INDIA's UNFORTUNATE MEO (MEWATI) PASMANDA CASTE MUSLIMS, the only Muslim community, which is under constant attack by Hindutva forces since BJP's coming to power in 2014.
What are these?
These are charred bodies of NASIR & JUNAID, 2 Meo Muslims burnt to death by cow vigilantes
Junaid Khan & Nasir Khan, uncle & nephew duo from Bharatpur in Rajasthan were allegedly abducted & brought to Haryana by members of Bajrang Dal, where they were, beaten, tortured & then burnt alive to death on suspicion of carrying slaughtered cattle.
Who are MEOS / MEVS / MEWATI MUSLIMS ?
Why do they carry "KHAN" surnames ?
No, they are NOT PATHANS. They are not even remotely connected to either Pashtuns of Afghanistan or so called "Pathans" of North India & Pakistan.
They are a unique Muslim community.
MEO MUSLIMS are OBC Shudra Muslims, who live in southern districts of Haryana (especially Nuh) & neighbouring districts of Bharatpur & Alwar in Rajasthan. There are estimated 30 Lakh Meos, out of which 20 Lakh live in Haryana state. A large Meo population also lives in Pakistan.
MEOs say that they are descendants of Hindu Rajput converts to Islam but sociologists say that MEOs are actually Muslim converts from mix of Meena Adivasis & Hindu Shudra castes like Gujjars, Ahirs etc., who eventually converted to Sunni Islam around 400 years back.
Khanzada Rajput Muslims
versus
Ordinary Meo Muslims
People confuse Khanzada Rajputs with Meo Muslims since both live in Mewati regions of Haryana & Rajasthan.
KHANZADA RAJPUTS are Upper Caste Muslims, who were ruling & feudal elite of Mewat, while Meos are poor Shudra Muslims.
MEO MUSLIMS: Massive Poverty stricken, highly impoverished community
This is house of JUNAID KHAN, one of two Meo Muslim men killed by Bajrang Dal members. The dilapidated house has broken furniture & bare essentials. This is story of nearly all Meos.
Why "KHAN" surname ?
Just as Hindus have process of Sanskritization, there is equivalent peocess of Ashrafization among Shudra OBC Muslims of Rajasthan & Haryana, where they adopt "Khan" surname with hope of better treatment from Upper Caste Muslims (which never happens).
MEO MUSLIMS: a unique Muslim community
Worshipping Hindu God Shiva;
Celebrating Diwali, Holi & Govardhan Puja;
Keeping "Singh" as surnames;
Following Hindu "Gotra" system, were just some of things that defined identity of Meo Muslim community.
yourstory.com/2016/04/meo-mu…
Islamisation of MEO MUSLIMS:
Shocked at "infidel" practices of MEO MUSLIMS, a conservative & orthodox Sunni Muslim preacher Mohammad Illias established "Tablighi Jamaat" at Nuh in Mewat to "purify" Meos by getting them rid of their "infidel" practices.
theprint.in/india/how-tabl…
RAJA HASAN KHAN MEWATI: A Mewati ruler, who sided with Hindu Rajput King RANA SANGA against Mughal King BABAR.
Meos are proud of their legendary King, Raja Hasan Khan Mewati who rejected Babur's call to join him in name of Islam & instead decided to fight alongside Rana Sanga.
The revolt of 1857 that broke the back of Meos:
In anti British East India Company revolt of 1857, MEOS revolted against Britishers.
On the other hand Upper Caste Muslim Khanzada rulers of Nuh & powerful Hindu Jat kings of Bharatpur & Alwar sided with Britishers.
British won.
Defeat of Meo in 1857 revolt & their oppression by Hindu Jat Kings of Bharatpur & Alwar:
More than 6000 Meo Muslims were killed by East India Company. Britishers also rewarded Hindu Jat rulers of Bharatpur & Alwar by attaching large part of Meo Muslim areas to their kingdom.
TYRANNY OF MAHARAJA JAI SINGH PRABHKAR of Alwar against Meo Muslims
Jai Singh Prabhakar, an eccentric Hindu Jat ruler is said to have bought 7 new Rolls-Royce cars in 1920 and employed them for garbage collection in his state after he was refused a test drive in England.
Maharaja JAI SINGH was also hard core supporter of what can today be described as Hindutva causes. He was especially big backer of "Shuddhi movement" to convert Muslims back into Hindu fold. He patronized this to re-convert Meos back into Hindu fold.He oppressed his Meo subjects.
During this time, Chaudhary Mohammad Yasin Khan, emerged as undisputed leader of Meo Muslim community, who raised his voice against oppressive measures of Raja Jai Singh against Meo Muslims of Alwar.
Then partition of India happened in 1947. That was by far biggest blow to Meos.
Partition of India
Hindu Jat kings of both Bharatpur & Alwar unleashed near "ethnic cleansing" of Meos using their secret "Dhar" forces.
30,000 Meo Muslims were killed in Bharatpur alone & overall 2 Lakh Meos were thrown out of Alwar & Bharatpur & forced to go to Pakistan.
MEOS OF HARYANA, who stayed back in India.
While there was a near ethnic cleansing of Meo Muslims of Bharatpur & Alwar (present Rajasthan), Chaudhary Mohammad Yasin Khan requested Gandhi to personally come to Nuh & stop Meos of Nuh from going to Pakistan.
scroll.in/article/911290…
Cut to Modi era (2014 - onwards)
Haryana's MEWAT & its Pasmanda Caste MEO Muslims have been sole focus of cow vigilante lynchings & killings at hands of various motely group of Hindutva forces.
All MEO MUSLIMS only.
thequint.com/news/india/why…
Upper Caste Hindus?
NO, it is OBC Hindus, who are face of Hindutva terror on Meo Muslims of Haryana.
Monu Manesar aka, Mohit YADAV hails from Haryana's extremely Hindutvaized AHIR YADAV OBC community, who is accused of reign of terror on Meo Muslims in name of "cow protection"
From force feeding cow dung to Meo Muslims to live streaming of "raids" on "suspected cow smugglers" to organizing " Mahapanchayats for economic boycott of Muslims to fight against "love jihad", this YADAV OBC man is poster boy of HINDUTVA.
theprint.in/india/from-for…
This is live streaming of "raid" by Monu Manesar (aka YADAV) on "cow smugglers" (innocent Muslim truck drivers), wherein he would dangerously chase truck & shoot in tyres to stop vehicle & then drag Muslim driver out & beat him mercilessly.
These are photos of "captured cow smugglers" (most of them Meo Muslims), who are badly beaten by Monu Manesar & his gang of Bajrang Dal goons, which he himself proudly displays on social media.
Believe it or not, this is happening openly in India in 2023.
Lastly,
MEO MUSLIMS are badly trapped in this Hindutva quagmire & they curse their fate as to why didn't their grandparents move to Pakistan. They very poor Pasmanda Caste Muslims, who have unfortunately seen a lot of suffering and pain, none of which seems to have an end.
Correction:
Alwar was not a Hindu Jat kingdom. It was a Hindu Rajput kingdom. Maharaja Jai Singh was from Kachwaha Hindu Rajput clan.
Bharatpur was however Hindu Jat Kingdom, where much of massacre of Meo Muslims took place in 1947.
Share this Scrolly Tale with your friends.
A Scrolly Tale is a new way to read Twitter threads with a more visually immersive experience.
Discover more beautiful Scrolly Tales like this.