Skip to main content

Delhi riots: Thousands rendered homeless, no relief operarions by Central, Delhi govts

People from Shiv Vihar take refuge in a private house in Chaman Park
Counterview Desk
Government, both Central and Delhi, are completely absent from relief operations in the aftermath of communal violence in the national capital, says a status report based on visit to Bhajanpura, Chaman Park and Shiv Vihar on February 29, 2020 by senior activists Anjali Bhardwaj, Annie Raja, Poonam Kaushik, Geetanjali Krishna and Amrita Johri.
Communal violence is known to have broken out in North-Eastern Delhi on February 24, and and continued till February 26, 2020. As per thr latest figures, 42 people have died, more than 200 are injured and thousands have been rendered homeless due to destruction and looting of their houses.
The activists met with Muslim and Hindu families to understand their immediate concerns and whether ongoing relief efforts adequately address their needs.

Text:

Based on seeing the ground situation and talking to affected people, it is clear that the Central and Delhi governments have failed in providing any modicum of relief to those affected or displaced by the recent spate of violence.
In each place, families which had to abandon their homes due to violence are taking refuge with their relatives or have made private arrangements in different localities or are staying in temporary accommodation provided by private individuals. The Central and Delhi governments have not set up a single relief camp in the areas which we visited.
During the time of our visit from 3 pm to 7 pm, private vehicles carrying some relief material reached Chaman Park. We did not find any government agency or representative involved in co-ordinating or delivering relief during the time we were there.
Shiv Vihar
Further, everyone we spoke to reported having received assistance only from non-government entities. According to those present at the site, all relief including food, clothing and medicines are being provided only by private entities- either through religious bodies (Gurudwaras, Church) or through civil society groups.
The abdication by the Delhi and Central governments, of their basic responsibility of providing help to people rendered homeless and vulnerable due to violence is shocking. After maintaining a deafening silence for more than three days after the violence broke out, the measures announced by the Delhi government are inadequate to meet even the basic needs of affected persons -- we did not find even those being implemented on the ground during our visit.

Chaman Park

Nearly 1,000 people, from the Muslim community, who fled from their homes in Shiv Vihar due to the violence, are taking shelter in private homes in nearby Chaman Park.
We visited two of these homes, where hundreds of people, mostly women and children, were sitting on the floor in different rooms. One room was functioning as a medical camp. The homes belong to private individuals who opened them up to provide emergency shelter.
People were extremely anxious and traumatised about the condition of their homes and their future. Several people stated that when men attempted to return to Shiv Vihar to retrieve belongings, especially their documents, they were brutally attacked and there were reports of some people being murdered (we cannot verify this independently).
Auliya Masjid in Shiv Vihar
Most families had fled with nothing other than the clothes on their backs. Children appeared to be experiencing a lot of trauma as well. They spoke of the violence they had witnessed- houses being burnt, people attacked by mobs. Several children were extremely concerned about missing out on their final examinations, especially those who had to appear for board exams.
We met with a young man who had stitches on the back of his head and his left eye was swollen shut. He said he was returning from Karawal Nagar to check on the condition of his family on the evening of February 25, when he was caught by 16-17 men who asked whether he was Hindu or Muslim. Upon hearing that he was Muslim, they mercilessly beat him. He received the stitches on his head at GTB Hospital but said he was too scared to return to the hospital to get his eye treated.
People shared that a madrasa and two masjids in the area -- Auliya Masjid and Madina Masjid -- were set on fire and looted and destroyed from inside. People said they saw mobs armed with petrol bombs, guns and rods setting fire to homes and attacking people.
People stated that when men attempted to return to Shiv Vihar to retrieve belongings, especially their documents, they were brutally attacked
People said that calls to emergency numbers of Police (100) and Fire Brigade (101) went unanswered. Most people took help of neighbours or relatives to escape while one family reported that the Police helped them escape from their house.
As Shiv Vihar is a mixed locality and in several lanes, there are Hindu and Muslim families, we asked people whether they could see recognisable faces of their neighbours in the mob. Every person who we spoke to said it was outsiders who were in the mob- no local person was involved in the violence.
People said that they require accommodation in the local area with atleast one room dwelling per family and facility for cooking, till they can rebuild their homes or take other appropriate action. Most were terrified of returning to Shiv Vihar.
Mazar on Bhajanpura main raod which was set on fire
While private homes, in Chaman Park and elsewhere, have provided emergency shelter, it was clear that it would not be feasible for people to stay there beyond a few days. Relief in terms of food, clothing and health camps was being provided through non-government organisations.
People we spoke to had no information about the compensation scheme announced by the Delhi government and no one had even seen the form which is required to be filled up. No representative of the Delhi or Central government had visited them.

Shiv Vihar

We visited the deserted galis of Shiv Vihar, which resembled a ghost town. Thousands of people, both Hindus and Muslims, have abandoned their homes due to the riots. Rapid Action Force personnel were stationed at every corner. Blackened walls of houses, charred remains of vehicles, burnt household items, furniture from shops strewn on the streets and barricades put up using almirahs and desks bear testimony to the tragic consequences of communal hate and violence.
We came across the burnt Auliya masjid and could see the remains of gas cylinders which had been lit and thrown inside. It was our impression that primarily targeted attacks were made on houses and places of worship of Muslims. Some houses belonging to Hindus were also burnt and damaged.
We could only locate a few Hindu families in the riot affected area, and most of them said they were taking shelter in nearby localities of Johripur and other areas. They said that all the Muslims had abandoned their homes. We met with Mithlesh and Sunita, who are neighbours and run a small halwai (sweet) shop in Gali No 14, 25 foot road.
Burnt shops in Bhajanpura
They said that armed mobs entered lanes from both sides and burnt dwellings, destroyed homes, attacked people. They said they tried calling the police and fire brigade repeatedly, but with no success.
Two brothers-in-law of Sunita who were standing in the lane during the violence were injured. One is admitted to GTB with severe burn injuries while the other was standing there with his head in a bandage.
The women said that while their houses were not set on fire, they left the area on Wednesday morning (February 26) due to the violence and when they returned to retrieve their belongings, they found furniture and appliances in the house had been damaged. They said that it appeared people were brought in from outside to do this violence as they could not identify any known person from the locality.
Several people (only Hindus as no Muslim families have been able to return) reported that the SDM had visited the area and taken down their details for the compensation form.

Bhajanpura

While travelling towards Bhajanpura from the Seelampur metro station, we saw that most shops had their shutters down. We saw several burnt school buses, trucks, vehicles and also the remains of the burnt petrol pump.
At Bhajanpura main road, we saw the Mazar which had been set on fire. It was barely 10 feet away from a Police Help Centre (located on the same pavement).
The first three shops on the left side of the road were completely burnt. We met with Azad and his brother Bhoora, who along with 2 other brothers owned these shops -- a restaurant called Azad Chicken Centre, a shop selling peanuts and chickpea and a fruit shop.
Bhoora in his burnt house
In the whole market only these three shops had been set on fire. Burnt fruits, furniture from the restaurant lay strewn around. The brothers said that a mob set the shops on fire around 2.30pm in the afternoon of February 24, and started pelting stones on them. Their houses which are located on top of the shops also caught fire.
They tried to douse the flames engulfing their vehicles and shops but when tear gas shells were thrown into their houses, 16-17 of them (including their little children, women and workers from the restaurant), saved themselves by running to the terrace and jumping into the back-lane from a 12 feet high terrace.
They said that 8-10 policemen were standing and watching but did not control the mob, as perhaps they were vastly outnumbered. Despite repeated calls to emergency numbers, the first fire brigade arrived only around 7 pm by which time the shops and houses were completely gutted and all the belongings inside were reduced to ashes.
Seeing the condition of the house and the shops, it was clear that the structures were extremely unsafe and would need to be demolished and then rebuilt. The brothers felt that only their shops were targeted as they were Muslims. While none of the other shopkeepers helped during the attack, most of them sat with the brothers through the night and extended solidarity.
The brothers shared that they returned at night and tried to secure the entrance in a bid to protect their valuables and belongings, but everything had already been ransacked and looted including money and jewellery kept in the house.
All the remaining clothes, documents had been burnt and household appliances and fixtures had been broken including the wash basins. They had not heard of the compensation offered by the Delhi government and said no official, other than the Police had met with them.
When we told them about the compensation announced, they said that the government should extend loans as well as the compensation amounts declared may not be adequate. They were keen to rebuild and restart all three shops. The brothers proudly shared that their grandfather Bundu Khan had served in the Indian Army.
---
Click here for recommendations by the fact-finding team and link to videos taken by the team members

Comments

TRENDING

Avoidable Narmada floods: Modi birthday fete caused long wait for release of dam waters

Counterview Desk  Top advocacy group, South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People (SANDRP), has accused the Sardar Sarovar dam operators for once again acting in an "unaccountable" manner, bringing "avoidable floods in downstream Gujarat."  In a detailed analysis, SANDRP has said that the water level at the Golden Bridge in Bharuch approached the highest flood level on September 17, 2023, but these "could have been significantly lower and much less disastrous" both for the upstream and downstream areas of the dam, if the authorities had taken action earlier based on available actionable information.

From 'Naatu-Naatu' to 'Nipah-Nipah': Dancing to the tune of western pipers?

By Dr Amitav Banerjee, MD*  Some critics have commented that the ecstatic response of most Indians to the Oscar for the racy Indian song, “Naatu-Naatu” from the film, “RRR” reeks of sheer racism, insulting visuals and a colonial hangover. It was perhaps these ingredients that impressed the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, one critic says.

Buddhist shrines were 'massively destroyed' by Brahmanical rulers: Historian DN Jha

Nalanda mahavihara By Our Representative Prominent historian DN Jha, an expert in India's ancient and medieval past, in his new book , "Against the Grain: Notes on Identity, Intolerance and History", in a sharp critique of "Hindutva ideologues", who look at the ancient period of Indian history as "a golden age marked by social harmony, devoid of any religious violence", has said, "Demolition and desecration of rival religious establishments, and the appropriation of their idols, was not uncommon in India before the advent of Islam".

A Hindu alternative to Valentine's Day? 'Shiv-Parvati was first love marriage in Universe'

By Rajiv Shah*   The other day, I was searching on Google a quote on Maha Shivratri which I wanted to send to someone, a confirmed Shiv Bhakt, quite close to me -- with an underlying message to act positively instead of being negative. On top of the search, I chanced upon an article in, imagine!, a Nashik Corporation site which offered me something very unusual. 

Biden urged to warn Modi: US can declare India as worst religious freedom offender

By Our Representative  During a Congressional Briefing held on Capitol Hill, Washington DC, Nadine Maenza, former Chair of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), has wondered why the Biden administration should raise issues of mass anti-minority mob violence  -- particularly in Haryana and Manipur -- with Modi. Modi should be told that if such violence continues, the US will be “compelled by law” to designate India as one of the world’s worst offenders of religious freedom, she urged.

Savarkar 'criminally betrayed' Netaji and his INA by siding with the British rulers

By Shamsul Islam* RSS-BJP rulers of India have been trying to show off as great fans of Netaji. But Indians must know what role ideological parents of today's RSS/BJP played against Netaji and Indian National Army (INA). The Hindu Mahasabha and RSS which always had prominent lawyers on their rolls made no attempt to defend the INA accused at Red Fort trials.

Asset managers hold '2.8 times more equity' in fossil fuel cos than in green investments

By Deepanwita Gita Niyogi*  The world’s largest asset managers are far off track to meet the  2050 net zero commitments , a new study  released by InfluenceMap , a London-based think tank working on climate change and sustainability, says. Released on August 1, the Asset Managers and Climate Change 2023 report by FinanceMap, a work stream of InfluenceMap, finds that the world’s largest asset managers have not improved on their climate performance in the past two years.

Evading primary responsibility, ONGC decides to invest Rs 15,000 crore in sick subsidiary

By NS Venkataraman*  It is reported that Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) will infuse about Rs 15,000 crore in ONGC Petro-additions Ltd (OPaL) as part of a financial restructuring exercise. ONGC currently holds 49.36 per cent stake in (OPaL), which operates a mega petrochemical plant at Dahej in Gujarat. GAIL (India) Ltd has 49.21 per cent interest and Gujarat State Petrochemical Corporation (GSPC) has the remaining 1.43 per cent.

'State-sanctioned terror': Stop drone attack on Adivasis, urge over 80 world academics

Counterview Desk  A joint statement, “Indigenous Peoples’ Un-Freedoms and Our Academic Freedom: A Call for Solidarity”, endorsed by over 80 signatories, including international academics, activists and civil society organizations, as well as diasporic Indian academics and researchers, working with Adivasi (indigenous) communities in India, has made an urgent appeal to prevent future drone bomb attacks by the Indian state on Adivasi villages.

Sales, profits of Indian firms 'deteriorate', yet no significant increase in cost pressures

By Our Representative  The Indian Institute of Management-Ahmedabad's (IIM-A's) latest Business Inflation Expectations Survey (BIES), a monthly exercise, has said that while cost perceptions data does not indicate significant increase of cost pressures, sales and profits of the Indian firms have deteriorated.