Clarion India
NEW DELHI— It will be five months this week since the massive violence took place in the North-east Delhi during which 53 people were killed and thousands of properties were looted and destroyed. However, at least 700 compensation applications out of 3200 are still pending with the Delhi government while 900 have been rejected.
According to The Indian Express, which has quoted government officials, till June-end, of around 3,200 claims for compensation, 1,700 were approved, around 700 remained pending, while over 900 were rejected. The report further says that around Rs 20 crore has been disbursed as relief among victims across categories.
During the violence between February 23-26 this year, 53 people were killed. Families of at least 7 of them have not yet got compensation amount of Rs 9 lakh each for various reasons — absence of bank account in one case, pending DNA reports in three cases, absence of FIR in one case and claimants not appearing in two cases, says the report.
Findings of Delhi Minorities Commission on North-east Delhi Violence Compensation
Last week, the Delhi Minorities Commission (DMC) had released its 134-page fact-finding report on the North-east Delhi violence. The report had recorded testimonies of several victims who have not yet got compensation.
Here are some of them:
A Muslim occupant of a house in Gali No. 3, G Block (Phase III) of Shiv Vihar told the fact-finding committee of the Delhi Minorities Commission that 5-7 Muslim-owned shops were targeted and burnt on the night of 24 February 2020. The rioters again came on at around 11 PM, and burnt the respondent’s house in G Block. On 24 February 2020, these shops were looted first, and then burnt on the next day, i.e., on 25 February 2020.
“The police were being called regularly but they did not turn up. The respondent stated that during the violence on 24 February 2020, a Police gypsy car was patrolling. On complaints by Muslims about the mob, the Police personnel said that they will not do anything to prevent it as they did not have order from higher-ups to prevent them. In fact, the Police told the mob: “you do what they want.” The mob was chanting slogan of ‘Jai Shri Ram’,” says the DMC report.
The victims of this case did not receive compensation till 10 June 2020, said the minority panel.
Another victim told DMC that in the larger market of Bhajanpura there were about 50 shops of Muslims. All were looted and burned. His shop was in Delhi Durbar market of Bhajanpura. It was also looted and burnt. He has lost his entire assets and earnings of life; he has not received any compensation from the government yet.
A Muslim father and son had shops/godowns in the Chuna-Bhatti area in Karawal Nagar. The father had a shop of furniture/showroom and the son had a separate godown to keep the raw materials of wood etc. “In the said area, there are a total of about seven shops/godowns, out of which five were occupied by Muslims. All these five shops were looted and burnt. Two remaining shops were of non-Muslims. They remained untouched,” says DMC report.
The father and son stated before the fact-finding panel of DMC that they lodged a complaint with the Police but do not know what happened to that complaint. They have not received any compensation. The landlord has told the father that now he will not let out the shop to a Muslim.
Common Patterns in 800 Compensation Applications Examined by DMC
The fact-finding committee of DMC examined about 250 compensation applications taken from the documents available on the Delhi Government website. Besides, it also analyze 450 application forms given by the victims to it.
The DMC found the following pattern:
— The victims have filed an application for compensation and the verification of the actual damaged site has taken place. However, only meagre amounts of interim payment were paid to the claimants.
— The victims have filed applications for compensation, and the verification/enquiry of actual site damage has also taken place, but even the interim compensation has not been paid.
— The victims have filed applications for compensation but the verification of the actual damaged site has not taken place, and therefore, no interim compensation has been paid.
Why No Compensation from Central Govt which Controls Law and Order in Delhi: DMC
The DMC has raised question on the absence of any assistance/compensation from the central government even though the law and order in the national capital comes under its control.
“Despite the fact that law and order in Delhi comes within the authority and control of the Central Government, we did not find any scheme or assistance coming from the Central Government to help the victims either by one-time compensation or by extending any support in their rehabilitation process,” said DMC.
It also questioned the decision of the Arvind Kejriwal government of Delhi to provide Rs 1 crore to government officers killed during the Delhi violence but only Rs 10 lakh to other deceased of the same violence.
“Public officers who died in the violence have been paid Rs. 1 crore each as compensation whereas the civilians/citizens who lost their lives in the same violence have been paid only Rs 10 lakh. The disparity in the sums disbursed is arbitrary and warrants urgent attention,” said DMC.