NEW DELHI — A large number of Muslim families in Malegaon, Maharashtra, have been left homeless after the local administration demolished over 55 huts and thatched houses, following an order from the Bombay High Court. The demolition, carried out at the weekend (May 3-4), has displaced hundreds of people, most of them poor workers, sparking shock, grief, and anger in the town.
While the administration claims it acted lawfully, the human cost has raised serious questions, especially in a Muslim-majority city where most of the affected belong to the working class. For many, this sudden loss has left them without shelter. Most of them have now been forced to live with relatives, friends, or even on the roadside.
The land in question, Gut No. 178/3 in the Malda Shivar area, had long been a point of dispute. It spans about one and a half acres. According to local sources, some people had converted this land into plots and sold them to poor families, often without legal clarity. The matter reached court, and the high court eventually ruled in favour of the original landowner.
Following this order, Malegaon Municipal Corporation brought in bulldozers and JCB machines to carry out the eviction. What followed was destruction that left entire families in tears.
Aqeel Sheikh, a power loom worker, watched helplessly as his home was reduced to rubble. “I was given a plot by a commission agent. I was told the notary would arrange the documents after some time. I trusted them for years. Now, there is no house and no land,” he said, his voice heavy with grief. “Those who sold us the plots are known as ‘respectable people’ in Malegaon. What respect is this?”
Shabana Bano, another victim, broke down, narrating her ordeal. “We are homeless in this hot summer. My children are sleeping on other people’s floors. I had paid for this land in good faith. No one from the administration or political leaders has come to help us,” she said.
Most of the families affected by the demolition are from the Muslim community, and many are poor daily wage workers, loom labourers, or housemaids who had invested their life’s savings to buy these small plots. Many had built homes over time, brick by brick.
This story was originally published in clarionindia.net. Read the full story here.
