Tag Archives: Muslims of Uttarakhand

Muslim Leader’s Appointment As Samajwadi Party Head In Uttarakhand Springs Surprise Along With New Political Equations

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Nainital District, UTTARAKHAND :

New Delhi :

The appointment of a Muslim leader, Abdul Mateen Siddiqui, as the new president
of Samajwadi Party state unit in Uttarakhand has sprung surprise in the political circles and
indicated the emergence of new political equations less than five months ahead of high-stakes
Assembly elections in the state as well as in neighbouring Uttar Pradesh.

Sixty-six-year-old Siddiqui hails from the Nainital district and has previously served as
Samajwadi Party’s general secretary and state in-charge in Uttarakhand. He previously
contested the Haldwani Assembly seat on the party ticket in 2007 and 2012, but lost both the
times.

Following his appointment, Siddiqui announced the dissolution of all existing state executive
committees, district units, and frontal organisations to rebuild the party structure from the
ground up ahead of the Assembly elections. Alongside Siddiqui, Sonam Bagwadi and Abha
Barthwal were named as state in-charges/observers for the Uttarakhand unit of Samajwadi
Party.

Siddiqui, a businessman, has replaced a mahant, Shubham Giri, who was named Samajwadi
Party’s working president over eight months ago. This is the first time that the party, which was
once a force to be reckoned with in Uttar Pradesh, has appointed a Muslim face as the
Uttarakhand unit president.

Alongside forming a new state executive committee, Siddiqui has been asked to focus on nearly
20 seats with significant Muslim populations across Haridwar, Udham Singh Nagar, Dehradun
and Nainital districts, and to also work in bordering Muslim-dominated districts of western
Uttar Pradesh. Uttarakhand is scheduled to go to the polls along with Uttar Pradesh in February
2027.

Muslim voters have largely supported the Congress and the Bahujan Samaj Party in these seats
in several elections in the past. Rajendra Chaudhary, Samajwai Party spokesperson and in-
charge of Uttarakhand, was quoted as saying by media outlets that Siddiqui has been appointed
because Muslims are a major constituent of the electorate in the districts located in the plains
of Uttarakhand.

Evidently, the move to appoint Siddiqui forms part of Samajwadi Party’s strategy to consolidate
support in Muslim-dominated Assembly seats across several districts in Uttarakhand as well as
the bordering regions in western Uttar Pradesh. The decision is also set to create new political
equations in the region, as the Muslim community will be playing a crucial role in the 2027
Assembly elections with its capacity to determine the poll outcome.

Samajwadi Party had appointed Shubham Giri, 34, as the Uttarakhand unit working president in
January this year, when the Magh Mela in Prayagraj had turned into a political battlefield as the
ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and the Opposition parties like the Samajwadi Party and Congress
took on each other over the alleged high-handedness of the Uttar Pradesh administration
towards Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati, the Shankaracharya of the Jyotirmath in
Uttarakhand.

Jyotirmath, also known as Joshimath, is a sacred town and municipal board in the Chamoli
district of Uttarakhand. It is one of the four cardinal monasteries established in the 8th century
by Adi Shankaracharya. It also serves as the winter home of Lord Badrinath, as the deity is
moved from the Badrinath Temple to the ancient Narasimha Temple in Jyotirmath during the
winter months.

Swami Avimukteshwaranand had staged a sit-in protest after the Uttar Pradesh police allegedly
prevented him from taking a holy dip at the Triveni Sangam on the occasion of Mauni Amavasya
on January 18 this year. The Prayagraj administration denied these allegations. Akhilesh and the
Congress had extended support to the seer, attacking the ruling BJP for disrespecting the
religion.

On Giri’s appointment then, the Samajwadi Party camp had said it was done because the party
respected all mahants, seers and saints. His selection was also seen as an attempt to counter
the BJP’s allegation against the Samajwadi Party for indulging in so-called Muslim
appeasement.

Samajwadi Party has maintained that Giri’s performance as the Uttarakhand unit chief was not
satisfactory. Despite this, he has now been appointed as the state unit’s co-incharge. Giri, on
the other hand, has stated that he had tried to strengthen Samajwai Party in the state and
organised various programmes to connect with people.

“But some people in the party got upset with me. Also, I am preparing to contest election from
Pirankaliyar seat in Haridwar district. So, I requested the party leadership to free me from the
responsibility of the state working president, so that I can focus on my seat,” Giri was quoted as
saying. Being a mahant, Giri wears saffron and lives in an ashram in Haridwar. He has been
engaged in various religious activities.

Siddiqui has announced that since the Assembly elections are round the corner in both
Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh, he will work to boost the party’s prospects in both states. He
says he will focus on about 20 seats in Uttarakhand which have significant Muslim population,
and affirms that the party will contest with full strength there.

“I will work also in several seats in bordering western Uttar Pradesh districts like Bareilly,
Rampur, Moradabad, Bijnor, Saharanpur, etc., where Muslims are in large numbers. Our first
priority is to ensure the formation of the Samajwadi Party government in Uttar Pradesh,”
Siddiqui said.

Both the Samajwadi Party and the Congress, which are currently allies in the Opposition INDIA
bloc, vie with each other for Muslim votes in these districts of western Uttar Pradesh. While the
two parties are preparing to forge an alliance to fight the elections in Uttar Pradesh, no such
alignment between them is expected in Uttarakhand.

Muslims make up about 14% of Uttarakhand’s population. The districts with the highest
proportion of Muslims in the state are Haridwar (34.28%), Udham Singh Nagar (22.58%),
Nainital (12.65%) and Dehradun (11.91%). In the 2022 Uttarakhand Assembly polls, Samajwadi
Party had contested 55 of the state’s 70 seats, failing to open its account.

The BJP won 47 seats to return to power, with the Congress winning 19. The BSP won two
seats, Manglaur and Laksar in Haridwar, with both its winning candidates being Muslim. In the
2022 Uttar Pradesh elections, the BJP returned to power by winning 255 of the state’s 403 seats
as against Samajwadi Party’s 111. In western Uttar Pradesh, which accounts for 74 seats,
Samajwadi Party got 23 and its then ally Rashtiya Lok Dal eight, with the BJP bagging 43 seats.

source: http://www.indiatomorrow.net / India Tomorrow / Home> Politics / by India Tomorrow, Correspondent / October 14th, 2026

From Middle-Class Roots to Rs 5 Crore: How IIM Bangalore’s Zaid Khan Built a Business at 25

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UTTARAKHAND / NEW DELHI :

At 25, Zaid Khan is already running a business worth an estimated Rs 5 crore while pursuing his MBA at the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Bangalore. The founder of Zedital Media Private Limited, a branding and media company, Khan recently shared his entrepreneurial story on The Crore Club podcast, hosted by Shreya Hegde.

His classmates at IIM Bangalore are preparing for annual job packages of Rs 25 to 40 lakh. Khan, by contrast, already leads a company offering Online Reputation Management, Content Distribution Management, and LinkedIn Profile Amplification Management services.

For students hoping to launch their own ventures, Khan offered two clear pieces of advice. The first is to start selling something, no matter how small. “Start selling something, whether it is a skill, a piece of advice, or any service, even if it is just for Rs 100 or Rs 200. It helps build confidence,” he said. The second is to build a strong online presence. “Content is the digital currency. Build your online presence because that is what creates opportunities,” he added.

Khan grew up in a middle-class family where conventional careers were strongly encouraged. “Everyone told me to become a doctor. The second option was engineering,” he recalled. During Class 12, he faced pressure to prepare for the NEET medical entrance examination. He chose a different path instead.

He began working with YouTube creators and took up freelance projects. A turning point came when he secured a freelancing assignment with a California-based influencer, earning Rs 1.24 lakh, his largest payment at the time. That experience convinced him a career outside traditional professions was possible.

Khan later completed a Bachelor’s degree in Communication and Journalism at Graphic Era Hill University between 2019 and 2022 before joining IIM Bangalore’s Business Administration programme in September 2024.

His recognitions include Youngest Entrepreneur of Uttarakhand, Innovative Entrepreneur 2024, and Trailblazer in Digital Marketing Solutions.

His journey demonstrates that starting early, gaining real-world experience, and consistently building a digital identity can open professional doors well before graduation.

source: http://www.radiancenews.com / Radiance News /Home> Features> Pride of the Nation>Markers of Excellence/ by Radiance News Bureau / July 29th,2026

Punjab mosque to honour Muslims who died while distributing flood relief

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Raizada Village (Ajnala Tehsil, Amritsar District), PUNJAB :

Shahi Imam of Punjab Maulana Usman Rehmani Ludhianvi taking charge of the mosque in village Raizada of Amritsar, Punjab

The Sikhs and Hindus of a village in the Amritsar district of Punjab have handed over a mosque which lay in a run-down state since no Muslims lived there after the partition of India in 1947, to the Muslims for restoration.

In a ceremony attended by Shahi Imam of Punjab, Maulana Muhammad Usman Ludhianvi, in the small village of Raizada in Ajnala tehsil of Amritsar, locals formally handed over the mosque to the Muslim community.

The initiative was led by the village sarpanch, Sardar Omkar Singh. Closed since the partition of 1947, the mosque, for the first time on Friday, echoed with the sounds of the Azaan, the call for prayers.

Sikhs, Hindus, Muslims, Christians and Dalits all stood together inside the mosque located on the banks of the River Ravi.

The mosque is in a dilapidated condition, wild grass and vegetation covered it; its walls collapsed. A school running inside it was closed 11 years ago.

Yet the non-Muslims of the village believed the mosque was not just a Muslim heritage, but that of the village. One of them remarked, “In Punjab, we are connected not by religion, but by heart.”

Shahi Imam of Punjab Maulana Muhammad Usman Rahmani Ludhianvi with villagers of Raizada

In his address, Maulana Muhammad Usman Rahmani Ludhianvi narrated the history of harmony in Punjab. He said Guru Nanak Dev, whom Muslims remember as “Baba Nanak”, was carried to a safe place by Muslim brothers Nabi Khan and Ghani Khan in his palanquin during the war.

He also mentioned Diwan Todarmal, a minister in Akbar’s Court, who dedicated his land for the burial of the Guru’s sons.

The Shahi Imam said that this is the real strength of Punjab, Sikhs, Hindus and Muslims have stood together for centuries. The greatest beauty of India is its “unity in individuation”.

He announced that the restoration of the village mosque was being done as a tribute to two Muslim volunteers who sacrificed their lives during relief work in the recent floods.

These youths were Shamshad Bhagwanpuri (Uttarakhand) and Zakaria Mewati (Rajasthan). Both of them distributed ration and medicines in the affected areas for a week, but met with an accident on their return journey. Shahi Imam said that they did not just deliver goods, but also conveyed a message of love and brotherhood. Punjab will never forget their sacrifice.

The mosque will be named ‘Masjid-e-Shamshad Bhagwan Puri’ to honour the sacrifice of the flood relief volunteers in the name of humanity.

He said while the foundation of the mosque will be laid this month, the story of Shamshad’s life and service will be engraved on the wall of the mosque.

The second mosque, “Masjid-e-Zakaria” will be built in Fagan Majra village of Mewati-Patiala district, the land for which was acquired this week. The parents of these two martyrs have been invited to lay the foundation. The Shahi Imam prayed that for love to spread throughout the country.

The incident comes amid a wider humanitarian effort that has been seen during the recent floods. Volunteers from Mewat in Haryana, traditionally allies of Punjab farmers, sent more than 300 truckloads of relief supplies to the states of Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir. It reflects agricultural ties that predate the separation of Haryana and Punjab in 1966. Organisations like Khalsa Aid have been on the ground since August, rescuing families and providing water and medical aid in affected areas like Gurdaspur and Ferozepur. 

The event took place in a backdrop of peaceful harmony. As the sounds of Gurbani recitation echoed from the gurdwara during evening prayers, the call to prayer for Maghrib was soon heard from the mosque, symbolizing the harmonious heartbeat of Punjab. The villagers distributed sweets to celebrate. As the sun was setting over the Ravi River, the Shahi Imam concluded the ceremony with a prayer. He said, “May this love spread throughout the country and every corner be illuminated like a lamp of brotherhood.”

According to media reports, more than 30 such mosques have been restored so far through interfaith cooperation, with most of them led by Sikhs in providing financial support, labour, and land.

According to Shahbaz Ahmed Zahoor, leader of the Idara Mosques, there have been about 200 such incidents across the state in which Sikh families have donated land for mosques and graveyards.

In 2018, in village Moom, Baranala district, while Hindus provided the land, the Sikhs raised funds for the construction of a mosque that shares a wall with their gurdwara.

This created a rare combination of Hindu, Muslim and Sikh places of worship in one place. In 2022, in the Bakhatgarh district, Barnala, farmer Amandeep Singh donated 250 square yards of land for the Noorani Masjid. Other Sikhs and Hindus shouldered a major part of the construction cost of Rs 12 lakh so that 15 Muslim families would not have to travel 5 km to offer prayers.

In January of the same year, former Sarpanch Sukhjinder Singh Noni and his brother Avininder Singh donated 5.5 biswas (worth Rs 7-8 lakh) of valuable roadside land for a new mosque in Umarpura village of Malirkotla district. They were joined by donors like Tejwant Singh (Rs 2 lakh) and Ravinder Singh Grewal (Rs 1 lakh).

In Malla village of Ludhiana district, in 2016, Sikhs and Hindus renovated the old mosque for the only Muslim family in the village and provided financial assistance while locals worked as labour for its construction.

In Nathuwal village of Sangrur district, in 2015, non-Muslims bore more than 65% of the Rs 25 lakh cost for the renovation of the Jama Masjid and the addition of a second floor.

source: http://www.awazthevoice.in / Awaz, The Voice / Home> Story / by Mansooruddin Faridi, New Delhi / October 27th, 2025

Author Nuzhat Khan’s latest novel on love and loss is set against the backdrop of Uttarakhand’s forest fire

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UTTARAKHAND / NEW DELHI:

Author Nuzhat Khan weaves a story of love and loss against the backdrop of Uttarakhand’s forest fire catastrophe in her latest novel.

Author Nuzhat Khan | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Author Nuzhat Khan is among the growing tribe of writers confronting the world’s most pressing issue — climate emergency and the unfolding weather catastrophe — through a genre of fiction set in natural ecosystems. In her latest novel Whistling Woods (Petals Publishers), she highlights the impact of forest fire on people’s livelihood in Uttarakhand along with the story of two strangers — Akshay and Kaveri — who embark on a journey of self-discovery to the hills.

Nuzhat says the book is her way of doing her bit for Nature and the environment. “Growing up in Almora hill station amidst the snow-capped Himalayan ranges of Uttarakhand, I was blown away by the stunning landscape. This is the case with anyone who belongs to the hills. It pained me to watch forest fires ravage the serene hills.” She decided to act by writing a light-hearted story around the issue to reach out to more people. “I thought presenting plain facts and figures would be drab on topics like, what’s fuelling forest fires that continue to scorch hectares of green cover? I have tried to propose a solution, although it may not be the perfect one,” she says.

Her style of storytelling, both evocative and driven by research, helps readers get a grip of the issue while enjoying the budding romance between the lead characters. “I have attempted to capture a mix of human emotions, complexity of relationships, and the innocence of love. The setting helped me run parallels between urban and rural lives. For people in villages, even access to clean drinking water can be challenging ” explains Nuzhat adding that the book has been in the making for five years which also involved several trips to institutes like Avani Bio-Energy plant in Pithoragarh, the Naula Foundation, an NGO that creates awareness on the problems of dying aquifiers (naulas) in the hills of Uttarakhand.

“My interactions with the locals and forest department officials was an eye-opener. They are constantly working to mitigate the problem. Organisations like the Himalayan Institute For Environment, Ecology & Development have developed fire reporting apps that can alert people on forest fires across various locations.”

She points out that the ashram described in the book that works towards empowering girl children was inspired by the Lakshmi Ashram run by a couple in Uttarakhand. “Some of the characters are not entirely fictional,” she hints.

The book also touches upon excessive tourism in the hills. “Several unplanned constructions in the form of resorts have come up usurping the forest cover and triggering landslides. The region is also prone to earthquakes.” She wants people to sit up and take note of Uttarakhand. “Everyone wants to live in the hills. I want to tell them it is beautiful, but everyday life can be challenging.”

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Books / by K Jeshi / December 26th, 2023

Uttarakhand Assembly 2022 to have 03 Muslim MLAs

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UTTARAKHAND :

This is 01 more than the tally of Muslim MLAs in Uttarakhand in 2017 when 02 Muslims had won amidst the BJP Tsunami.

Uttarakhand Election Result 2022: 

The newly elected Assembly in Uttarakhand will have 03 Muslim MLAs, according to the final result announced by the State Election Commission Thursday.

This is 01 more than the tally of Muslim MLAs in Uttarakhand in 2017 when 02 Muslims had won amidst the BJP Tsunami.

The ruling Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) has retained power in Uttarakhand winning a total of 47 seats – 10 less than its previous tally of 2017.

The opposition Congress has won 19 seats – an improvement of 08 seats as compared to its tally of 11 seats in 2017.

Mayawati’s Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has won 02 seats, according to the Uttarakhand Election 2022 Final result.

Among the 03 Muslim candidates who have won the 2022 Uttarakhand election 02 – Shahzad and Sarwat Kareem Ansari, are from BSP and 01 – Furkan Ahmad, is from Congress.

Shahzad of BSP has won the 2022 election from Laksar Assembly seat of Uttarakhand, defeating Sanjay Gupta of BJP by 10,440 votes.

Sarwat Kareem of BSP won the 2022 polls from Manglaur Assembly constituency defeating Qazi Mohammad Nizamuddin of Congress by 598 votes. Qazi Mohammad Mohiuddin had won the Manglaur seat in 2017.

On the other hand, Furkan Ahmad of Congress won the polls from Pirankaliyar assembly seat, defeating Munish Kumar Saini of BJP by 15,743 votes. Furkan Ahmad had won the same seat in the 2017 election.

source: http://www.ummid.com / Ummid.com / Home / by Ummid.com News Network / March 11th, 2022