After the Islamist attack on the Hanuman Jayanti procession in Jahangirpuri, the victims of the violence continue to come forward to share their misery. Due to the imposition of Section-144 in the area after the violence, street vendors and small shopkeepers are suffering a lot as their livelihood has been impacted severely.
Team Opindia went on the ground and spoke to several such street vendors to understand their pain and suffering in the aftermath of the violence. Guddi, a resident of Budaun, Uttar Pradesh sells vegetables in the same block of Jahangirpuri where the violence erupted on April 16. Speaking to Opindia, Guddi said that she has suffered a heavy monetary loss due to the violence.
“Section 144 has been imposed in the area and the Police are not allowing us to sell vegetables here. The Police say that if the violence erupts again, where will the public go. They indulge in violence but we have to suffer. Our business has come to a standstill since Saturday and we have no other means to make a living. These fights are very common in this area,” Guddi said.
इस हिंसा के कारण धंधा चौपट हो गया है।
— Kuldeep Singh (@kuldeep_sgh) April 18, 2022
करता कोई है औऱ परेशानी हमें होती है।
जहाँगीरपुरी में सब्जी की दुकाने लगाने वालों का दर्द:
इसके अलावा कोई और रोजी-रोटी का सहारा नहीं है।#jahagirpuri #JahagirpuriViolence @STVRahul की रिपोर्ट pic.twitter.com/bXlqXw0oHy
Another woman present there said that these people keep on fighting every day. “It hurts us a lot financially, but what to do? We do not fight with these people, if they do something, then we move away from there, otherwise, we will be beaten up,” she said sharing her plight. The woman also asked the administration to provide another spot for them to set up their vegetable cart. Further, she added, “These people create a lot of problems. There are a lot of pickpockets active here. Even if someone is carrying a mobile in the bag, they will steal it.”
ये लोग लड़ाई झगड़ा करते ही रहते हैं…हमारा बहुत नुकसान होता है, लेकिन इनसे भिड़ेंगे तो हम ही पिटेंगे।
— Kuldeep Singh (@kuldeep_sgh) April 18, 2022
जहाँगीरपुरी के सब्जी वालों का दर्द और डर#jahangirpuri #jahangirpuriViolence pic.twitter.com/ns95FAbBeA
A woman hailing from Etah complained that Bengalis have blocked one side of the road in their lane in Jahangirpuri. “They have blocked one side of the road in their area by keeping a lot of scrap on that side. There is also a market on the Bengali side. Those people go there to get vegetables. We don’t go there to sell,” she told OpIndia.
जहाँगीरपुरी का वो इलाका जहाँ पर हुई थी हिंसा, वहाँ बंगालियों ने किया है सड़कों पर कब्जा#JahagirpuriViolence pic.twitter.com/nPLvlG8JPw
— Kuldeep Singh (@kuldeep_sgh) April 18, 2022
Narrating the violence of April 16, one of the vegetable vendors said, “We had set up our cart to sell vegetables in that area. Suddenly I saw everyone is running so I also ran from there. Nobody was telling the exact reason but they said that Hindu-Muslim violence has happened. We left all our vegetables there and ran in the opposite direction to save our lives”.
The lady also added that violence like this is common in the area. “Last month, one Muslim man had attacked a Hindu who died later. I am 62 years old now, I don’t even have a pension to rely on. If there is any violence, first of all, they drive the street vendors out of the area”, she stated.
She further added, “We don’t get involved in the violence. Drunkards and drug addicts come here and get involved in fights, and disturb the market”, she stated. Local shopkeepers in Jahangirpuri had also blamed illegal immigrants from Bangladesh and Rohingyas for the increased crimes in the area.
Jahangirpuri Violence-
On April 16, the Hanuman Jayanti procession was attacked by Islamists who pelted stones and glass bottles at the procession. Several people got injured as swords and pistols were also used by the attackers. Among the injured, there was one police sub-inspector as well who was shot by the rioters.
