Residents, police, and a local group reported that over 3,000 poor Muslims fled the city of Nuh and Gurugram in the Indian state of Haryana this month following clashes between Hindus and Muslims and targeted attacks. Shops owned or managed by Muslims were shut down, and locks were placed on homes in two major areas of the slums, after more than a week of violent clashes that resulted in the deaths of seven people in the neighboring capital region. However, the limited attacks targeting Muslims continued for several days, raising concerns for families that had moved to the urban center of Gurugram in search of livelihoods.
Anil Vij, the Home Minister in the Bharatiya Janata Party government, stated that he had received reports of some Muslims leaving, but that the situation was now completely under control. He told Reuters, "No one is asking them to leave, and we are providing full security in all areas with community sensitivities." The Haryana police arrested more than 200 men from both communities regarding the violence, and some Muslims who fled have begun to return.
Mufti Mohammad Salim, the head of the Gurugram branch of the All India Muslim Scholars Association, estimated that over 3,000 Muslims left the area after the violence. Witnesses indicated that stone-pelting and the burning and vandalism of small Islamic shrines in the slums forced hundreds of Muslim families to flee their small one-room homes and seek refuge at a train station before leaving.
Four Muslim shop owners who fled to their villages in eastern India reported via telephone that members of Hindu extremist groups were questioning them about their businesses and families. A barber named Sheikh, who fled from Tejgar village, said, "A large group of Hindus came and started asking questions like how much money I earn." Sheikh added, "Many Muslims have concluded that it is better for them to leave for a while," explaining that some Hindu landlords renting to Muslims asked them to vacate.
