Outcry in India over proposed 'halal township' aimed at Muslims

Critics say project risks further entrenching religious divide; national body calls for probe

- Debarshi Dasgupta

NEW DELHI - The proposed development of an upscale residential project aimed at Muslims in a city near Mumbai has raised an uproar in India, with critics condemning the move as one that risks further entrenching the country's Hindu-Muslim religious divide.

The controversy erupted in early September after a video advertisement for the Sukoon Empire "halal township", featuring penthouses and infinity pools, in Karjat went viral. It shows a woman in a headscarf pitching "authentic community living" with "like-minded families that share the same values" and a "halal environment" where children can "grow safely".

Her narration is accompanied by visuals of people who look evidently Muslim, including a man in a skullcap who is seen reading the Quran. A mention of "prayer spaces" at the project is also accompanied by a domed structure that looks like a mosque.

The ad has especially angered right-wing Hindus, who have called it a threat to India's unity and described it as a "backdoor attempt" at imposing a "syariah parallel system".

It also prompted an intervention from the National Human Rights Commission, which asked the state government of Maharashtra on Sept 3 to investigate the matter and report back to it in two weeks.

Mr Priyank Kanoongo, the commission's chairman, told the Indo-Asian News Service that the ad "suggests Muslims are facing intolerance and want to move to a separate place to protect themselves".

"This is an implementation of a 'nation within a nation' theory," he added. "Today, you are talking about a separate township. Tomorrow, you will want Muslim doctors. Day after, you will ask for police who are Muslim..."