The directive, issued in August, reportedly instructed traders to terminate Muslim staff within one month and asked Muslim shop tenants to vacate their businesses within two months—a move justified by its proponents as a measure to curb “love jihad.”
Traders and bazar associations acknowledge that many Muslim salesmen have already lost their jobs. In one shop association, officials claimed that around 65 to 70 Muslim salesmen had been employed prior to the directive, but most have been removed in recent weeks.
Affected workers express anger, fear and uncertainty. Gabbar Ghori, a salesman of four decades in the bazar, said his entire family’s livelihood is now imperilled. He lamented that he and his two sons, who worked together, have all lost employment. Mohammad Gulzar, another long-term employee, stated that he is “jobless just because I am Muslim,” adding that he had no complaints against his conduct or reputation.
Attempts to seek police or administrative protection have yielded limited results. The Muslim workers filed a complaint with Indore’s police commissioner on September 15, but officials declined to initiate action against Eklavya Gaur, citing absence of video evidence or a clear public statement. The local DCP said no FIR could be filed because “he has not made any statement openly.”
The bazar’s traders’ association has broadly acquiesced to the directive. Its president, Hema Panjwani, defended the order, alleging that some Muslim salesmen engaged in harassment of women customers, claiming they “stare” or “block the way.” An association general secretary said the directive was accepted “politely” and that shopkeepers were asked to remove Muslim workers gradually.
Critics denounce the measure as a communal purge. The Congress party has called for legal action and accused BJP leaders of fomenting division in the city. Chintu Chouksey, city Congress chief, warned that if no action is taken, protests will be escalated. Some Hindu shopkeepers also voiced opposition: Balwant Singh Rathore, who ran his business in partnership with a Muslim trader, said he was forced to vacate under pressure.
The directive is widely framed by observers as part of a trend in which politics invades economic space along religious lines. Eklavya Gaur, defending his action, asserted in interviews that “people with jihadi mentality” should be removed and argued the bazar must be “purified.” He denied calling for wholesale removal of Muslims, saying that the decision should rest on traders to decide who qualifies as having a “jihadi mentality.”
Legal and civic organisations have flagged grave constitutional issues around discrimination, freedom of occupation, and communal targeting. Citizens for Justice and Peace said the directive amounts to collective punishment of a religious minority. Muslim employees are now exploring legal recourse. Some are also staging protest marches—silent demonstrations inside the bazar and foot marches from Bajaj Khana Chowk to Rajwada—carrying placards and demanding justice.