Delhi toll rises to 42 as relatives wait for bodies
Scrap dealer dead after venturing for work
New Delhi, Feb. 28: The death toll in Delhi’s communal violence rose to 42 on Friday as the situation showed some signs of returning to normalcy and clouds of smoke cleared to reveal the extent of the damage from the worst riots in the city in over three decades.
As people gingerly stepped out for work and opened shops and other establishments in northeast Delhi, anxiety escalated outside the Guru Teg Bahadur(GTB) hospital where people waited outside the mortuary to receive the bodies of their loved ones.
Police and paramilitary personnel also maintained a strict vigil in view of the Friday prayers at mosques.
Meanwhile, a 60-year-old rag picker, who went to collect scrap early on Friday morning in northeast Delhi was brought back home with serious head injuries, and succumbed while being taken to a hospital, his son said in what appears to be a fresh case of violence.
Ayub Shabbir lived in Nasbandi Colony in Loni, Ghaziabad, bordering Delhi, with his 18-year-old Salman Ansari, who is differentlyabled, and used to earn `300400 daily dealing in scrap.
“I had cautioned my father against going out today but he said that the situation is normal now and we cannot stay inside for long and not earn anything,” Salman said, sobbing. “I have no one now. What will I do,” he asked.
As life started limping back to normal in parts of riot affected areas of Northeast Delhi on Friday, many people recalled the traumatic experience they had undergone while saving their lives when armed rioters attacked their homes. There is also fear among many locals that the police could “implicate” them to save their own skin. The riot took the lives of 43 people and left over 200 injured. It is suspected that the death toll might increase.
“Our houses were set on fire; businesses were targeted by the mob during the riot. We lost everything in this riot. However, this could not stop us from progressing. We will look forward and also fight against injustice.
“It was the politicians and some section of media which portrayed us as terrorists. We are angry but cannot go against the country. It was a big challenge for us to overcome this riot, but as people say time heals all wounds, we will emerge as strong and join the mainstream with other communities,” said Rashid, a local shopkeeper of Chand Bagh area, recalling when his family was forced to flee after a mob allegedly attacked their home.
The nightmare on Wednesday night ended only after Rashid and his family of four entered a Muslim-dominated lane.
“I was at home when a mob barged in. We somehow managed to escape,” said Rashid, who runs a shop to feed his family.
The insensitivity of politicians and law enforcement agencies, which failed to nab the culprits, also hurt the victims of the riot. Their families are still traumatised and struggling for their survival. The five days of riot has changed our lives forever, he said.
“It is very difficult to win the trust of the people who lost their families, houses, and businesses in this riot. We feel