“Can’t play Hanuman Chalisa, we are terrorised by Muslims”, say resident Hindus who stay at Delhi riots area

Even as the situation in Delhi limps back to normalcy, the shattering anti-Hindu massacre engineered by fanatic Muslim mobs has left deep scars on the psyche of Hindu victims. Delhi riots has laid bare the horrors of the atrocity meted out on Hindus from December 2019, which finally culminated into the gruesome riots in Delhi in February this year.

The Hindu families, in the riot-hit areas, are now being forced to abandon homes and sell properties due to the constant fear of reprisal from one particular community. OpIndia ground report reveals how almost 150-200 Hindu families concentrated in three lanes of Delhi’s three Muslim dominated areas- Subhash Mohalla, Madhuban Mohalla and Mohanpuri area in Maujpur have put up posters of ‘The house is on sale due to fear of members of a particular community’ outside their houses as they are being terrorised by the Muslim residents of the locality.

Repurcussions of anti-Hindu Delhi riots in Mohanpuri area street number 6 to 8:
The Hindu victims narrated in the bylane of Mohanpuri area in Maujpur, which were amongst the worst affected by the Muslim transgression. Almost all the Hindu shops and houses which were attacked, looted or burnt down 5 months ago had posters on its walls which read that “the house was on sale”.

Such is the fear amidst the Hindus living in these lanes that they have barricaded the lanes at their own cost and have kept security who guard these lanes at night. The Hindus said that they are being terrorised by the Muslims in the area who warn them against praying or playing bhajans or even reciting Hanuman Chalisa for that matter, in the temples. These are the same people who regularly indulge in playing azan on loudspeakers, said a Hindu on conditions of anonymity.

The Hindus who had borne the brunt of the devastating Delhi riots recollected how the situation post the riots had become even worse for the women of their houses. Speaking to OpIndia, the Hindus said that in the aftermath of the riots, Muslim neighbours have made it difficult for their women to even come out of the houses.

“You never know when a group of fanatic Muslims might speed past on their bikes, making lewd gestures and comments on the women of our houses. We cannot even argue or stop them from doing so. Should we work or just keeping fighting with them. As it is, we have been rendered jobless after the riots,” said one of the Hindu who was in conversation with us.

They furthered that the Muslims threaten to implicate the Hindus in false cases. Openly threaten them in the middle of the night. During Eid, they recollected, how the Muslim neighbours, purposely sacrificed animals in front of their houses. “We are helpless”, said the Hindu victims.

On being asked whether any MLA or Councilor have paid a visit to them after the riots, the Hindus recalled how MLA Gopal Rai, a minister of AAP government in Delhi, has visited the Muslim neighbourhood and distributed relief material there but has never visited their areas.

Speaking of how Hindus were falsely named and implicated in the Delhi riots, the Hindus recollected the incident, where 16 Hindus were taken under custody for the murder of one Sahil’s father Parvez, solely on the basis that their mobile phones were active within 500 metres of the scene of the crime. They said that neither a charge sheet was filed against these 16 people nor were they granted bail. In fact, using this as an example, Muslims often threaten the other Hindus of a similar fate, recollected one of the Hindu victims.

It is pertinent to note here, that many discrepancies had appeared in case of the alleged murder of the aforementioned Parvez. According to the recorded statements by family members and the FIRs, Parvez had died 3 times in 3 different ways and in 2 different locations.

Moreover, all the 16 accused in the murder of Parvez were Hindus. Most of the accused in the case were associated with Hindu organisations like VHP, RSS and were the only earning members of their respective families. Mostly all of them had shops etc. which were severely broken or set on fire during the anti-Hindu riots. The families had also stated that since the day of their arrest, no communication had been permitted with the accused persons by the police.

Eyewitnesses had told how Muslims had shouted ‘Allahu Akbar’, threw petrol bombs at Vikrant Tyagi’s house, set his motor cycle on fire, and tried to break the gate. Vikrant Tyagi’s uncle was amognst the 16 Hindus who were named for killing Parvez. Vikrant Tyagi has then pointed out how the accused persons had been taken by the police only on the thin premise that their mobile phones were active within 500 metres of the place of the crime. Raising questions on the investigation, Tyagi had asked: “Thousands of people live in the area. Are they all involved?”

.Maheshwari, like many other traumatised Hindus in the locality, has also put up his house on sale.

Throwing light on how they have been constantly subjected to threats from unknown people, Maheshwari said that they no longer wanted to live in this area and mentioned how he would leave once his son, who is still in custody, returns.

Be it Atul and Virendra Chauhan of Madhuban locality, or Hindu residents living on street number three of Subhash Mohalla, what is disheartening is that all these victims had similar unfortunate tales to tell. All the Hindu residents in these areas, who are living under the constant fear of reprisal from one particular community, collectively voicing their despair, spoke of leaving the locality and relocating elsewhere.

In fact, recently, North-East Delhi MP and former BJP President Manoj Tiwari also tweeted in this regard. He also visited the affected areas on Friday (31 July 2020). Accusing the AAP government of discriminating against Hindus, the BJP leader questioned Kejriwal for this discrimination.

He too had mentioned how victims recounted that till date the local MLA and other ministers have neither taken care of them, nor they have received any compensation amount. He furthered how the Hindus, in order to protect themselves had got gates installed with their own money, while in the neighbouring areas, the Delhi government had installed gates with taxpayers’ money. Saying so, Tiwari questioned that when during the riots people of both the communities were killed and injured then why was the Delhi Government favouring one particular community.

Significantly, though the anti-Hindu riots took place in North-East Delhi on 24 February, 2020, the conspiracy of setting off the riots was hatched in the January itself. On 23 February, the first incident of violence took place in Zafarabad and the next day, pre-planned riots erupted.