“If You Speak Up, Your House Will Be Demolished”: Bulldozer injustice in India

Following episodes of communal violence and protests between April and June 2022, authorities in the Indian states of Assam, Delhi, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh demolished over 128 properties mainly using machines manufactured by JCB – a UK-based company specializing in earthmoving, construction, agriculture, and demolition equipment.

The targeted demolitions were instigated by senior political leaders and government officials and carried out as a form of extra-judicial punishment impacting at least 617 people. Before and after the demolitions, the state authorities failed to follow any due process and used intimidation and excessive force on the victims for asking the reasons for demolitions. In the absence of a meaningful legal remedy, families spent weeks living on the streets including children who were compelled to drop out of school due to financial losses.

As this report goes to print, Muslim families and business owners in the five states await compensation for losing their homes, businesses and places of worship to punitive demolitions. The Indian government’s de-facto policy of punitively demolishing Muslim properties for protesting discriminatory laws and practices, is an ongoing phenomenon. They continue to enforce it with impunity. This amounts to forced eviction and collective and arbitrary punishment under international law and must be immediately investigated.