despite the inhuman conditions, hundreds of Muslims have been flocking these ghettos. Right across the Sajid Row Houses ghetto is the Dharmabhoomi Society, points out the report. The predominantly Hindu society, in contrast, has all the amenities expected to be available in any developed city. Read the complete report on The Hindu here.