People’s tribunal indicts Center, police, Delhi government and media for Delhi pogrom
By Abdul Bari Masoud
New Delhi: Indicting the Center, Delhi police, and Delhi government, ”The People’s Tribunal on Delhi Carnage’ on Monday observed that “North-East Delhi riots were similar to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, as minorities have been systematically attacked in a planned manner like in the past and the State was complicit.
The tribunal also noted that Union Home Minister Amit Shah did not report full death count and all other damages in the Lok Sabha during the discussion on communal violence.
More than 30 riot-victims and some prominent civil society activists gave testimonies in front of the jury for the tribunal who alleged that police gave protection to mobs and threw tear gas shells at unarmed residents.
The anti-Muslim pogrom in northeast Delhi on February 24-25 has left at least 53 people dead, more than 200 injured and 200 homes, shops, schools, vehicles and religious places burnt down.
In their testimonies, victims have brought up the fact that not only were the police complicit with the mobs, they themselves attacked Muslims, threw tear gas shells at unarmed residents, encouraged the mob to attack by giving them protection and somehow providing the rioters police gear.
A resident of North East testified and said, “We called the police many times, but they never answered the calls, or simply humiliated us on the phone and said they can’t help. Furthermore, most of them told us to run away and that they are unable to reach us.”
Till now police have confirmed 53 deaths, and more than 200 people injured, but many residents, mostly young men, are still missing. New bodies are being pulled out of the sewage canals and currently, identifying them is a difficult task.
In this connection, certain testimonies pointed out that given the possibility that some of the dead persons were migrants and not originally from the area, their deaths will go unaccounted for and their families may not receive any justice.
While slamming the Union Home Minister, tribunal noted that apart from the death count, all other damages are under-reported by him in the Lok Sabha on March11, 2020 while addressing the house on riots as evidenced by our ground report that will soon be published after incorporating the recommendations from the jury.
Another victim told the jury that, “There was organized loot that took place and targeted mostly Muslim shops. They were ransacked methodically and then burnt to the ground using petrol bombs and burning tires. In areas where Muslim owned shops and Hindu owned shops were set up side by side, the mob only harmed the ones owned by Muslims.”
Many riot-victims questioned the ability of Delhi Police to maintain the law and order stating that the Delhi Police neither responded promptly when residents in these areas called on 100, nor controlled the aggressive rioters that had been brought from outside Delhi to attack them.
Even now, after the riots have normalised fear and apprehension, the police is misreporting damages, refusing to file FIRs, or combining unrelated FIRs and thus making the process of acquiring justice that much difficult.
A resident testified saying, “My entire life’s worth has been burnt down in one night.”
Kamlesh Uppal, a resident of Shiv Vihar, said her house was burnt by rioters when she and her husband were away.
“We had gone to our son’s place and were returning when we learnt about the riots,” she said. “We took refuge at our daughter’s house and while we were there, we learnt that our house had been looted and burnt.”
Shehzad had stored gifts and Rs 2.5 lakh cash for his daughter’s wedding at his home in Garhi Mendu village but everything was looted and his house torched by rioters.
“They made us chant ”Jai Shri Ram” and let me and my wife escape. But they burnt our house and looted our workshop,” he said, as he broke down.
One important pattern that was brought up by the testifiers and the jury members was that medical help arrived too late due to police barricades, and when the victims went to the hospitals, they were not given a dignified treatment.
“The violence started around 6 pm and people were physically checked to see if they were Hindus or Muslims,” Sahil Parvez, a resident of Yamuna Vihar who lost his father in the riots, told the tribunal.
“My father was shot in the lungs, but before we could reach hospital, he had die,” Parvez said. “I have no faith left in the police system.”
Haroon’s brother Mahroof, who was shot in the eye, succumbed to his injuries on the way to hospital.
However, few hospitals like Al Hind and GTB successfully treated the victims, but there are reports of various private hospitals where not only were the victims refused help, the doctors also threatened Muslim victims and taunted them. There was delayed treatment, massive procedural failure and other systemic discriminations that are in direct opposition to the role that medical staffs are held up to.
Furthermore, the role that Delhi High Court played in the presence of Justice S. Justice Murlidhar was appreciated by all participants present in the tribunal. They noted that before this order was put into effect, the local police that was supposedly at the scene, actively refused ambulances and medical help to reach the injured. This has been observed as an act of inhumanity and it took a midnight hearing and order for the Police to act as per their duties.
Almost all the testifiers hinted towards the hopelessness they felt, the fear they were unable to shake off and the futility of the recovery process. A resident who faced property loss said, “I have yet to receive any compensation but some of my institutions were on rented properties where the landlords belonged to the Hindu community. They have unceremoniously evicted us and told us they won’t rent to Muslim persons. If this isn’t financial and economic boycott, then what is it?”
After all the testimonies were heard, the People’s Tribunal jury consisted of former Delhi High Court chief Justice AP Shah, former Supreme Court judge, Justice Aftab Alam, Prof. Apoorvanand, activist Harsh Mander, journalist Pamela Philipose, Dr Syeda Hameed and Prof. Tanika Sarkar made some key observations. They pointed out that members of both communities have lost property, life and faced damages to their homes, but statistically the rate of damages to Muslim households and businesses and most importantly lives was much larger.
Testimonies from both communities show that they were living in harmony and had no communal tensions; however, the eruption of violence has been triggered by vested media channels and politicians who have gone unchecked.
The jury also noted that the psycho-social damage that has happened for the communities, especially the women and the children of the Muslim communities cannot be measured. The trauma and the shock are yet to wear off as mistrust and fear are high in these areas, even weeks after the riots.
The issues that were discussed in the tribunal after the testimonies of the victims were:
Anatomy of Riots; Trauma, Fear & Mistrust; Role of Police and State – Control and Prevention of Violence; Rescue, Relief and Rehabilitation; Role of Health Systems in Responding to Riots; Legal Challenges; Psychosocial Relief & Role of the Media.
Anhad had organised the People’s Tribunal on Delhi Carnage’ Constitution Club of India, in collaboration with Alliance Defending Freedom, Aman Biradari, Amnesty International India and Muslim Women’s Forum..
Shabnam Hashmi said organizing of the People’s Tribunal has become extremely necessary after the contradicting statements coming from the Home Minister to change the narrative of North-East Delhi riots.
Exremely sad … no justice for the minorities… cou ntry turning into jungle raaj…. media sold to govt.