Muzaffarnagar Riot: Update

One has been hearing a number of versions of why and how violence broke out in Muzaffarnagar and the adjoining areas but the need of the hour lies in rebuilding lost trust and correcting the inhuman conditions that prevail in the relief camps, writes Mariya salim. 

NEARLY two months after riots broke out in Muzaffarnagar and the adjoining districts, the survivors continue to live in camps, more than 35,000 of them, in sub-humane conditions, too petrified to return to the villages they once referred to as “home”. With political mudslinging taking centrestage even after the violence continues to haunt people of both communities, a look at one of the relief camps, Malakpur, reminds one of how disastrous a riot can be for thousands of innocent victims.
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One has been hearing a number of versions of why and how the violence broke out in Muzaffarnagar and the adjoining areas, the role of political parties and leaders and how the subtle but strong seeping in of right wing forces in the region has only worsened the communal environment in the area. In discussions with civil society, one finds out that Muzaffarnagar has always been notoriously infamous for crimes but, of late, these crimes were being painted in a communal colour; thus, a theft was reported as a theft by someone belonging to a particular community and a murder as a murder of someone belonging to a particular religion. Propagation of the concept and dangers of love-jihad have only worsened the situation.

As I visited the Malakpur relief camp in mid-October, I saw rows of plastic tents providing unconvincing shelter for the thousands displaced. About 10,000 Muslims affected by the riots are living in this particular relief camp in conditions that would indicate a severe humanitarian crisis. The Jamat-e-Ulema-i-Hind is running this relief camp, which boasts 1,508 plastic tents, each hosting a family. Newborn children surrounded by flies and filth, pregnant women and adolescent girls and boys and all literally languishing under the sun. “Koi hamaari kahaani nahi sunna chahta. Jisne ghalat kiya so kiya, hamaara kya kasoor hai?” (Nobody wants to listen to our story. Whoever did wrong fled, what wrong did we do?) said Naheed as I entered her plastic abode.

Because of the huge number, the entire camp has been divided into six wards, which, to an outsider, are difficult to decipher. Each is looked after by a team of 10 Jamiat volunteers who look after their basic needs. Though foodgrains and raw materials are provided to each family, which cooks its own food, the conditions in which these 10,000 people live are beyond humane. Lack of proper toilets pose a serious threat to the safety of women and young girls, especially at night. A big hole dug right in the middle of the relief camp under the open sky is used as a toilet. Women either go to the adjoining jungle or manage to use a flimsy, makeshift four-walled cloth tent as one. “We women urinate in our tents during the nights. I am scared to go to the jungle at night. I feel very embarrassed when the men in the adjoining tents complain of the stench.

Why did God subject us to this?” 

There is dirt, filth, human excreta everywhere, especially in the Malakpur camp which hosts a huge population. Pregnant women and those having their menstrual cycle are very vulnerable to diseases. The women were angry at being subjected to this pitiable plight and being reduced to living in camps. Quite a few said that though they were poor they were happy to be living in their homes and were extremely traumatised living here like refugees. 

For a number as large as 10,000 at Malakpur, all of whom belonged to the minority community, one did not see even one police van, no government health facility nor any supplies from the administration. For the first three weeks, I was informed by the organisers of the camp, they were sent 400 litres of milk every day by the administration — 400 litres for 10,000 and more! The adjoining jungle also posed threats to the safety of the inhabitants, who have even had to face snakes, etc, at night. 

Women and children, like in any riot, are the most affected here. Many girls are being married off in “Samuh Vivaahs” or group weddings by worried parents who fear that their safety may be compromised if their daughters stayed at the camps longer. Kandhla camp has already seen three such mass weddings where over 400 girls were married off and it is not unknown that many of them were not 18 years old. Children in the camps are traumatised. There are some who did not eat for five days since arrival because of the trauma they were in. Children have been especially affected by the violence. 

What is common in most of these camps is that none of the survivors wants to return. They go to the extent of saying that they would rather have poison and die than go back. Burnt utensils, neighbours up in arms, helpless voices of family members being raped, maimed and burnt alive have all created a sense of fear and broken trust which will take a very long time to heal and rebuild. 

These riots depict a clear failure on the part of the administrative machinery. It is a desperate need that relief reaches those most in need and the government needs to play a more proactive role. Though some camps in Muzaffarnagar and Shamli districts have been provided with food and compensation for the deceased, many like Malakpur have yet to receive help of any kind. There are claims of relief and money flowing in from different quarters, but the living conditions in the camps are a clear indicator of nothing reaching the survivors.

Working with both the communities to rebuild lost trust is also an urgent need. There is need to ensure that the fresh violence reported in Muzaffarnagar does not escalate to what had happened in September and those guilty on all sides are brought to justice. 

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