Victims of Faridabad violence feel betrayed; villagers says they are neither at peace nor safe

In Atali village, nearly 14 kilometres ahead of Faridabad, there is an uneasy calm. The Muslim families, who had fled the village after communal violence broke out two weeks ago, returned home on June 3. They returned after being assured of safety, of an open-armed welcome back to the community, but, as Jagmal Khan, an elderly resident of Atali puts it "we have been brought back and dumped here."

"We are neither at peace nor are we safe" adds the younger Sheruddin, who worked as a barber in Atali.

150 Muslims of Atali village had fled on May 25, when some among the dominant Jat community torched the village's 30-year-old mosque. In their absence, 20 of their houses were set aflame, kothis of the few rich and the small houses of the largely labour-class Muslim community burnt black alike. It was in the City Police Station that a 'peace' was brokered, when some 50 members of the Hindu community, 50 of the Muslims staying in the thana and large numbers of authorities, the deputy commissioner, local politicians, held a meeting.

"I think we got emotional, we got carried away when people told us to come back. We too wanted to return home," said Khan. "But it feels like we were betrayed." Khan and the other Muslim men, the women stayed largely indoors, explained how home is no longer a place of security. The families claimed that they are repeatedly threatened and intimidated by certain sections among the dominant community.

"Boys on motorbikes keep driving around and insulting us," say Sheruddin and Javed, a tempo driver. "They pass the mosque and yell at us as to who gave permission to rebuild the wall."

After the fire destroyed chunks of it, the Haryana government had got the demolished wall of the mosque rebuilt. A part of the structure which is largely complete has been got ready for namaz. There is a stay order on the rest of the construction.

"The other day, the man who lost elections to the sarpanch' post told us that we may be back but the children of the Hindu community weren't happy about it. He warned us that he couldn't control them for long," said Khan. The men recounted the intervening night between June 5 and June 6, when they learnt about a large mob of Hindu men forming in the jungle near the village. "We were so scared we all ran inside our houses and hid," said Javed.

"We have lost two things," said Khan, "hunger and sleep. It's been so long since we felt either."

In the midst of this is the man most reluctant to talk, Shabir Mullah, and elderly life long resident of Atali, whose speech had reportedly turned the compromise meeting at the police station into an emotional affair. Mullah, by his account and of others who were present, told the Hindu leaders, including the Sarpanch Rajesh Chaudhary, that their ancestors hadn't let his go when Partition happened. Yet the present generation had thrown them out of their homes. His word, according to Khan who witnessed this, wrung an emotional response from all present, leading to much hugging and display of friendship.

Yet now Mullah sits silent with his head bowed, while his wife recounts that they can't step out of the house for fear of being attacked.

By their accounts, it is impossible for the Muslim families to take things forward. They say that the Hindu-owned stores won't sell them milk or ration, people won't employ those who worked as labourers. Javed says no one wants to be a passenger in his tempo, Sheruddin can't get any hindu customers in his barbershop.

The Hindu community barely talks to them, let alone do business. Sections are still unhappy that the mosque is standing, they want it to be built elsewhere on a plot of land outside the village. The RAF and police contingent deployed in Atali insists that things are perfectly calm and there is no cause for worry.

So does deputy commissioner Amit Agarwal, who has been involved in helping the families return and is currently working on compensation amounts to be given to the Muslim community. However, he does concede that they are not completely calm. "Things need time. For now we are making sure no one makes mischief," says Agarwal. "If we receive complaints of any threats or violence we will immediately act on it."

He too admits to the fact that no arrests have been made, despite FIRs having been registered, because the police was afraid to 'escalate' and 'aggravate' things.

However, he is not the only one to concentrate more on compensation than arrests. The villagers and the local activists working with them, such as Haji Irfan a resident of Faridabad. stress that what people need is money to get them back on their feet. "They need money to re-start businesses, to earn livelihood. Right now they are surviving because of food sent by different organisations."

Meanwhile, the villagers say, home has become a trap. They cannot live with the way things are and yet they have no where else to go.