New Delhi: In the narrow lanes of Hastsal village and JJ Colony in Uttam Nagar, the upcoming festival of Eid-ul-Fitr, usually a time of joy and communal prayer, has been replaced by a suffocating atmosphere of terror. Dozens of Muslim families, some who have called the area home for over half a century, are now packing their belongings and fleeing the locality, hounded by vitriolic hate speech and explicit threats of a “Khoon Ki Holi” (Blood Holi) scheduled for the day of the festival.
The current wave of persecution stems from a March 4 altercation between two families during Holi celebrations. What began as a dispute over an 11-year-old girl throwing a water balloon tragically escalated into a fight that led to the death of 26-year-old Tarun Kumar.
While the police acted swiftly, arresting 14 individuals and detaining two minors, the local Muslim community alleges that right-wing groups and “outsiders” have hijacked the tragedy. Instead of allowing the law to take its course against the accused, these groups are reportedly using the incident to collectively punish and scapegoat the entire Muslim population of Uttam Nagar.
Residents are living in a state of constant alarm due to inflammatory videos circulating on social media and provocative speeches delivered at local gatherings. The rhetoric is unmistakable: extremists have warned that Muslims will not be permitted to celebrate Eid and that a “Blood Holi” will be unleashed on the day of the festival.
“We have lived here for 50 years,” said Mohammad Siddiq, a local resident. “I don’t want to invite a necessary fight. It’s our festival, and i don’t want any dispute during the celebration. A small dispute can turn into ‘Khoon Ki Holi.’ According to the locals, the murder was a personal dispute between two families who had always fought. “It was not communal. But now, we are all being made to pay the price for someone else’s mistake,” Siraj Ahmad said.
The fear is exacerbated by posters appearing throughout the area announcing “Holi celebrations” for the exact day of Eid, a move residents view as a direct provocation aimed at the thousands who gather to pray at the JJ Colony Eidgah.
The Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR) has stepped in to highlight the vulnerability of the residents. In a formal representation to the Delhi Police Commissioner, APCR National Secretary Nadim Khan warned that the situation is a powder keg.
The APCR in a detailed report mentioned that several families living on rent have already vacated their homes, and many more are planning to leave before the weekend to avoid potential bloodshed.
Demands have been made for the police to identify and arrest those behind the viral videos and “condolence meetings” that turned into platforms for communal incitement.
There is an urgent plea for increased patrolling and heavy security deployment at mosques and the local Eidgah to protect worshippers, APCR demanded.
For the Muslims of Uttam Nagar, the issue is no longer just about a legal case, but about their right to exist and practice their faith without fear. As families like Irshad Ahmad’s, a local resident, weigh the heartbreaking choice between staying in their ancestral homes or fleeing for their lives, the silence of the authorities in the face of “Blood Holi” threats continues to fuel the exodus.
With Eid only days away, the question remains whether the police will ensure the safety of these citizens or if the threats of outside agitators will succeed in turning a day of prayer into a day of displacement.