CHANDIGARH: A video of dairy farmer from Punjab has been widely circulated on social media alleging discrimination during supply of milk.
As per a report, the farmer from the Muslim Gujjar community mainly, involved in dairy farming accused of being ostracized as he is not able to sell the milk to the Verka dairy farmers cooperative.
“We are being viewed suspiciously in all of Punjab even though we have worked alongside others in all situations and never backed out,” the dairy farmer said.
“But now, people are saying that they will not buy milk from a Gujjar. We are being discriminated against and justice should be done.”
According to him, the economic boycott and hate campaign has started following the Nizamuddin incident in Delhi and the innocent and uninfected Muslims are unfortunately paying the price.
“The government is testing the Tablighi Jamaat people (who attended the Nizamuddin markaz event in New Delhi, a coronavirus hotspot),” he added, “but this does not mean that you should kill the livelihood of others. I have the same right as you to sell milk here, it is a government dairy.”
Other incidents of the communalisation of COVID-19 were also reported recently.
In Hoshiarpur district, an 80-year-old woman was denied medicine at a chemist shop and accused of spreading the coronavirus.
“Sick Muslims spreading virus,” the woman was told at the chemist shop, The Wire reported.
In Hajipur and Talwara blocks of Hoshiarpur district, several from the Gujjar community were allegedly beaten by unruly groups.