India Demolishes Thousands of Muslim Homes in Gujarat

Rights groups slam Ahmedabad demolition drive displacing thousands, accusing authorities of communal targeting and mass profiling

By Abdullahi Yusuf

Thousands of Muslim families in India’s western state of Gujarat have been rendered homeless after local authorities launched a large-scale demolition campaign in the city of Ahmedabad, citing national security concerns and alleged illegal encroachments.

The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) began demolishing nearly 7,000 homes and structures on Tuesday in the Chandola Lake area.

According to Maktoob Media, most of the properties targeted belonged to Muslim residents, sparking widespread condemnation from minority groups who say the move is a form of collective punishment.

The demolitions follow the April 26 attack on tourists in Pahalgam, in India-administered Kashmir, after which authorities began detaining residents of Chandola on suspicions of being undocumented Bangladeshi immigrants.

Since then, more than 6,500 people—mostly Muslims—have been detained for citizenship verification, despite many holding valid Indian documents.

“This is completely inhumane behavior,” said Mujahid Nafees, convener of the Gujarat-based Minority Coordination Committee.

“People have been living here for over 40 years.First the administration detained over 1,000 people claiming they were Bangladeshis. But within a few days, nearly 850 were released after proving they were Indian citizens. Now, they are demolishing thousands of homes to cover up their own failure.”

The demolition campaign resumed after the Gujarat High Court upheld a prior clearance drive on April 29, ruling that the settlements were built on public land.

On April 28, over 4,000 shanties in nearby Siyasatnagar and Bengali Vaas were razed—again, displacing mostly Muslim families.

The residents affected are largely among the poorest in Indian society: daily-wage workers, ragpickers, and internal migrants from states like Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and West Bengal.

Activists say that no resettlement or rehabilitation plans have been provided to those displaced.

“The government has demolished houses without making any alternative arrangements. This is not just misgovernance — it’s harassment,” Nafees said.

Wasif Hussain, General Secretary of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind Gujarat, criticized the state’s rhetoric of referring to long-term residents as “Bangladeshi infiltrators.”

“These are Indian citizens,” he said. “They have voter ID cards, Aadhaar, ration cards — everything. And yet, during this demolition drive, entire families are being thrown out without notice, even as summer temperatures rise dangerously. Among them are elderly women and small children.”

Rights groups have demanded an immediate halt to the demolitions and have called on the Indian government to ensure compensation and alternative housing for all affected families

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