On 9th December, the Village Development Committee (VDC) in village Velpur of district Nizamabad in Telangana declared a social boycott against the Muslim community. The call was made in connection to a disputed piece of land. As per a report in Siasat, Hindus in the region alleged that the land was historically grazing land. On the other hand, Muslims claimed the graveyard and Eidgah on the piece of land have been there for over 150 years.
Following the tension between the two communities, authorities imposed Section 144 in the region to avoid any clashes. Furthermore, notices were issued to VDC and the Muslim community to resolve the matter peacefully. So far, VDC has not attended any meetings.
Inspite of Sec 144 imposed by @cp_nizamabad the Village Development Committee (VDC) Velpoor Village of Nizamabad District gave a call to Hindus to assemble and destroy Graves in Old Graveyard. Social bycott of muslims in Velpoor Village has been announced by VDC pic.twitter.com/nlKpr8ibD7
— Amjed Ullah Khan MBT (@amjedmbt) December 18, 2023
As per the Siasat report, on 10th December, around 200-250 people from the Hindu community gathered at the 4.12 acre disputed land that has Eidgah and the graveyard of the Muslim community. They tried to take over the land but police placed barricades and used lathi charges to disperse the members of the Hindu community.
On 11th December, the district collector of Nizamabad called for a meeting including representatives from the Waqf Board, RDO, ACP, and Velpur village elders. VDC members were not called for the meeting as they were deemed not to represent either village administration or government. No concrete resolution was reached in the meeting.
On 13th December, a statement was released by the Muslim community accusing VDC of indulging in anti-social activities to create communal tension. They pleaded with the Telangana Director General of Police to intervene and ensure the safety of Muslims in the region.
In the recent meeting that was held on 18th December, members of the Waqf Board, the Assistant Commissioner of police, elders from the village and Revenue Divisional Officers (RDO) discussed the matter. However, no resolution has been achieved to solve the dispute between the communities. The Muslim side asked for two days to resolve the matter and said it would be done by 20th December.
Tension over land in Velpur
The conflict over the disputed land erupted back in 2015 when VDCs alleged that the land was historically used for grazing. On the other hand, Muslims have asserted that the land has been used as a graveyard for over 150 years. The matter reached Lok Adalat but the members of the Muslim community did not attend the court proceedings.
What are VDCs?
Village Development Committees or VDCs were formed in the villages of Nizamabad and Kamareddy districts by the locals. These committees run on a self-organisational mechanism and handle disputes in the villages without reaching out to the courts or police.
OpIndia tried to contact the local police but could not connect.
