French govt-funded report praises Gujarat's affluent Juhapura Muslims for "favouring" economic integration, Modi

Juhapura, Ahmedabad, as seen by French scholar

Counterview Desk
A French government-sponsored report has said that one of India’s biggest Muslim ghettos, Juhapura in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, is witnessing a unique development: The absence of public infrastructure here has forced affluent Muslims to come up with private initiatives to develop the ghetto, thus privatizing “public action”.
Funded by the French Defense Ministry and the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), and written by Charlotte Thomas following her study of the ghetto between 2009 and 2014 as part of doctorate in political science, the report gives full marks to affluent Muslims “of superior jamaats” who arrived in Juhapura after the 2002 Gujarat riots.
The scholar estimates, the ghetto had just 50,000 people, but now houses around five lakh Muslims, all of it following the 2002 Gujarat riots, adding, Even the Muslim upper-classes decided to shift to this ghetto, as for the first time, they “were also victims of violence, while they had been spared until then.”
“Notably through the zakat, they have financed two hospitals, dispensaries, schools, libraries, support/training courses for public service examinations, etc. Education has been at the core of preoccupations for the inhabitants of Juhapura, from all jamaats”, the researcher says.
Published by the French Institute of Political Sciences of the Centre for International Studies and Research, the report believes these affluent Muslims focus more on “economic integration” as an alternative to the community’s development, instead of the “political activist way”.
Insisting that their main channel for resistance is “business”, the scholar says, to these affluent sections, the “economic sphere is perceived as the integrating matrix to the majoritarian society for the Muslims of Juhapura, and appears to them as the best defence against violence.”
The scholar insists, “Economically integrated, participating to national enrichment, the Muslims see themselves as ‘useful’ to Indian society, and notably to their Hindu partners; as they have ties through an economic interdependency relationship.”
By basing their “salvation” thus, she thinks, these Muslims “have aligned themselves with one of the elements of the national narrative offered by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, for whom economic growth outshines every other societal stake.”
The result was, Thomas says, the “affluent entrepreneurs of Juhapura” were by “courted” by Modi as Gujarat chief minister, followed by his successor, Anandiben Patel, with some of them forming “the link between the minority and the authorities, facilitating the presence of Gulf businesses at the Vibrant Gujarat Summit.”.
“The bridge with the Gulf must not be understood as a mimetic fascination leading, for example, to the Wahhabisation of local religious practices”, the scholar insists. Nurtured by Saudi Arabia, Wahhabism is considered a religious movement of Sunni Muslims, and is criticized for being "ultra-conservative".
At the same time, the report, titled “Domination and resistance of the Muslim minority of Ahmedabad (India): paradoxes of the ghettoization process in Juhapura”, says that these affluent sections believe, in case of renewed violence, “economic affluence would enable them to face” any attacks they may face, as it happened in 2002, “better.”
According to Thomas, “Education is seen as the means to access a stable or higher paying job, and from there, the stepping stone towards a good economic integration. The girls and women are at the centre of a specific schooling effort, which is, as recognised by the interviewees (men or women), unheard of.”
She further notes, “Beyond entrepreneurship and/or commerce, the more or less traditional occupations of Gujarati Muslims, more and more mention the importance of obtaining public jobs, more stable and higher paying, to which the Muslims have traditionally had less access.”
“In parallel with locality planning, the inhabitants have also managed to get branches of Indian banks to open locally, the multiplication of businesses, or even to equip their own society (residency) by asphalting the paths, bringing water, electricity, etc.”, she adds.

Comments

Modi’s Israel visit strengthened Pakistan’s hand in US–Iran truce: Ex-Indian diplomat

By Jag Jivan M. K. Bhadrakumar , a career diplomat with three decades of service in postings across the former Soviet Union, Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Germany, and Turkey, has warned that the current truce in the US–Iran war is “fragile and ridden with contradictions.” Writing in his blog India Punchline , Bhadrakumar argues that while Pakistan has emerged as a surprising broker of dialogue, the durability of the ceasefire remains uncertain.

Why Indo-Pak relations have been on 'knife’s edge' , hostilities may remain for long

By Utkarsh Bajpai* The past few decades have seen strides being made in all aspects of life – from sticks and stones to weaponry. The extreme case of this phenomenon has been nuclear weapons. The menace caused by nuclear weapons in the past is unforgettable. Images of Hiroshima and Nagasaki from 1945 come to mind, after the United States dropped two atomic bombs on the cities.

Incarceration of Prof Saibaba 'revives' the question: What is crime, who is criminal?

By Kunal Pant* In 2016, a Supreme Court Judge asked the state of Maharashtra, “Do you want to extract a pound of flesh?” The statement was directed against the state for contesting the bail plea of Delhi University Professor GN Saibaba. Saibaba was arrested in 2014, a justification for which was to prevent him from committing what the police called “anti-national activities.”

Food security? Gujarat govt puts more than 5 lakh ration cards in the 'silent' category

By Pankti Jog* A new statistical report uploaded by the Gujarat government on the national food security portal shows that ensuring food security for the marginalized community is still not a priority of the state. The statistical report, uploaded on December 24, highlights many weaknesses in implementing the National Food Security Act (NFSA) in state.

Manufacturing, services: India's low-skill, middle-skill labour remains underemployed

By Francis Kuriakose* The Indian economy was in a state of deceleration well before Covid-19 made its impact in early 2020. This can be inferred from the declining trends of four important macroeconomic variables that indicate the health of the economy in the last quarter of 2019.

The soundtrack of resistance: How 'Sada Sada Ya Nabi' is fueling the Iran war

By Syed Ali Mujtaba* The Persian track “ Sada Sada Ya Nabi ye ” by Hossein Sotoodeh has taken the world by storm. This viral media has cut across linguistic barriers to achieve cult status, reaching over 10 million views. The electrifying music and passionate rendition by the Iranian singer have resonated across the globe, particularly as the high-intensity military conflict involving Iran entered its second month in March 2026.

Lata Mangeshkar, a Dalit from Devdasi family, 'refused to sing a song' about Ambedkar

By Pramod Ranjan* An artist is known and respected for her art. But she is equally, or even more so known and respected for her social concerns. An artist's social concerns or in other words, her worldview, give a direction and purpose to her art. History remembers only such artists whose social concerns are deep, reasoned and of durable importance. Lata Mangeshkar (28 September 1929 – 6 February 2022) was a celebrated playback singer of the Hindi film industry. She was the uncrowned queen of Indian music for over seven decades. Her popularity was unmatched. Her songs were heard and admired not only in India but also in Pakistan, Bangladesh and many other South Asian countries. In this article, we will focus on her social concerns. Lata lived for 92 long years. Music ran in her blood. Her father also belonged to the world of music. Her two sisters, Asha Bhonsle and Usha Mangeshkar, are well-known singers. Lata might have been born in Indore but the blood of a famous Devdasi family...

School closures across states raise concerns amid Govt of India claims of improved access

By A Representative A recent report has raised concerns over the closure and merger of government schools in several Indian states, particularly in Bihar, where a significant number of institutions have reportedly been shut down or earmarked for closure.

Health activist group raises concerns over HPV vaccination drive, seeks temporary halt

By A Representative Swasthya Adhikar Manch, a public health advocacy group, has urged the Union government to ensure greater accountability and transparency in the ongoing Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination campaign, and called for its temporary suspension pending a comprehensive review. In a letter addressed to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, the group flagged what it described as unresolved concerns surrounding the nationwide rollout of the HPV vaccine, which began on February 28, 2026. The campaign targets 14-year-old girls and involves administering Gardasil, a quadrivalent vaccine intended to protect against certain strains of HPV linked to cervical cancer.

Search This Blog