As violence-hit Nuh limps back to normalcy, here is a look at Meos and Mewat region

Tribune Web Desk

Vibha Sharma

Chandigarh, August 8

Located on Haryana’s Nuh-Sohna road is Ghasera village, around 30 km south of the up-market satellite city of Gurugrum and some 14-odd km away from backward Nuh—the nearest town for its residents for marketing and other daily activities.

According to Niti Aayog’s 2018 rankings, Nuh happens to be the most backward district in the country in terms of development. But the violent communal clashes last week have put under the scanner the region called ‘Mewat’ and its dominant Meo Muslims community.

Ghasera falls under Nuh Assembly and Gurgaon Parliamentary constituencies and, like most villages in the Mewat region, is dominated by Meo/Mev Muslims.

However, Ghasera has another identity, something that gives it aninteresting identity.

Ghasera—the Gandhi Gram

The village is also known as Gandhi Gram Ghasera.

Locals say that on December 19, 1947, Mahatma Gandhi visited Ghasera where members of the Meo Muslim community from Alwar and Bharatpur had halted while on their way to Pakistan. Residents fondly remember how Gandhi called Meos “is desh ki reed ke haddi” (the backbone of this country) while urging them to not leave India.

They also recall how despite pressure by princely states of Alwar and Bharatpur, the community decided to remain in India.

Every December 19, Gandhi’s visit to Ghasera is observed as Mewat Diwas.

Meos here believe that one of the reasons for Gandhi’s assassination was because he managed to convince Muslims from leaving India.

Meanwhile, there are also interesting remnants of history and wars between localkings in the form of the Ghasera Fort, though only one of its four gateways remains along with ruined walls.

Meo Muslims, the majority in Mewat

According to the 2011 census, the then district Mewat had a population of 79.2 per cent Muslim and Hindus were 20.37 per cent.

Mewat district was renamed Nuh in 2016.

Mewat is perhaps one of its kind Muslim-dominated regions in India other than Kashmir.

Basically, Meos are an ethnic group spread across Nuh district in Haryana, parts of adjacent Alwar and Bharatpur districts in Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, collectively called Mewat. The region includes villages in Nuh, Palwal, Faridabad and Gurugram districts in Haryana, Alwar and Bharatpur districts inRajasthan and Kosi Kalan and Chhata subdivisions of Mathura district in UP.

According to some historians, Meos were Hindu Rajputs and Kashtriyas who converted to Islam between the 12th and 17th century. In fact the similarity between the words Meo and Meena suggest a common origin.

Though Meos follow Islam, many of the customs and caste system relate to Hindu community. Meos may also have names common among Hindus. However, Hindus from the region are not called Meos, meaning that the word is not only specific to the region but also religion.

Nuh

Locals claim the situation, though tense, is slowly returning to normalcy.

On Tuesday, Haryana Roadways also resumed bus services on a routine basis from Nuh district, according to officials.

On July 31, a religious procession organised by the VHP and Matra Shakti Durga Vahini was attacked allegedly by members of minority community leading to violent clashes that quickly spread to adjoining districts, including Sohna and Gurugram.

Locals claim the region suffered because of migration of educated people in Partition.

While agriculture is the main source of income here,the lack of a proper irrigation system like other partsof the state, a low water table and soil that is not fit for majority of crops makes life difficult for thefarming community here thatdepends upon seasonal rains for irrigation

Though many new government projects are coming up/planned, lack of unemployment seems to have also driven youth to a life of crime and illegal activities. In fact,Mewat has of late has become infamous as a cyber crime hub with a Jamtara-like reputation.

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