Events of the past few months have shown how the tide of Hindutva is on the rise in Himachal Pradesh - be it through the attacks on Muslim shopkeepers in Nahan and Solan to the protests against mosques in Shimla, Mandi and Solan.
Even sections of the ruling Congress seem to be trying to appease Hindutva outfits as was evident in PWD minister's Vikramaditya Singh's announcement of an Uttar Pradesh-style law instructing eateries to display the names and details of owners.
All this has been the result of an aggressive campaign by Hindutva outfits against Muslims coming from other states.
And one of the main architects of these protests is Kamal Gautam. Who is he and what is his role in the ongoing Hindutva surge in Himachal Pradesh? We will try and answer these questions in this profile.
The Making of a Hindutva Rabble Rouser
“Kamal Gautam apne Hindu samaj ke liye jaan de dega lekin pechhe nahi hatega. Ek Kamal Gautam ko arrest kiya jaega to yaha hazaar Kamal Gautam khade ho jaenge. Ye jo avaidh dhaanche khade kiye jaa rahe hai, Islamic Jihad ko badhane ka kaam kiya jaa raha hai, uske virodh mai aaj pura Hindu samaaj yaha khada hai!”
(Kamal Gautam will give his life for the Hindu community but will not back down. If one Kamal Gautam is arrested, a thousand Kamal Gautams will stand here to lead this movement. These illegal structures that are being erected and the efforts being made to promote Islamic Jihad—today, the entire Hindu community stands here in opposition to that.)
People cheered and chanted slogans in favour of Kamal Gautam as the police detained him during a protest in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh against an allegedly illegal construction of a mosque in the Sanjauli market.
Former general secretary of Hindu Jagran Manch, 44-year-old Kamal Gautam hails from Himachal Pradesh's Bilaspur district. He gained prominence due to his harsh rhetoric against Muslims and for frequently making claims of 'love jihad' and 'land jihad'.
Gautam's induction into Hindutva began in his childhood. Speaking to The Quint, Gautam recounted how his grandfather would often tell him stories about ‘Gau Seva’ and things that have been "distorted in the Indian history books".
“Although my family has had a great impact on the ideology that I carry today, I have been shaped by the 'greater teaching' from the RSS."Kamal Gautam to The Quint
In his early days, Gautam was employed as a school teacher at a Government Secondary School in Balohi, Bilaspur district. However, he was suspended after he began taking part in protests and giving speeches on alleged 'love jihad'. He was later permanently terminated as well.
Since then, he has become a full-time Hindutva activist. He says aim is to "free every corner of Devbhoomi from infiltrators".
The infiltrators that Gautam refers to Muslims who have come to Himachal Pradesh from other states. Most of them are poor and work as vendors selling fruits, running small eateries and shops or working as tailors, mechanic etc.
“I have also influenced my ex-students into these lines. I have told them the reality of this society and showed them the right path,” said Gautam, boasting about bringing more people towards his ideology.
Kamal Gautam's Modus Operandi
Gautam repeats his mission to "eradicate infiltrators" extremely frequently in his speeches and videos. In one dramatic video, he can be seen vandalising a Dargah (shrine) while shouting "free every corner of Devbhoomi".
Gautam is very open about views and extensively broadcasts them on social media. His posts are shared by right wing influencers with a sizable following such as Mr.Sinha, Ajeet Bharti and Jaipur Dialogues.
He has often been a panelist on far-right news channels like Sudharshan News, where he airs his extreme views.
"Remember this, the day I lose my life, you won’t find even a trace of these people (Muslims) in Himachal Pradesh."Kamal Gautam to The Quint
Talking about his modus operandi, Gautam says that being with RSS and Hindu Jagran Manch in the past, he has made many contacts across panchayats and they help him in his activities.
Along with others, he runs a helpline number through which he gets tips, information, and cases of any attacks on Hindus in HP.
An Obsession With 'Cleansing'
According to Gautam, he has over 20 cases registered against him - ranging from a Rs 102 crore defamation case to a number of cases related to disrupting communal harmony. However, he is yet to face arrest or trial in any of these.
On 10 July, 2023, a video went viral in which Gautam can be seen making inciting hatred against Muslims in Bilaspur.
In his speech, Gautam took credit for the removal of a mosque in Bilaspur and called for an economic boycott of Muslims.
According to reports, he said, “For every Hindu girl, 10 lakhs or more is given to mosques". This claim is a common claim in the Hindutva ecosystem and has been debunked several times.
There are more than 8-9 cases of hate speeches by Kamal Gautam which have been widely reported by Hindutva Watch, a research initiative that reports the attack on Muslims in India.
His social media posts and speeches have time and again called for a direct or indirect ‘cleaning drive’ in HP.
On his Facebook account, Gautam has often put up posts hailing such "cleaning drives across the state". A post by him on 19 September this year read “Best wishes to all the brothers of Nerwa-Chaupal for cleaning drive.”
While people hailed him in the comments section, some even suggested nearby districts and tehsils in Himachal where this drive needs to take place.
One user named Sumit Patiyal wrote “Bhai rookna nhi chahiye jab tak Hari ghaans saaf na ho jaati poore Himachal se (We shouldn't stop until the green grass is eradicated from Himachal.)
Gautam in another post suggests that Hindus should not look towards the government and instead carry out "Janata NRC".
Kamal Gautam Facebook Page
“Implement Janta NRC at the Panchayat level in Himachal and identify the infiltrators and get them out of your panchayats,” wrote Gautam.
When the shops of Muslims were marked with red in Solan recently, Gautam hailed the decision stating “Every infiltrator will be marked and thrashed out.”
Videos of Gautam openly calling for an economic boycott of minorities have already surfaced on the internet but the same also reflects on his social media posts with a harsher tone.
“A request to the Hindus of Himachal: Instead of slapping troublemakers in the face, hit them where it hurts—their livelihood. Make sure to buy only from your fellow Hindus under all circumstances. If they starve, their jihad will retreat to their specific regions,” reads another post by Gautam.
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Incitement to Violence
When comedian and Big Boss 17 winner Munawar Faruqui was all set to perform in Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh his show was canceled due to a protest by ABVP.
Gautam wrote on his Facebook wall that instead of cancelling Faruqui's show he should have been made to come and "the boys would have done such comedy with him that he would have forgotten comedy for life".
On 10 September, when Hindutva protests were underway in HP, he wrote “Sanatanis, if you don't step out of your homes today for the safe future of your children, then be certain that in the coming times, you will be driven out by them just like in Kashmir. Hail Narasimha!"
Many of his posts have the hashtag "#RTT" which means "Roko, Toko aur Thoko".
While talking to The Quint over phone, Gautam said, “We have started this campaign of #RTT across the state where we have guided people to stop anybody that they are suspicious about, ask them about their identity, prohibit them from entering their village, and if they fail to listen, take law in your hands and treat them nicely.”
He further mentioned how this campaign is going well across the State.
When asked about the impact of his social media posts and the beating of a Muslim vendor in Solan, Gautam said, “I don’t believe in violence but if it comes to safeguarding our mothers and daughters, one shouldn’t hesitate from taking adverse measures.”
In an earlier, he had even said that he hopes Hindus would take to violence.
Gautam alleges that there has been an increase in radicalisation of Muslims in HP.
“Earlier they would wear salwar kurta like us but gradually they started to wear burkas, caps, and Islamic Kurtas.”
He blames "Maulvis from other states" and "Waqf Board" for this. But he doesn't substantiate on this with any facts.
Gautam also claims that he has been receiving support the police and the government as they also "agree with his views".
(Samriddhi Sakunia is an independent journalist. She covers hate crime and intersection of tech with politics and gender)
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