Six month after the violence the dust in Gausganj still has not settled. On July 18 communal clashes left one Hindu man dead and several injured in the clashes that followed 42 Muslim families fled or were forcibly displaced and 8 homes were bulldozed by the administration for “encroaching on government land” .The 58 Muslim men continue to languish in jail.
Scattered and uncertain the displaced family’s sought refuge in the homes of relatives and different villages. only to move again when they could afford to rent modest dwellings. With no stable income they continued working as labourers whenever they could find work. Their children once students saw their education come to an abrupt halt.
Now 11 families have returned under security cover not to homes but to rubble looted cupboards .shattered doors and a village that does not know whether to welcome them back or push them away.
Shafkeen 60, steps carefully over what use to be her door step now just remnant of concrete “ at least I have my home back “she says we are a family of daily wages and I have no money to fight the cases of my two sons and husband I don’t know how they will come out of jail.
Rukhsana Begum 62 seats on the narrow Ramp of her front porch Her gaze darting towards the Cops patrolling the village “we do not want to talk we have no problem” she murmurs before vanishing behind vanishing tattered curtain.
Mohammed Tahir 23 is here but not to stay” I do not live here anymore, I work in Haryana” he says, his voice low his eyes watch full ‘I came to settle my parents nothing is left we have to start from scratch”.
Al Jabah 9, won’t be going back to school soon. I saw my school bag torn “ I don’t go to school now” she says.
For now the survival of these families depends on Charity. An NGO provides us with meals and basic necessity like utensils and brooms’ says Mehwish Jaha whose son Yassin is behind bars. our electricity meters are broken and water supply is erratic”.
Gausganj once home to marginal formers and labours became an open Battleground following the violence. livestock was taken, tractors and farming equipment were seized. “land too is now under threat we get offers through common connections asking us to sell at thrown away prices” says a returnee “when we protested, we were with more FIRs. we have little hope of justice”
For some family in the village, resentment still runs deep. Tejpal a 23 year old Hindu man was killed in the riots and his family is still seeking justice “he was my nephew” says Panchayat assistant Raj Kumar. He was murdered and now they are being allowed back how can we tolerate this ?. Today police are with us, but what about after 6 months? who will guarantee our security? Tensions are expected to peak as Holy approaches “we have set up a police picket at the village entrance” says Shahi SHO Amit Bayan . “A large Hindu gathering is expected so we are keeping a heavy forces deployed”