Minority panel claims families left Kairana to pursue better business opportunities, criticises NHRC report

Members of the National Commission for Minorities have strongly criticised the report of National Human Rights Commission regarding alleged exodus of various families from Kairana in Shamli district, claiming that thepeople had left town to pursue better business opportunities.

Talking to reporters here on Monday evening, two members of theminorities panel Praveen Davar and Farida Abdulla Khan saidthe report of National Human Rights Commission is not based on facts but on "communal flavour".

The members, who had visited Kairana and Muzaffarnagar,said the migration of Kairana was not of communal nature. They said people of both Hindu and Muslim communities had left Kairana to pursue better business opportunities in other places.

They said the people had not migrated due to fear froma particular community. The NHRC probe team had found that many families"migrated" from Kairana due to threats pertaining to "increase in crime" and "deterioration" of law and order.

It found that in 2013, after resettlement of about25,000-30,000 members of Muslim community in Kairana town from Muzaffarnagar, the demography of Kairana town changed in favour of the Muslim community", as it became the "more dominating and majority community".

"Most of the witnesses examined and victims feel that therehabilitation in 2013 has permanently changed the social situation in Kairana town and has led to further deterioration of law-and-order situation," said the team's findings.

At least 24 witnesses said the youths of a "specific majority community" in Kairana "pass lewd/taunting remarks" against the females of a "specific minority community" as per the NHRC findings.

Due to this, females of the specific minority community in Kairana avoided going outside frequently. "Some of the displaced persons also verified that it was one of the reasons for their migration from Kairana town," the NHRC said quoting the team's findings.