“They demolished our home, made us homeless. What kind of justice is this?” Asghar Khan cried and asked Miles2Smile while sharing his violence-ridden story.
Asghar Khan, a resident of Sendhwa, Madhya Pradesh, lost his hard-earned house to the violence that unfolded in his town in 2022 in the holy month of Ramadan.
In a rare occurrence after 33 years, Ramadan and the Ram-Navami festival coincided in 2022. On April 10, a procession led by Hindu devotees moved from Bargaon to the Idgah-Jogiwara road in Sendhwa, Madhya Pradesh.
According to local witnesses, the procession was marred by inflammatory chants and provocative songs. Tensions between the two communities escalated further following a stone-pelting incident near Hussaini Gate.
The ensuing violence resulted in significant damage to several Muslim homes and shops, with many families losing their livelihoods and shelters in the chaos that followed. The clashes in Sendhwa, located in Barwani district, left a trail of destruction and deepened communal divisions.
On that fateful day, a violent mob, chanting provocative slogans, attempted to break into Asghar’s home. In a desperate act of defense, Asghar’s 16-year-old daughter, Saba, threw two stones from the terrace of their house, fearing that the mob would invade their home. This act of self-defense led to significant consequences for Saba and her family.
The authorities filed charges against Saba for her alleged involvement in the violence. The teenager was accused of contributing to the unrest. In addition to the charges, the government took further action by demolishing the Khan family’s home.
When Miles2Smile met Asghar Khan, he was in a dire situation. He cried and narrated his ordeal to our team. In order to bring respite to his life, we established a fundraiser to help Asghar khan.
Asghar Khan’s face shone with hope as we gave him aid. However, he was just one of the many helpless and traumatized individuals we met that day.
To more about our work during Sendhwa violence: https://stories.miles2smile.org/category/sendhwa-2022/
