Elections again and 2020 Delhi riot survivors look back at unkept promises

The trust is gone. Five years after riots in northeast Delhi, that is the oft-heard refrain as locals adapt to their changed, polarised neighbourhoods. Shops and houses that were engulfed in flames have been rebuilt but reconstructing lives is quite another thing.

More than 50 people were killed and many others injured in the February 2020 riots. It was just after the assembly elections. It's election time again in Delhi, a reminder if any were needed of the many things left undone.

In Shiv Vihar, one of the areas most impacted by the communal violence following clashes between supporters and opponents of the Citizenship Amendment Act, the memories linger - somewhat like the ever-present stench from a large drain that seems never to have been cleaned.

"The area is calm now, but the trust is gone. People live in their own spaces without disputes, but they no longer trust each other," said Harpal Singh, a 68-year-old shop owner who moved to the locality 30 years ago.

"When I moved here, this place was predominantly Hindu. Gradually, Muslim families also started settling here. Now, about 90 per cent of the Hindus have left after selling their property," he said.

People are still selling their property and moving away because they are scared there will be a repeat of the violence, Singh added. Some Muslim families have also left the area.

Mohammad Javed Ali echoes his sentiment, and also his words.

Before the riots, people lived together in harmony. Now, they talk to each other, but the trust is gone. People live side by side, but no one trusts anyone anymore, said the 36-year-old who works in an automobile repair shop in the area.

With its narrow lanes, broken roads and piles of garbage everywhere, Shiv Vihar is a world removed from the affluent colonies of the national capital.

The residents are in despair, acknowledging the grim everyday reality of their lives, the lack of basic amenities, the constant stress - and hoping that change is somewhere on the horizon, maybe with the elections on February 5.

According to Singh, relief efforts after the 2020 riots were patchy.

"Most of the relief went to Muslim families," Singh, who had to take refuge at a nearby Shiv Mandir for eight days during the riots, alleged.

It was a turning point in many lives. According to Singh, Hindus shifted to Shiv Vihar Phase-10 and Muslims to the adjacent Phase-6, which was once predominantly Hindu and now has only three Hindu families in residence.

"The shops and buildings that were burned down have been rebuilt, and the scars are now part of the past. However, basic infrastructure development is still lacking. People are visiting the area because of the elections but real development is needed.

For many in the area, the wounds of the riots remain fresh. The promises of development and justice from political leaders have done little to ease their trauma. Many voters in Shiv Vihar see the elections as an opportunity for change.

"We can't live in the past forever. Our children deserve a better future. I hope whoever wins this time will focus on development and peace," 29-year-old homemaker Sunita Sharma said.

Ali also expressed disappointment with the AAP government, stating, Over the last three years, AAP has done some work here, but during the riots, their MLA Haji Yunus was absent. He only came after the situation improved.

This time, AAP has not repeated sitting MLA Haji Yunus and has given the ticket to Adil Ahmad Khan.

Discussing compensation from the riots, some Muslims agreed that support was given.

"A family that used to have a 'kachha' house now has a 'pucca' house, those who had a one-storey house now have a two-storey house, and those with a two-storey house now have a three-storey house," 28-year-old Salman Ahmad told PTI.

Shiv Nagar falls in the Mustafabad Assembly constituency. The constituency has 2,88,902 registered voters, including 1,55,706 male voters, 1,33,193 female voters, and three third-gender voters.

The BJP has nominated Mohan Singh Bisht, a sitting MLA from neighbouring Karawal Nagar. The Congress has fielded Ali Mehdi, son of former MLA Hasan Mehdi. The AIMIM has fielded Tahir Hussain, who is currently in jail for his alleged involvement in the 2020 riots. The Supreme Court gave him parole and allowed him to campaign under police custody from January 29 till February 3, the last day of campaigning.

The votes will be counted on February 8.