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Hindustan Times
5 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Rising communal tensions, internal divisions & economic boycotts spark fear across Maha villages
PUNE: Even as the dust settles on the violence that rocked Yavat in Daund tehsil of Pune district a week ago following a derogatory social media post and desecration of a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj on July 26, the fissures caused by rising communal tensions and divisions within the Muslim community not to mention the economic fallout of the same are becoming increasingly apparent. The Yavat Gram Panchayat has only added fuel to the fire by passing a resolution calling for a survey to identify 'outsiders' settled in the town (HT) Yavat – a town with a population of around 20,000 on the Pune-Solapur highway – has for long been a melting pot with migrants from Marathwada and other states settling there over the years, many of them Muslims. In the aftermath of the violence however, there is now a rift within the Muslim community. A lifelong resident of Yavat on condition of anonymity said, 'We've lived together for generations. But now, everyone is looking over their shoulder. The word 'outsider' is being bandied around even among our own people.' Faiyaz Tamboli, a local property dealer, echoed similar sentiments. 'A day prior to the violence, I had tea with friends from all communities. The next day, houses were attacked. Nothing feels the same anymore,' he said. The Yavat Gram Panchayat has only added fuel to the fire by passing a resolution calling for a survey to identify 'outsiders' settled in the town, especially in areas such as Indira Nagar and Sahakar Nagar that are home to many migrant Muslims. Sarpanch Sammer Durge even claimed that the man accused of desecrating the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was an outsider and that such elements must be identified to maintain peace. A local social worker said, 'What's dangerous is that now, even Muslim communities are being internally divided. The word 'outsider' is being used to dehumanise, isolate, and eventually expel'. Earlier in May, a similar incident occurred in Mulshi tehsil in which the desecration of the idol at Nageshwar temple in Paud involving a minor and his father, both from the Muslim community, sparked the emergence of banners in villages such as Paud, Urawade and Ghotawade banning entry to 'non-local Muslims'. The police eventually removed these signboards and arrested those responsible but the damage lingered. Many Muslim-owned bakeries, shops, and scrap businesses were forced to shut down amid threats and calls for boycott. Najmuddin Khan, whose bakery had served Paud for over two decades, said, 'I've never experienced anything like this. Even during the worst of times, we lived together. This time, people stopped talking to us. They stopped buying from us. I had to shut down.' Another resident who did not wish to be named said that the small scrap shop he had been running for 10 years was burned down in the days after the desecration. 'No one came forward to help. Not even the landlord. I had to leave. I went back to my native village in Uttar Pradesh,' he said. Civil rights groups such as the People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) and Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR) documented how (Muslim) families who had lived and worked in Paud, Pirangut, Kolvan, and Sutarwadi for decades were suddenly labelled as 'outsiders' and driven out. The fear, residents said, was not just of violence, but of being isolated and pushed into poverty and invisibility. According to the PUCL's June 30 (2025) petition, nearly 40 families fled Paud and its neighbouring areas. The report stated that in addition to economic isolation, the atmosphere had become emotionally and psychologically hostile for minorities, especially amid calls from politicians, one such being Maharashtra minister for fisheries and port development, Nitesh Rane. Rane in March launched the 'Malhar Certification', a private initiative for Hindu meat traders, which he claimed would identify '100% Hindu-run mutton shops' and ensure 'no adulteration'. The certification, he said, would help customers avoid Halal meat and favour meat prepared through Jhatka methods by Hindu butchers. 'Only Hindus will be involved in Jhatka production. There will be no ritualistic slaughter,' Rane said, indicating an economic boycott of Muslims. General secretary of PUCL, Milind Champanerkar, observed, 'This isn't just about local vendettas. There's a larger ideological push that's creating deep polarisation.' He added that these boycott campaigns are not spontaneous but part of a deliberate strategy to isolate Muslims from economic and social life. 'Unless these actions are nipped in the bud, they'll become normalised. The administration has to draw a red line,' he said. When contacted, Pune district collector Jitendra Dudi told Hindustan Times that he had received the PUCL's letter and was re-evaluating the situation. 'According to feedback from Pune rural and Pimpri-Chinchwad police, the boycott was reportedly withdrawn two months ago. Still, I've asked for fresh reports. If unconstitutional activities are continuing, disciplinary action will follow.' Whereas superintendent of police Sandeep Singh Gill said that the signboards with hate messages that had emerged in villages including Paud had been taken down. 'The situation is now normal,' he said. However, for many affected families, normalcy is still far away. Elsewhere in Guha village of Rahuri, Ahilyanagar, another dispute—over the identity of a 500-year-old dargah—similarly led to Muslim shopkeepers being asked to vacate their premises. While members of local religious trusts denied perpetrating any such organised campaign, residents said that the message is clear: Muslims, especially those not rooted in the village for generations, are being viewed with suspicion. From Yavat to Paud to Rahuri, the thread connecting these incidents is not just communal polarisation but also the stigmatisation of 'outsiders' and the shrinking space for coexistence. Earlier this year in February, a gram sabha in Madhi village of Ahilyanagar district (formerly Ahmednagar) passed a resolution barring Muslim traders from participating in the annual Kanifnath Maharaj Yatra. The move was justified by some villagers as an attempt to preserve 'traditions' though critics labelled it as an unconstitutional act of exclusion. Despite the outcry, the decision was allowed to stand. A similar pattern emerged in June when the Shri Shaneshwar Devasthan Trust in Shani Shingnapur dismissed 167 employees, including 114 Muslims, citing issues like absenteeism and underperformance. The move came shortly after Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MLA Sangram Jagtap threatened to launch a protest over the hiring of Muslim staff at the shrine. While the trust denied any communal motivation, activists and locals saw it as another sign of increasing religious discrimination being brushed off as administrative routine. PUCL vice-president Anwar Rajan summarised the concern as, 'Communal rhetoric is no longer confined to speeches. It's influencing village decisions, reshaping local economies, and redefining who belongs and who doesn't. If not countered urgently, these patterns could become permanent'.
Al Jazeera
29-07-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
The UK is slipping into racist dystopia
It has been a year since the Southport attack, which triggered furious racist riots in the streets of the United Kingdom. Unruly crowds, galvanised by false claims that the perpetrator was Muslim, went on a rampage, attacking mosques, Muslim-owned businesses, homes, and individuals they perceived as Muslim. As the riots were raging, I was finishing my novel, The Second Coming. The book is set in a dystopian future in which a Christian militia inspired by English nationalism seizes London, bans Islam, and exiles Muslims to refugee camps in Birmingham. The events unfolding in the streets as I was writing the final chapters made me realise that today, we are much closer to the dystopian world in my novel than I had imagined. The scenes and images that helped me shape this fictional world were inspired by the England I lived in during my youth, when racist violence was rampant. Gangs of white youth would hunt us down, especially after the pubs closed, in wave after wave of what they called 'Paki bashing'. Knife attacks and fire bombings were not uncommon, nor were the demands by far-right groups, such as the National Front and the British National Party, for the repatriation of Black (ie, non-white) 'immigrants'. Attending school sometimes meant running through a gauntlet of racist kids. In the playground, sometimes they swarmed around, chanting racist songs. As a student, I lost count of the number of times I was physically attacked, at school, in the street, or in pubs and other places. When I lived in East London, I was with the local youth of Brick Lane, where hand-to-hand fighting took place to stop hordes of racist attackers. These assaults were not an isolated phenomenon. Similar scenes took place across the country, with the National Front and British National Party organising hundreds of marches, emboldening white supremacist gangs. Around this time, some of my peers and I were arrested and charged with 'conspiracy to make explosives' for filling up milk bottles with petrol as a way of defending our communities against racist violence; our case came to be known as the Bradford 12. These struggles, whether in Brick Lane or Bradford, were part of a broader fight against systemic racism and far-right ideologies that sought to terrorise and divide us. The overt, street-level violence of those years was terrifying, but it came from the margins of society. The ruling political class, though complicit, avoided openly aligning with these groups. A case in point is Margaret Thatcher, who in 1978, as the leader of the Conservative Party, gave an infamous interview in which she said, 'People are really rather afraid that this country might be rather swamped by people with a different culture.' It was a subtle nod of approval for racist mobs, but as prime minister, Thatcher still kept far-right groups at an arm's length. Today, that distance has disappeared. Prime Minister Keir Starmer and other prominent members of Labour regularly echo far-right rhetoric, promising to 'crack down' on those seeking sanctuary here. His Conservative predecessor, Rishi Sunak, and his ministers were not different. His Home Minister Suella Braverman falsely claimed grooming gangs had a 'predominance' of 'British Pakistani males, who hold cultural values totally at odds with British values'. While the old crude white racism has not disappeared, a more vicious form – Islamophobia – has been fanned over the past few decades. It feels like the old 'Paki' bashing gangs have been replaced by a new crusading wave that equates Islam with terrorism; sexual abuse with Pakistanis; asylum seekers with parasitic hordes about to overrun the country. This is the soil in which the Reform Party has taken root and flourished, in which ever cruder forms of racism are made respectable and electable. When both Labour and the Tories have become havens for a complex web of political corruption, Reform's simple anti-migrant and Islamophobic tropes are projected as an honest alternative. This has propelled the far-right party to the top of polls, with 30 percent of voters supporting it, compared with 22 percent for Labour and 17 for the Conservatives. In this environment, it was rather unsurprising that for the anniversary of the riots, the Economist magazine decided to run a poll focusing on race rather than on issues of economic decline, social deprivation and the never-ending austerity to which the working people of this country have been subjected. The survey showed that nearly 50 percent of the population think that multiculturalism is not good for the country, while 73 percent thought more 'race riots' will happen soon. The nurturing of violent racism at home has run parallel with England's long history of enacting it abroad. The new face of racism is fed on old imperial tropes of savages that need to be tamed and defeated by civilised colonial rule. These racist ideologies, which welded the empire together, have come back home to roost. They are playing out in the racist violence on the streets and in the state's repression of Palestine supporters. They are also playing out in the UK's unwavering political and military support for Israel, even as it bombs hospitals and schools in Gaza and starves children. Empire taught Britain to use racism to dehumanise entire peoples, to justify colonialism, to plunder, to spread war and famine. Genocide is in Britain's DNA, which explains its present-day collusion with genocidal Israel. Against this backdrop of racist, imperial violence, people of all colours and religions and none have mobilised. While they may not have stopped the genocide, they have laid bare the hypocritical barefaced lies of the British political elite. Only this sort of solidarity and challenge to racism can stop the dystopic world of my book becoming a reality. The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera's editorial stance.
Business Times
11-07-2025
- Business
- Business Times
Daily Debrief: What Happened Today (Jul 11)
Stories you might have missed Singapore ranked world's top port for 12th consecutive year It scored 99.5 out of 100 in the 2025 Xinhua-Baltic International Shipping Centre Development Index ahead of London, Shanghai and Hong Kong. Getting real on Good Class Bungalow prices Some silver-generation owners of bungalows in GCB Areas are adjusting downwards their price expectations, in favour of smaller homes and more cash for retirement. 'Defensive play benefiting from volatility': Analysts positive on SGX earnings, raise target prices BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up Citi also expects 'robust' FY2025 earnings for Singapore's bourse. CEO salaries: How much Singapore's top companies pay their leaders From Singtel to SIA and SingPost, compensation for corporate leaders in the city-state varies widely, reflecting sector performance, one-off gains and evolving corporate expectations. SMCCI, Maybank ink MOU to support Malay or Muslim-owned enterprises in Singapore, Malaysia The partnership focuses on the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone. Helen Wong to retire as OCBC CEO; Tan Teck Long named successor Tan will immediately assume the additional position of deputy CEO, OCBC said in a bourse filing on Friday (Jul 11).
New Straits Times
11-07-2025
- Business
- New Straits Times
Halal entrepreneurs eye JS-SEZ as SMCCI, Maybank join forces
KUALA LUMPUR: Interest is mounting among halal-focused entrepreneurs and businesses to capitalise on opportunities within the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ), said the Singapore Malay Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SMCCI). In response, SMCCI said it is partnering with Maybank Singapore to expand the ecosystem that supports SMEs ready to grow within the emerging economic corridor and explore broader regional opportunities. "We see rising demand from our members to explore opportunities in the JS-SEZ and the region especially in the Halal sector," SMCCI president Abdul Malik Hassan said in a statement. "By partnering with Maybank, we are strengthening the support ecosystem for entrepreneurs that are ready to take that step. Together, we aim to make cross-border growth more accessible, and assist Muslim-owned enterprises in Singapore navigate the regional landscape." SMCCI and Maybank Singapore have sealed a strategic partnership aimed at propelling the growth of Halal-focused small and medium enterprises (SMEs) across the JS-SEZ and the broader Asean region. The memorandum of understanding, signed this week, outlines joint efforts to enhance halal capability development and facilitate regional market access through trade visits, business events and training initiatives. SMCCI will provide members with practical support, ranging from business setup assistance and regulatory updates to workspace solutions and regional market insights, leveraging its on-the-ground knowledge and networks in Johor. Around 300 SMCCI members are expected to benefit from the expanded resources and cross-border opportunities made available through the partnership. Maybank will offer its full suite of financial products and continuing its myimpact Microbusiness Programme, which supports underserved entrepreneurs with training, mentorship and seed capital. "The halal economy is a fast-growing sector with enormous potential across Asean," said Maybank Singapore Islamic banking head Sazzali Sabandi. "Beyond Malaysia and Indonesia, we are seeing emerging interests from Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia in gaining a slice of the global Halal market that is estimated to reach US$5 trillion by 2030. "With Maybank's presence in all 10 Asean countries, we are able to support SMEs with the right tools and financial solutions to seize cross-border opportunities," he added. The collaboration comes as Asean's halal economy gains traction, offering a springboard for entrepreneurs to expand beyond national borders and tap into rising demand for ethical and faith-aligned goods and services.
Business Times
11-07-2025
- Business
- Business Times
SMCCI, Maybank ink MOU to support Malay or Muslim-owned enterprises in Singapore, Malaysia
[SINGAPORE] The Singapore Malay Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SMCCI) and Maybank Singapore signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to advance Halal-focused initiatives, and support the growth of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and Malay or Muslim-owned enterprises in Singapore and Malaysia. This partnership will focus on the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ), and subsequently extend across the wider South-east Asian region. Under this agreement, SMCCI and Maybank will jointly organise events, conferences and trade visits to facilitate market access, knowledge-sharing and Halal capability development, based on a media statement on Friday (Jul 11). On SMCCI's part, it will provide guidance to its members on business setup, market entry, workspace solutions, policy updates and market intelligence. This venture will allow around 300 SMCCI members to benefit from enhanced support and expanded regional opportunities. Maybank will complement SMCCI's efforts with its full suite of banking solutions, while continuing its collaboration through the bank's myimpact Microbusiness Programme, which empowers underserved entrepreneurs through business training, mentorship and seed funding. Sazzali Sabandi, head of Islamic banking at Maybank in Singapore, said: 'The Halal economy is a fast-growing sector with enormous potential across Asean. Beyond Malaysia and Indonesia, we are seeing emerging interests from Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia in gaining a slice of the global Halal market that is estimated to reach US$5 trillion by 2030. With Maybank's presence in all 10 Asean countries, we are able to support SMEs with the right tools and financial solutions to seize cross-border opportunities.' 'We see rising demand from our members to explore opportunities in the JS-SEZ and the region especially in the Halal sector,' said Dr Abdul Malik Hassan, president of SMCCI. 'This partnership with Maybank will strengthen the support ecosystem for entrepreneurs that are ready to take that step. We aim to make cross-border growth more accessible together, and assist Malay and Muslim-owned enterprises in Singapore navigate the regional landscape,' he added.
