'Halal Lifestyle Township' in Maharashtra sparks political, social firestorm
A new real estate project in Neral, near Mumbai, is making headlines for marketing itself as a "Halal Lifestyle Township."
The ad shows a woman in a hijab inviting "like-minded families" to join a community with prayer spaces and safe areas for kids.
How do you market a community?
The campaign has drawn sharp criticism—Priyank Kanoongo, ex-NCPCR chairperson, called it "a Nation within the Nation," and flagged it online.
Human rights officials have asked the Maharashtra government for answers.
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction) spokesperson Krishna Hegde and BJP spokesperson Ajit Chavan have both criticized the project, arguing that such targeted marketing threatens India's secular values and calling for strict action against the developers.
The whole situation raises big questions about how communities are marketed—and how to balance identity with harmony in diverse India.