On November 22, members of a little-known nativist group arrived at one of the oldest mosques in Arunachal Pradesh, a modest two-storied structure in Itanagar.
The men, belonging to the Arunachal Pradesh Indigenous Youth Organization, demanded to see documentary proof that the Itanagar Jama Masjid, built in 1979 on land donated by a tribal resident, was a legal construction. They were led by their president Taro Sonam Liyak.
A mosque official, who is from Assam, told Scroll that he did not give in to their demands. “I did not show them any documents despite the threats and intimidation,” he said. “Why should I? Who are they?”
But the refusal led to violence. “They called me Bangladeshi and kicked the caretaker of the masjid.” The mosque officials have filed written complaints with the police, asking for the registration of a first information report.
The Itanagar Jama Masjid was not the sole target.
A member of the staff of another Naharlagun mosque, Capital Jama Masjid, told Scroll that the group turned up at their premises on November 15. “They intimidated us for over an hour,” he told Scroll, asking that he not be identified. “The police were there but they didn’t stop them,” he said.
A senior official of the masjid committee told Scroll that the mob damaged and vandalised the wazookhana,...
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