India: Fleeing Muzaffarnagar riots, over 500 families seek refuge at Delhi's doorstep

From: The Times of India

Fleeing riots, over 500 families seek refuge at Delhi's doorstep
Maria Akram, TNN | Sep 13, 2013, 06.03 AM IST

LONI (GHAZIABAD): When she is playing, Parveen forgets her plight and the terror from which her family of six escaped on Sunday night. While fleeing the riot-affected Nala village in Muzaffarnagar district, the 10-year-old and her sister Muskaan (4) were separated from their parents and brothers. But here in Loni, where around 500 riot displaced families have found refuge, an older boy, Shahrukh, has taken the girls under his wing. "My three sisters didn't make it on the train," said the 17-year-old whose 13 family members are missing. "These two are like my lost sisters."

In Loni, refugees from different riot-affected villages are helping each other survive and overcome their sense of fear and loss. It is a Muslim majority area with a large part of the population originally from Muzaffarnagar district. "More than 500 families have already arrived here and more are pouring in every day. But not a single leader has paid us a visit. The residents of Loni have donated clothes and some money to help the refugees buy rations," said Naushad Saifi, a native of Lankh village in Muzaffarnagar district, who works at a bank in Delhi.

"I have three daughters and two sons and the moment we got to know that the rioters were marching towards our village, Nala, we ran. There was no time to take our belongings. For a night we hid in a wheat field and got on a train the next morning. Many from our village have relatives in Loni," said Ruksana Begum rolling perfectly round chapattis between her hands.

The locals have decided to house the refugees free of cost for a month. "My husband is looking for work in and around Loni as going back isn't an option. The locals have told us that they will not charge rent for a month but after that we will have to pay or vacate this place," said Islaman, a mother of two kids aged less than four years. She added that all 38 houses in her village, Doghat, were looted and burned.

But for the riots, Ruksana (20) from Baghpat would have got married on Tuesday. "Everything was planned. We arranged everything from gold to gifts. Even our relatives had arrived from different villages. But we had to run for our lives. Our house that was lit up in celebration was burning when we saw it again from a distance," said Hajra Begum, Ruksana's mother, while the girl herself remained quiet. She was worried about her fiance.

Ikramuddin from Baghpat said he feels let down by the police and the ruling Samajwadi Party, and alleged that they are responsible for the riots. "When my house was looted and burned I went to the police. But instead of helping me, they said I had started the fire and sustained injuries from it. They threatened to put me in jail if I insisted on filing a complaint."

All the refugees TOI met expressed strong feelings against the Samajwadi Party, saying it had used them like a vote bank. "My uncle was killed and my younger brother is missing. When I went to a Samajwadi Party leader for help, he refused. During elections, they would have tea with us and now when we need them, they are hiding. They have lost our trust," said a white-bearded Haji Mehmood.

Many of the refugees have decided not to return. "The tension was simmering for very long and all the political parties knew that something like this was waiting to happen. The death toll is much higher than the official figure. We were threatened to leave or be killed," said Mehboob, a barber from Kudba village.