Northeast Delhi violence: Karawal Nagar in distress, cries out for relief

NEW DELHI: Amid thick plumes of smoke and shops being ransacked, people trapped in Karawal Nagar frantically started making distress calls on Tuesday. Those living in the internal parts of Karawal Nagar and Khajuri Khas had no escape route with the main road being “captured” by rioters and stone-pelters.
Vikram Pandey, a resident of Karawal Nagar, said, “A mob was outside my house and even policemen weren’t allowed entry.We were stuck at home for two days. I could hear firing. I gave first aid to a man who was hurt in stone-pelting.”
In fact, a family of four had packed its bags to leave for its hometown of Patna. “I don’t think the situation is going to change. I’m not going to put myself or my family in harm’s way. I have applied for leave and I’d rather give my resignation than remain here,” said the family head.
The situation was the same at Bhajanpura with locals standing outside protecting their shops. Delhi Police fired tear gas at the mob in Chand Bagh, which has been on the boil for the last two days.
A woman at Bhajanpura was seen carrying a stick to “simply protect herself and her family”. “Many of us are trapped here. We have to protect ourselves when we go out. Those who are not part of the riots have the most to lose,” she said, while calling police for help.
At Chand Bagh and Yamuna Vihar, the situation was worse. A convoy of at least 25 police vehicles reached Karawal Nagar at 3.40pm. The mob there kept hitting the ground with sticks while sloganeering. Within the next 15 minutes, the mob was contained and the protesters started running towards the narrow lanes of 3-Foota Road. A loud cheer of “Delhi Police Zindabad” was soon heard.
A flag march was conducted at Chand Bagh around 4.15pm. The condition seemed to get normal there, but as soon as security forces passed the mob went berserk. The protesters broke the barriers and pelted stones towards the other side of the road.
Nagma, a resident of Chand Bagh, couldn’t sleep through the night as her son hadn’t returned home. “I had told him to get some items from a shop nearby on Monday. Later, I heard about the clashes. People kept pelting stones in the lane and didn’t let anyone enter. I was awake the entire night worried for his safety. If I had stepped out, then I could have been hurt or killed. I breathed a sigh of relief when he returned in the morning,” she added.
The anger against media personnel was quite evident as the crowd started throwing stones at the journalists. The situation remained tense till late at night, but there was no letup in police cover.