Even during the 2002 Gujarat riots when eleven people were burnt alive in neighbouring Sardarpura, this village with a population of over 3,200 remained an island of peace, the bond between majority Hindus and minority Muslims here unshaken. But seven years later, that has changed completely.

All 85 Momins, a Shia sub-sect, have quit Kharavda, blaming the Chaudharies who make nearly 50 per cent of the village population.

The Momins have sought refuge in a Jamaatkhana at Vadnagar, 40 km away, and say they will never return to the village. And it is all because the Momins sought one acre from the village panchayat to bury their dead — burials so far were being done in Kharta Parsa, 30 km away, and it was not easy transporting bodies.

The Momins first approached state Revenue Minister Anandiben Patel who recommended their case to Momin leader Hyderbhai on July 23, asking him to approach the District Collector with a letter. The matter was raised again on August 8 during a Lok Darbar in the village where Anandiben and the Collector were present. She gave verbal instructions to the Collector to look into the matter.

Since the panchayat had over 150 bighas of non-agriculture land, Collector Ajay Bhadu asked the Visnagar mamlatdar to “take appropriate action”. But the panchayat split on the issue and, at a meeting on August 15, sarpanch Maadhubhai Jisangbhai Chaudhary turned down the request for land.

According to Hyderbhai, the Chaudharies called another meeting after the mamlatdar and village talati left. That meeting on August 17 called for the economic boycott of Momins and imposed religious restrictions. “We were told by the sarpanch to stop azaans, stop wearing topis or taking out tazias. We were also told to shut down the madrasa if we wanted to stay in the village,” alleged Hyderbhai. “Simultaneously, an economic boycott was imposed — no hiring Momins for agricultural work, no hiring their jeeps for local transport,” he said.

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