KOTDWAR: In the quiet hills of Kotdwar, a local gym owner stood between a mob and an elderly shopkeeper. Weeks later, he is finding that the price of his intervention is the collapse of the business he spent years building.
For years, the Hulk Gym was a fixture of the Patel Marg neighborhood, a bustling second-floor fitness center where nearly 150 members—men, women, and local students—crowded around weight racks from dawn until dusk. Today, the mirrors reflect a different reality. The heavy iron plates sit mostly untouched, and the daily attendance has plummeted to barely a dozen regulars.
The sudden silence is the economic fallout of a Republic Day confrontation that has transformed the gym’s owner, Deepak Kumar, 42, into a polarizing figure in this Uttarakhand town. What began as a dispute over a storefront sign has spiraled into a test of communal social boundaries and the resilience of a small-town business under pressure.
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The Flashpoint on Patel Marg
The tension took root on January 26, when a group of activists, reportedly affiliated with the Bajrang Dal, gathered outside “Baba School Dress,” a garment shop that has operated for three decades. The protesters demanded that the owner, 70-year-old Vakil Ahmed, remove the word “Baba” from his signage, arguing the term held specific Hindu religious significance.
Mr. Kumar, a friend of Mr. Ahmed’s son, happened upon the scene and intervened. As the situation grew heated, a video captured Mr. Kumar questioning the activists’ authority to dictate a business name. When the crowd demanded to know his identity, he responded with a phrase that would soon go viral: “My name is Mohammad Deepak.” Though intended as a symbolic statement of communal solidarity—a refusal to be categorized by faith—the remark served as a catalyst for further friction. In the following days, the local atmosphere soured.
An Economic Exodus
The impact on Mr. Kumar’s livelihood was almost instantaneous. By January 31, a larger group of protesters gathered near his gym, leading to road blockades and the deployment of police forces. While the authorities prevented physical violence, the spectacle of police barricades and shouting mobs outside the gym’s entrance unnerved his clientele.
“People are scared,” Mr. Kumar told reporters, noting that many female members and students stopped attending to avoid the controversy. From a thriving community of over 150, his membership has dwindled to approximately 12 to 15 people. The financial strain is acute; with a monthly rent of ₹40,000 and a home loan of ₹16,000, the loss of revenue has threatened his family’s basic stability.
The Legal Fraternity Steps In
As news of the gym’s decline spread, an unexpected lifeline emerged from the legal corridors of New Delhi. Disturbed by the reports of Mr. Kumar’s social and economic boycott, approximately 15 senior advocates of the Supreme Court have moved to support him.
The lawyers have purchased one-year gym memberships at a rate of ₹10,000 each. In a gesture aimed at maintaining the gym’s community presence, these memberships will be transferred to local youths who wish to train but cannot afford the fees. Additionally, several members of the legal fraternity have pledged pro bono legal aid to help Mr. Kumar navigate the three separate FIRs filed in the wake of the incident.
“The legal community is showing solidarity,” one advocate noted, emphasizing that the initiative is intended to ensure a citizen’s livelihood is not ruined for taking a stand for harmony.
A Town Under Watch
Despite the support from afar, the ground reality in Kotdwar remains fragile. Local administration and police have maintained a strict vigil following a series of viral videos from external groups threatening to “teach Deepak a lesson.”
Additional Superintendent of Police Chandra Mohan Singh has stated that no one will be permitted to disturb the peace. As of mid-February, police patrols remain a common sight on Patel Marg. For Mr. Kumar, the path forward remains uncertain. While the “Baba” shop continues to operate under its original name, the gym owner continues to arrive before sunrise, adjusting his equipment and waiting to see if the community he once served will eventually return.
