Minorities panel challenges NHRC report on Kairana

Debunks links between riot victims and growing crime

The National Commission for Minorities (NCM) on Monday said there was nothing on the ground in Kairana which could confirm the National Human Rights Commission’s observation of a “Kairana exodus”.

A NCM team had gone to Kairana and Muzaffarnagar on Monday to find out how community relations were affected by claims of an exodus from Kairana.

The NHRC, in its report on allegation of “exodus of Hindus” from Kairana, alleged that the displaced riot victims were responsible for an increase in crime and deterioration of law and order which had resulted in some of the Hindu families leaving the area.

Farida Abdullah Khan, the NCM member, who led the NCM team to Muzaffarnagar and Shamli, told

The Hindu , “There was nothing on the ground which could confirm the NHRC report about internal displacement and migration of riot victims to Kairana changing the demographics of the town”.

“The NHRC report claimed that over 30,000 riot victims had migrated to Kairana town and changed its demography. The fact is that maximum number of the families who left the Hindu dominated villages during the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots and came to Kairana is 2,000-3,000,” she said.

“Similarly, the NHRC report suggested that the riot victims, who left their houses and migrated to Kairana and are struggling to settle down in a situation largely bereft of dignity, were responsible for an increase in crime in the town. That is factually not true.”