India is forcibly deporting Muslims, including its own citizens, after Kashmir violence

toggle caption Pradeep Gaur/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

MUMBAI, India β€” For the past decade, Mustafa Kamal Sheikh set up a makeshift stall opposite a police station in a working-class suburb of Mumbai. His speciality was jhalmuri, a fiery snack made of puffed rice and spices. The cops often came down for a bite and small talk.

One day in June, two officers came to his house and asked for his ID. He showed them four, including a card that identified him as a voter in Indian elections. Kamal says the constables accused him of forging them and detained him. He denies the accusation.

Sponsor Message

Kamal, 52, did not get a phone call or a lawyer. Over the next five days, he says the police and a team of India's Border Security Force flew him more than a thousand miles away, to the India-Bangladesh border.

One midnight, Kamal says, "The border guard gave us 300" in the Bangladeshi taka currency β€” less than $3 β€” "and told us to cross over." He recalls the guard saying, "If you return, we will shoot you.' " He says he was part of a group that included a few dozen people β€” all Muslims

πŸ“°

Continue Reading on NPR

This preview shows approximately 15% of the article. Read the full story on the publisher's website to support quality journalism.

Read Full Article β†’