All in a name: Northeast Delhi residents remove nameplates

A nameplate in a house or a hoarding in a shop is generally put up as a mark of identity. But when the communal violence broke out in northeast Delhi last week, these were among the first things some of the residents removed as they moved to safer places.

A number of dark, narrow lanes deep inside Shiv Vihar, among the worst-hit areas, are empty. Similarly, many Hindu families in the area that borders Mustafabad have fled after locking their homes, while some among them took down or damaged their nameplates in a bid to hide their identity.

Deepak Rajora, 32, fled to his relative's home in Ghaziabad when violence started on February 24. "But before running away, I took down the nameplate bearing the name of my father," he said.

"A few others in our lane did the same thing," Rajora said. "Houses in one corner of our lane have been completely gutted by the fire."
Malik returned to his shop on Monday as paramilitary personnel stood guard nearby. "The situation is peaceful for now. People are returning to their shops," he said. "This is how things will return to normal."