“They covered the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana poster with cow dung before demolishing my house. I have nowhere to go now.” Hasina said on speaking to Miles2Smile
In the aftermath of communal clashes in Madhya Pradesh’s Khargone, many families were left homeless as authorities launched a demolition drive. Among those affected was Hasina Fakhroo, a resident of the Khaskhaswadi area, whose house was demolished a day after the clashes. Fakhroo, 60, said her house, despite being built under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) scheme, was demolished within an hour.
Her son Amjad added they weren’t even given time to remove their belongings.
“I rushed to the court with all the documents, but it was a weekend, and everything was closed. By Monday, bulldozers came, and the house was gone,” he said with grief in his tone.
The Khargone riots of April 10, 2022, in Madhya Pradesh saw intense communal violence during the Ram Navami celebrations. The unrest began when two processions—one by the Raghuvanshi community and another by Hindu right-wing groups, including Bajrang Dal and Gauraksha Samiti—passed near a mosque at Talab Chowk. Rising tensions at the site quickly spiraled into violent clashes between communities, triggering widespread unrest in the city.
Following the violence, local authorities carried out a demolition drive, asserting that the targeted properties were illegally constructed. However, many affected individuals refuted these claims, insisting that their properties were legally owned. The demolitions, which primarily impacted minority Muslim communities. While many people lost their house and livelihood, Miles2Smile went on the ground, heard their stories, and helped them get back to normalcy.
While Hasina fell prey to the demolition drive, Miles2Smile raised funds for her house, helped her rebuild it, and supported her return to normalcy.
Hasina now peacefully sleeps under her house built with the help of Miles2Smile. “I never thought I would get a roof again; thanks to you, Aasif Bhai and team, I again own it,” said Hasina after receiving our support.
Our Khargone relief work would not have been possible without the help of our donor. to learn about more stories read: https://stories.miles2smile.org/category/khargone-2022/
