Muslim-owned unisex salons have become the focus of escalating tensions in Uttarakhand, with Hindutva groups accusing them of being fronts for so-called “love jihad.” The term, often used by right-wing organisations, alleges that Muslim men are deliberately targeting Hindu women under false pretenses of love and marriage.
Earlier this week, a newly launched salon on Tilak Road was shut down before it could open its doors, following a protest by Hindu organisations who gathered outside, raised slogans, and demanded the owner vacate the area. Protesters branded such salons as hubs of “immorality” and insisted they be banned from operating.
Hindu Shakti Sangathan’s state president, Raghvendra Bhatanagar, claimed that men from a “particular community” were misusing their access to female clients by obtaining their phone numbers and manipulating them. He warned of mass mobilisations if authorities failed to act. Bhatanagar also questioned why Muslim owners were hiring Hindu women as assistants, alleging that their own female relatives were never employed in these roles.
Sudhir Roy, representing Swabhiman Morcha, took a more hardline stance, demanding that Muslims be barred from operating salons altogether. He called for vetting of all outsiders working in such businesses and pressed the government — which he referred to as one rooted in Sanatani values — to step in and regulate these establishments.
Muslim barbers in the city say the campaign has left them fearful and uncertain about their future. Many spoke to media under condition of anonymity, saying they feel they are being criminalized simply for doing their jobs. “We’re not harming anyone — we cut hair, that’s all,” said one barber, as reported by the Observer Post. “Now even this is being painted as jihad. What’s next — tea stalls?” he added.
Adding to their distress, the local barber association threw its weight behind the protests. Its president, Vinod Kumar Chandel, announced he would shut his own unisex salon, though it remains unclear whether the decision was personal or made under pressure from the protesting groups.
A Muslim rights activist based in Dehradun described the situation as part of a growing effort to economically and socially isolate the community. “This is about more than just barbers. This is a systematic attempt to push Muslims to the edge, to make them either leave or live under constant fear,” he said. For many Muslim salon owners and workers, the uncertainty is mounting. Shops remain closed, and livelihoods hang in the balance.
