New Delhi: What began as a moment of instinctive courage has turned into a daily struggle for Deepak Kumar, a gym owner in Uttrakhand’s Kotdwar town. Deepak stood for a 70-year-old Muslim shopkeeper who was being harassed, and as revealed by him, the cost of that is now being felt inside his nearly empty gym.
Deepak runs Hulk Gym from a rented building in Kotdwar. Until recently, it had around 150 members coming in daily, and now the number has dropped to about 15. “People are scared,” he says, without anger. “I get it. Fear changes behaviour.”
The incident took place on Republic Day when Deepak intervened as a group allegedly pressured an elderly Muslim man, who suffers from Parkinson’s disease to remove the word “Baba” from his shop’s name. When confronted and asked his name, Deepak replied, “Mohammad Deepak.” The video quickly spread online, earning him praise from many but also drawing hostile attention.
Five days later, members of the Bajrang Dal gathered near his gym to confront him. Police intervened in the matter before things could escalate but the message had already travelled through the town.
Business hit, bills remain
The impact has been immediate. The gym occupies an entire floor with a monthly rent of Rs 40,000. Deepak is also paying off a home loan of Rs 16,000 each month. His family depends on this single source of income.
“Once people leave a gym, it’s very hard to get them back,” he says. A few loyal members have stayed on and assured him of their support but the silence from others has been telling.
Support from outside, silence at home
While local reactions remained divided over the matter, support has poured in from outside the town. CPI (M) Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas recently visited Deepak and the elderly shopkeeper, Vakeel Ahmed and even took a gym membership in a public show of solidarity. The party also criticised the police for filing a case against Deepak while allegedly going easy on those involved in the harassment.
Despite everything, Deepak remains calm. He says, “I don’t think I did anything wrong. Things are slow right now, but I believe people will come around.”
After the incident police have since provided him security and even deployed additional forces in the area.