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Scroll.in
13 hours ago
- Politics
- Scroll.in
‘Jeans jihad': How Delhi's industries ministry shut down a booming, Muslim-dominated garment hub
For over two decades, the jeans stitching hub in the urban village of Khyala in West Delhi drew hundreds of Muslim tailors from Uttar Pradesh. Scores of sweatshops mushroomed here as the business grew, prompting the authorities in 2021 to recognise Khyala as an industrial area. In time, a wholesale jeans market – among the largest in Delhi – sprang up in the neighbourhoods abutting Khyala. While Muslims dominated the business by virtue of being the first movers, Hindus and Sikhs found space in it too. All was well, locals say, till accusations began to float around this summer that Muslims were waging a so-called jeans jihad. According to this conspiracy theory, Muslims had been using the jeans business to change the demography of the area by forcing out Sikhs and Hindus. Amplifying the claims (though he did not specifically use the term 'jeans jihad') was Manjinder Singh Sirsa of the Bharatiya Janata Party – the local MLA and Delhi's minister for industries. On social media, he has weaponised residents' grievances against the haphazard expansion of the jeans industry using communal rhetoric that attacks its mostly Muslim workers. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Manjinder Singh Sirsa (@mssirsa) Sirsa has repeatedly asserted that the Muslims from Uttar Pradesh working in the jeans business are 'Bangladeshi and Rohingya infiltrators'. Not only that, craftsmen alleged that the minister has used his powers to shut down jeans factories and drive workers away from the area. When Scroll visited Khyala, it was clear that industrial activity had been virtually paralysed because of a sealing drive against establishments claimed to be illegal. The few workers still around were idling about. Most had returned to Uttar Pradesh or moved elsewhere for work. The industries minister has publicly claimed credit for the shutdown of the Khyala garment hub. The Rohingya-Bangladeshi bogey 'You can come to my area and see for yourself,' the minister boasted on a podcast that was aired on July 7. 'I chased out many of them who were working in jeans factories.' The interviewer had asked Sirsa what the BJP government in Delhi was doing about 'illegal immigrants' from Bangladesh and Myanmar. Sirsa offered no evidence to support his allegations. There are no reports of the police investigating claims of foreign migrants working in Khyala, much less confirmed instances. The station house officer of Khyala police station refused to comment on whether any foreign nationals had been found in the area. Calls and messages to the deputy commissioner of police in West Delhi district went unanswered. When Scroll asked Sirsa about the absence of evidence for his Rohingya-Bangladeshi claims, he said: 'It is good if they have run away. Now our area will be safer.' Sirsa also said that he was 'executing orders' passed by the Supreme Court regarding unlawful businesses. 'The problem of illegal factories has been there for a long time,' he added. 'We are sorting it out now.' The podcast was not the first time that the minister had claimed that Bangladeshis and Rohingyas were employed in the Khyala jeans industry. His social media posts show that he began using the communal dog whistle back in May. In the beginning, Sirsa only spoke against the factories that had expanded into the residential parts of his constituency. There was some merit to this complaint, said residents. Khyala is chock-a-block with factories, offices and dhabas. As business grew, establishments started to spill out into the neighbouring areas of Raghubir Nagar and Vishnu Garden. This had a dual effect on those already living there: while real-estate prices shot up, traffic and waste management got worse. 'During the elections, Sirsa promised to clear the roads and drains,' said Shrikant Porwal, a jeans wholesaler and a prominent member of the market association. 'He was under pressure to perform. If he did not solve problems in his own constituency, it would reflect poorly on him as a minister.' By the end of May, Sirsa was accusing business owners of making the area uninhabitable and threatening them with imminent action. In one of his videos, he singled out a biryani shop for attention. 'You people have made it impossible for residents to survive here,' he said. 'Sisters, daughters and mothers can't step out of their homes.' A sealing drive began in June, with government officials downing the shutters of allegedly illegal factories. Around the same time, sections of the Hindi media picked up the story and labelled it it a case of ' jeans jihad'. According to these publications, Hindu and Sikh residents were being forced to vacate the area because of the ever-expanding, Muslim-dominated denim business. Curiously, most of these media outlets used images of the same placard that was supposedly pasted outside buildings in Khyala. 'Jeans Jihad. This house is for sale,' it read. None of the people that Scroll spoke to for this article knew where the placard came from. On July 1, Sirsa joined the chorus. 'Hindu girls and Sikh families are suffering in my constituency,' he claimed in an Instagram video. 'You [Muslim business owners] opened chicken shops there to drive people out. They had to move out of their homes.' Sirsa told Scroll he had nothing to do with the 'jeans jihad' theory. However, he reiterated his concern for Hindu and Sikh families. 'If Rohingyas and Bangladeshis come here, who else will be at risk?' he asked. Residents insist that this fear-mongering is without basis and precedent. Abid Khan, who has made jeans in the area since 1999, said that Sikh residents had never complained about their Muslim neighbours in Khyala and Vishnu Garden before. 'I challenge you to go through police records and find five such cases from the last 20 years,' he added. 'Have the Sikhs suddenly discovered these problems with us Muslims? There is no issue between the two communities. Only outsiders are bringing this up.' Harcharan Singh Kalsi, a 55-year-old Sikh salesman, also said that residents like him bore no ill feeling towards those working in the jeans business. In fact, he credited the industry for pushing up property prices in the area. 'In Delhi, there are many neighbourhoods like Chandni Chowk and Sadar Bazaar that are both commercial and residential,' he said. 'It is a good thing. We have no problems with it.' A senior police officer from West Delhi district, who asked not to be identified, dismissed the idea that the jeans industry had led to more crime in the area. Disputes between neighbours had led to the civic authorities sealing some factories but there was no increase in street crimes, the officer said. However, Sirsa stuck to his guns and reiterated the Bangladeshi-Rohingya charge in his attacks on the jeans business. 'These people are dangerous like snakes,' he said in the podcast. 'They bite the hand that feeds them.' Gripped by fear The minister's words and actions have had a devastating impact on those who depend on the jeans business for their livelihood. Until the start of the government crackdown in June, it used to employ more than 15,000 workers, estimated Abid Khan, the jeans manufacturer. Only a fraction of them are still around. 'There is fear in the minds of people,' said Khan. 'The poor, daily wage earners have been hit the worst. Those who did not have licences simply picked up their machines and left.' Shah Rukh Khan, a tailor from Kasganj in Uttar Pradesh worked in Khyala for 15 years before the sealing drive forced him to go back. While he still stitches jeans for a living, his earnings have dropped substantially. 'I go to Delhi to buy supplies so that is an extra cost I have to bear,' he said. 'There is no place like Delhi for this business. I had to leave because my landlord was afraid that his property would get sealed.' Workers who stayed bendhid had to reckon with frequent shutdowns and lost wages because of the frequent visits from government officials. When Scroll visited Khyala, workers were roaming the streets and chatting about which factories were sealed that day. 'I will have to go and find work in Noida now,' complained Shanu Khan, a tailor from Budaun in Uttar Pradesh. 'There are many problems here. All the dhabas have shut down.' Aman Pathan, another tailor from Budaun, said that officials had carried out inspects three times in just the previous week, effectively bringing work to a halt. This meant that he and other workers had managed to make very little money in this time because their pay is based on how many pairs of jeans they are able to stitch every week. Asked about the charge that the workers were Bangladeshis and Rohingyas, Pathan simply said: 'They can call us anything they want to, they are in power.' Even Sirsa's supporters in Khyala and Vishnu Garden struggled to defend his claims about foreigners working in the factories. 'I have never seen any Bengalis working in this market, let alone any Bangladeshis or Rohingyas,' said Porwal, the member of the market association. 'People from Uttar Pradesh run the show here. Sirsa may have been talking about the whole constituency and not this market.' While Porwal expressed support for government intervention in his area, he did not agree with 'jeans jihad' theory. 'Things should be resolved peacefully,' he appealed. 'So many people depend on this market. Yes, all businesses should be legal. But nobody should have to leave. After all, every market in Delhi is somewhat illegal.'
The Hindu
3 days ago
- Business
- The Hindu
Logistics and warehousing policy to be announced soon: Sirsa
The Delhi government will soon launch the Logistics and Warehousing Policy, 2025, said Industries Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa on Sunday. The government is exploring dedicated logistics hubs, green freight corridors, and technology-driven solutions, as the policy, which aims to ease congestion, curb pollution, and boost ease of doing business, is expected to be made public in 15 days, according to the Minister's office. The policy will be structured around 16 key action points, which collectively aim to overhaul Delhi's logistics landscape, including 24/7 operations for logistics parks through amendments to the Model Shops Act, digital delivery management to optimize truck movement and reduce peak-hour traffic, and merging trade and establishment licenses to cut red tape for warehousing businesses and others. 'This is a game-changer policy. It will make our logistics ecosystem cleaner, faster, and more competitive. Traders will gain, commuters will breathe easier, and Delhi will set a benchmark for sustainable urban freight,' Mr. Sirsa said. Mr. Sirsa said that Delhi currently handles 10 lakh tonnes of freight per day through 1.93 lakh vehicles, 21% of which passes through traffic. The largest share is carried by trucks transporting building materials (4,132 vehicles/day), textiles (3,995), fruits and vegetables (2,569), and food products (2,468). Even pharmaceuticals (559) and automobiles (588) contribute to congestion. 'Without proper warehousing zones, these vehicles enter city interiors, clogging major routes and worsening pollution,' Mr. Sirsa said. The Minister said that the draft policy proposes relocating warehouses to the periphery, consolidating freight at three modern Urban Consolidation and Logistics Distribution Centres to be built on city outskirts with incentives for traders and shifting last-mile deliveries to electric and CNG vehicles. 'These measures will cut vehicular emissions and reduce congestion at hotspots like Azadpur, Ghazipur, Naraina, and Karol Bagh, delivering a significant win for air quality,' he added.
Hans India
3 days ago
- Business
- Hans India
Delhi to soon get logistics policy to ease traffic, clean air: Minister Sirsa
The Delhi government is preparing to launch its Logistics and Warehousing Policy 2025, with the draft outlining measures to decongest Delhi, reduce pollution and improve trade efficiency, an official said on Sunday. The government is exploring dedicated logistics hubs, green freight corridors, and technology-driven solutions — initiatives that promise to ease traffic, cut emissions, and boost the ease of doing business. Industries Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said the absence of a comprehensive warehousing policy in the past has severely impacted Delhi's environment and economy. 'For years, the national capital suffered from clogged roads, chaotic freight movement, and rising pollution because the previous government failed to act. Traders were left to struggle with outdated systems. Our government is correcting this through a forward-looking policy that will create dedicated logistics hubs, reduce emissions, and ease business operations,' he said. Delhi currently handles 10 lakh tonnes of freight per day through 1.93 lakh vehicles, 21 per cent of which pass through traffic. The largest share is carried by trucks transporting building materials (4,132 vehicles/day), textiles (3,995), fruits and vegetables (2,569), and food products (2,468), while even pharmaceuticals (559) and automobiles (588) contribute to congestion. Without proper warehousing zones, these vehicles enter city interiors, clogging major routes and worsening pollution, said an official statement. Sirsa said the draft policy proposes relocating warehouses to the periphery and shifting last-mile deliveries to electric and CNG vehicles. These measures will cut vehicular emissions and reduce congestion at hotspots like Azadpur, Ghazipur, Naraina, and Karol Bagh. The upcoming policy is structured around 16 key action points, which collectively aim to overhaul Delhi's logistics landscape. Among the major initiatives are: 24/7 operations for logistics parks through amendments to the Model Shops Act; digital delivery management to optimise truck movement and reduce peak-hour traffic; and creation of designated commercial parking areas with loading bays under the PPP model. The draft also talks about the development of Urban Consolidation and Logistics Distribution Centres (UCLDCs) to consolidate cargo and shift last-mile delivery to clean fuel vehicles. Sirsa said the draft policy also proposes merging trade and establishment licences to cut red tape for warehousing businesses. These action points will directly address bottlenecks, from truck parking shortages to outdated freight handling systems, making Delhi's supply chain more efficient and environmentally sustainable, he said. The draft policy also outlines a comprehensive set of subsidies to support industry players and encourage sustainable practices. These include land lease discounts to incentivise traders relocating warehouses from congested city centres, subsidies for technology adoption, and financial support for upgrading cold chains and storage facilities, added Sirsa.
NDTV
4 days ago
- Automotive
- NDTV
"Pollution Should Be The Criteria": Minister On Old Vehicles' Ban In Delhi
New Delhi: The Delhi government has approached the Supreme Court seeking a review of its 2018 order, which bans diesel vehicles older than 10 years and petrol vehicles older than 15 years in the Delhi-NCR region. The petition argues that the age-based ban is outdated and unfairly targets even roadworthy, non-polluting vehicles, hitting middle-class owners the hardest. The plea comes amid growing backlash over the Commission for Air Quality Management's (CAQM) July order to stop fuel supply to vehicles that fall under the "end-of-life" category. That order has now been deferred till November 1 after strong public opposition and intervention by the Delhi government. Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa confirmed the development, saying the situation has changed significantly since 2018. "The situation of 2025 is totally different from 2018, and there are many modern technologies available now. We want to apprise the honourable court, and that's why we have filed the review," Mr Sirsa told NDTV. Mr Sirsa added, "If a vehicle is polluting, it should be banned, regardless of whether it's five years old or fifteen. Pollution should be the criteria, not the age of the vehicle." The petition warns that continuing with the 2018 ruling will lead to even BS-VI compliant vehicles being taken off the roads in the coming years, without scientific justification. It questions why even BS-IV vehicles that pass Pollution Under Control (PUC) tests are being sidelined and calls for decisions to be based on updated emissions data. The government has urged the court to order a comprehensive, scientific study on how older vehicles contribute to pollution, rather than relying on blanket age-based rules. The petition also cited that other countries like Japan, the US, and those in the EU do not ban vehicles solely based on age. Instead, they rely on regular testing and real-time emissions data to decide if a vehicle should remain on the road. The debate has struck a chord with vehicle owners across NCR, many of whom say they've suffered despite owning well-maintained cars. Naresh Malik, a South Delhi resident, shared his ordeal, "I had to sell my Corolla Altis, which had only run 34,000 km in 15 years, at a throwaway price. It was in perfect condition. Today's cars can easily last 2.5 lakh kilometres. Why are we judged just on age?" "If the aim is to reduce pollution, the focus should be on traffic congestion and stricter PUC (Pollution Under Control) checks, not arbitrary rules. I'm hopeful the court will understand the practical concerns of people like us, especially the financial burden we face," he added. The CAQM's July 1 directive to stop refuelling ELV vehicles had triggered widespread public outcry. Minister Sirsa wrote to the commission asking for a pause, and Lt Governor VK Saxena later advised the government to take the matter to the Supreme Court. The case is now listed for hearing on Monday, and its outcome could impact thousands of vehicle owners across the capital region, as well as future national policies on vehicle retirement and pollution control.
Time of India
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Time of India
Transport & environment depts studying ban on overage vehicles, to submit report
Delhi govt asked its transport and environment departments to study the current guidelines on end-of-life vehicles, enforcement against overaged vehicles and the reaction of the public and stakeholders to the action. Govt will also assess the removal of vehicles so far and the impact of this on air quality levels, officials said on Thursday. One official added, "Govt may then file a review petition on the policy in the Supreme Court based on the findings and reports submitted by the two departments." Environment minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said, "The environment and transport departments are studying, separately, the guidelines, their impact on the public and the benefits and consequences on ground and air quality levels. Once they complete their studies and submit the report, govt will take further decisions on filing a petition in the court." The departments will also mention the other measures they took in the last five months to curb air pollution in the city and their results, said a govt official. A 2014 order of the National Green Tribunal also prohibits the parking of vehicles aged over 15 years in public places. Following the NGT and Supreme Court's order, in 2021-22, the transport department began de-registering petrol and diesel vehicles that had completed, respectively, 15 years and 10 years of life. Then in 2023, the transport department launched an enforcement drive against these overaged vehicles found parked in public places or running on the roads. However, several vehicle owners moved court, following which govt was asked to come up with proper guidelines to handle ELVs in Delhi. The current govt relaunched the enforcement drive in July and banned provision of fuel to ELVs, both cars, trucks and bikes. However, after facing public heat the drive was halted on grounds of "critical operational and infrastructural challenges". Sirsa also wrote to pollution watchdog Commission for Air Quality Management pleading the city authorities could not accommodate the panel's imposition of the anti-ELV measure. After this, lieutenant governor VK Saxena wrote to CM Rekha Gupta, asking Delhi govt to seek a review petition before the apex court against its 2018 order restricting petrol vehicles beyond 15 years and diesel vehicles beyond 10 years from plying in Delhi-NCR. "How can a vehicle banned as unfit in Delhi run lawfully in other cities? This is against equal treatment," LG queried in the letter. Citing equality and socio-economic reasons, Saxena underlined that such rules should be proportionate, non-arbitrary and not solely based on a rigid age-based classification. He also said that the ban should be put on hold unless it was implemented across NCR. He sought a comprehensive air pollution mitigation plan within three months. Talking on similar lines, Gupta said, "Just as we requested CAQM to review its decision on overage vehicles, we will approach the Supreme Court to give us a detailed overview of our preparation in the fight against pollution, and we will let the court know of public grievances. We will fight for the rights of people.">
