The district administration bulldozed 14 Muslim houses to the ground in Bhainswahi village, a tribal-dominated area in Mandla, Madhya Pradesh, on June 15. The houses were reportedly demolished in an operation targeting cow smuggling and beef trading. The administration alleged that 150 cows were found during the raid.
“We demolished the homes where beef was found and left the others alone for now. Which homes to demolish is not part of our protocol. It is decided by the revenue department. We were taking action against cow smugglers. Leather companies in Jabalpur that bought animal hides and the local tribal people who bought cow meat from this gang will be investigated. The NSA will be invoked against five accused who are repeat offenders,” said Inder Baldev, SHO of Nainpur police station.
Meanwhile, police registered an FIR against 11 people under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act and the Cow Slaughter Prohibition Act at Nainpur police station in Mandla.
Police officers who raided the houses also arrested one of the 11 accused. The arrested accused, Wahid Qureshi, has been sent to judicial custody by the magistrate.
As per the reports of the Indian Express, police alleged that the meat was meant to be used for local consumption while the hides were supposed to be sold to leather businessmen in Jabalpur.
A senior officer investigating the case said “this racket” of alleged cow smugglers was operating between Mandla and Jabalpur. “The main accused has a relative who is in this business in Jabalpur. The bones were meant to be used for supplements, and the meat was used as fat in other edible oil products,” the officer said.
Meanwhile, the families who lost their homes in the demolition drive have a different story to narrate. To cover their sides of the story, FoEJ Media went on the ground and reported their narrative.
All these 14 families alleged the same narrative: that they “were not informed” about the demolition and that they were “not involved in cow smuggling.” They further revealed that the cows that were seized included their domestic cows, and others were stray cows that roamed freely in the nearby areas.
A Roof Was Snatched on Mere Suspicion
Saybuna Bano (34) is one of the women whose house was demolished. She told FoEJ Media that her house was razed down on mere suspicion and that her family was not involved in cow smuggling.
Bano further said that the move happened without any notice or warning—just a storm of destruction that wiped out her existence. “Where are the humans with humanity?” she asked.
Bano told FoEJ Media that she was peacefully sleeping when a loud cry from her neighbours broke the silence of the night.Bano went out to see what was happening, and to her surprise, she saw bulldozers demolishing the houses of her neighbours to the ground. Next came hers, and within a few hours, Bano’s asset turned into debris.
Expressing her grief, Bano said, “I’m left with no food. There’s no roof over my head,
“I’m left with nothing. Where do I take my children?” .
A Failed Attempt to Save a Hard-Earned Asset
Gulshan (28) is another woman who lost her hard-earned asset to the authorities. She tried to safeguard it but failed. Amidst the bulldozers, policemen, and hubbub, she fought to save her house but could not. “They have made us homeless,” Gulshan said.
“We are left with nothing; they destroyed it all. Where will we go now?” she added. Gulshan further revealed that she spent her Eid sitting near the debris of her demolished house. She begged neighbours to give them shelter, but no one came forward.
“I went from one house to another… hoping to get shelter, but nobody came forward; nobody helped me,” Gulshan narrated.
Gulshan further revealed that she was forced to sign on a piece of paper that she could not even read. “The police had a pistol and ‘lathi’; I got scared and signed the paper,” Gulshan added.
Gulshan told FoEJ Media that nothing was found in her house; still, it was demolished by the authorities.
“The police checked my house; they found nothing… On what basis did they demolish it?” she asked.
Injustice and Destruction
Aaliya Bano (32) claimed that no beef was found in her fridge; nothing was there in her house; still, it was demolished. She cried and asked the authorities to stop it, but no one paid heed to it.
“There was no beef; nothing was there; this is an allegation and an attack on our identity,” Aaliya said.
Aaliya claimed that her daughter’s money and jewellery were also seized, without a single reason given to them. Aaliya further revealed that no one in her vicinity gave her water to quench her thirst.
“If we go to anyone’s house, they don’t even give us water,” she said.
“The police have told people that anyone who’ll give us shelter will bulldoze their house as well,” Bano added.
A Cry for Justice
Sultana Bi, standing on the debris of her house, told FoEJ Media that she begged the authority to allow her to take the Qur’an with her, but they did not listen. Later on, her daughters went and took the Quran out of the house.
“We were surrounded by police; they were not allowing us to take the Quran, but my daughters cried their hearts out for the Quran, and they bravely took it with them,” she said.
Destruction of Dreams
Not only the houses, but the education was also snatched away in the wee hours of July 15. The books, notes, and other educational essentials were demolished without prior notice. When FoEJ Media reached the area of demolition, it saw books and notes lying under the debris of the house.
Today, Junaid, son of Aaliya, sits on a chair with his books under the debris. His watchful gaze seems to narrate his tale, detached from the surroundings and absorbed by the demolition.
Junaid is crammed with bricks and a bright foliage that seems dry to him, accompanied by birds. Ironically, black-coloured birds made him remember the darkness of June 15. He’s in the open air with no wall, yet he’s enclosed by all the emptiness.
Junaid is doubled over by a nightmare-like reality, and his eyes are filled with tears. The bitter reality of June 15 seems to be seeping into the life of Junaid, blackening it, maybe forever.
A worrisome thought tickles his face when he thinks about his home. Who’s responsible for his condition? Will he get his life back? Will he smile again? These questions make the rounds inside his fragile mind.
Another Dream was Snatched without a Warning
On the silent night of June 15th, when Sofiya was sleeping peacefully with her school bag kept on her bookshelf, ready to be taken in the morning, a group of policemen, accompanied by bulldozers, came and demolished her house without a warning.
Her house was demolished on mere suspicion of “beef trading.” With no evidence or legal notice Today, Sofiya sits with her wet books and roofless life. Who is responsible for this? Did she deserve this? What will happen next? Make the rounds in her mind.
An Act to Provide Respite
In a world where humans show brutality and animals show humanity, there still exist a few people and a few organisations that aim to provide relief to people like Mandla who fall prey to demutualization. One such organisation is Miles2Smile, which aims to provide shelter to these families and education to these children.
However, needless to say, these stories create an indelible mark on the justice system of our nation and speak volumes about the brutality of humans.
