As one enters north-east Delhi’s Shiv Vihar, the dug-up streets are a reminder of the large-scale destruction witnessed in the area during the communal violence that erupted in the city in February this year.
Seven months on, the locals are still jittery. Adding to their anxiety and fears has been recent incidents of loud chanting of religious slogans for two consecutive Tuesdays.
On September 22, the local Muslim community submitted an application at the Karawal Nagar police station stating they hoped that the police would not allow miscreants to cause problems in the area. Based on this, police personnel were deployed at strategic locations. The last two Tuesdays (September 22 and 29) have been peaceful, they said.
“We have not forgotten what happened seven months ago... how houses were burnt and vandalised... how we fled our homes... and it looks like they are ready to repeat it,” cried Zarina Begum (63), who has been living in the area for 35 years.
A 48-year-old resident of street number 13 near Madeena Masjid, which was damaged during the riots, said that it was after sunset on September 15 when loud chants of ‘Jai Shri Ram’ were heard.
Second time in a row
Groups of men were seen holding saffron flags and roaming the streets. “We told our young sons to stay indoors fearing the matter might escalate. Because it had happened for the second time in a row, all the elderly women decided to go and talk to the people who seemed to be doing the chanting… where people had gathered in large numbers,” she said, adding that they went and talked to a resident who lives on a street close to the mosque.
Subsequently, police and Rapid Action Force (RAF) officials who have been stationed in the area since February were called in and the matter was settled, the locals said.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (North East) Ved Prakash Surya said, “Shiv Vihar is a mixed population area. One community was observing their religious practices, which was misconstrued by the other community. Respectable members from both the communities were called and their apprehensions were amicably resolved. The situation is absolutely normal and peaceful.”
Similar religious chants were heard on September 8. A teenager who claimed to have been part of Hanuman Chalisa recitals in the area for the past 25 weeks said they would continue the practice. When asked if he was aware of groups of men roaming the streets chanting slogans, he denied any knowledge.
Vandana Gupta, a resident of the area who organised the Tuesday recitations, submitted a complaint with the police on September 18 alleging that the worshipping of September 15 was interrupted by a group of people who threatened them and she is scared.
In Ms. Gupta’s opinion, the riots were started by the Muslims, and the Hindus only reacted. “If they had not started it, this would not have happened with them,” she said, referring to the burnt and vandalised houses of Muslims in the area.
Ms. Gupta claimed she saved the only Muslim house on her street and ensured the safety of her neighbours till February 26. But, now the relationship of the Hindus on the street with the sole Muslim family have soured, she added.
“Just to get compensation, they [the Muslim family] told police that ₹6 lakh and gold were stolen from their house. It brought bad name to the street and we do not believe that they could have had that kind of money or gold,” Ms. Vandana said.
Arti, another resident, said: “We are only performing a pooja, we are not selling arms and ammunition. They perform their namaaz anywhere anytime, why should they have a problem with us?”
Soured relationships
She admitted that relationships between the communities had changed after the riots. “There used to be a lot of exchange of food earlier, our kids used to address them as chacha, mausi, bua... but now there is hardly any interaction,” she said.
Zarina, a resident, echoed the opinion. “Hindu neighbours do not see eye to eye. These are the same people who gave us shelter when rioters were torching our houses. Their attitudes changed after we returned to our houses,” she said.
The community is finding it difficult to deal with the mental stress of the recent incidents, we have not yet recovered from the February riots and the subsequent lockdown due to COVID-19, said Muniza, another resident.. “Our children have yet not been able to find work. We were also blamed for spreading the novel coronavirus. People have only now started to rebuild their houses,” she added.
Imam of Madeena Masjid Mohammed Zahid, who has been supervising the reconstruction of the mosque, said that work started two months ago and it would take another month to finish.
“Cylinder blasts inside the building broke parts of the floor and walls. Everything was destroyed,” he said. Pointing to a poster outside the mosque that read ‘Ravaged in Delhi Riots - 2020’, the Imam added that masjids in the area are being reconstructed by Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, the largest and oldest Muslim organisation in the country.
“Most of the Hindus living around the mosque are friendly and warm. Even after the Friday prayers [October 2], many of them lined up outside the mosque for a religious practice to cure their ailing children,” he said, referring to an age-old belief that children can be cured of a disease if an Imam blows into their ear.
Most Muslims in the area are either running bakery shops or sew for a living; the younger generation mainly does labour work. A majority of the Hindus are rickshaw drivers, sell vegetables or work in factories in Gandhi Nagar.
Locals from both communities said people who run their own business have begun to earn slowly, but labourers and those doing small-time private jobs are yet to start to earning “proper” money. “Kaam halka hi hai (work is slow),” said 23-year-old Abdul, who runs a tailoring shop in the area.
Tensed atmosphere
Locals said the atmosphere of the area is always charged. Around three weeks ago, an argument over the shutting of an iron gate escalated to the point where members of both communities got involved, and the police was nearly called in. “Even the smallest of matters can lead to something disastrous here,” rued locals.
Gulshan (23) is concerned about girls in the area. “If the situation remains like this, none of our elders will allow us to go out to study or work. They still don’t. What will we do with our lives?” she said.
Members of the Muslim community claim to have lost faith in the police as well. “Whatever we say falls on deaf ears. This Tuesday, both RAF and police officials said it is only chanting and that no one has abused us,” said Akram Hussain.
“Lord Ram never taught violence. He was peace-loving and sacrificing. No religion teaches hate,” said Asmat (53), who is planning to shift from Shiv Vihar to Mustafabad fearing safety of her two young daughters. Two saffron flags were planted outside her house on August 5 — the day Bhoomi Pujan ceremony for the Ram Temple was performed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Ayodhya.