By M Reyaz, TwoCircles.net,
Muzaffarnagar/Shamli: In the wake of the government orders to vacate all relief camps in few days, the victims of the September riots in Muzaffarnagar and surrounding districts are in desperate situations as they can’t decide where to go.
Police vacated Loi camp yesterday. Today police force led by SDM and other district officials have so far vacated camps at Neem Kheri, and are forcing closures of several other camps. As this story is being filed, this correspondent got calls from anxious residents in Bhora relief camp in Shamli district that there is heavy deployment of police force and they are forcing the victims to vacate the camp and threatening them to use force. But the PAC team was chased away.
Neem Kheri camp
A force led by SDM has just arrived at the Bibipur camp in Shamli forcing them to evict.
The government’s apathy was marked by the force being used against the victims to vacate camps and are now literally thrashed and being asked to stay away even from the land they bought. Too afraid to return to their ancestral villages, largely because the perpetrators of the crime are still free and residing in same villages, the victims are not sure where to relocate in this chilly winter.
Under pressure from the state government, largely due to consistent media reporting in last few weeks, local administration has now retorted to coercion and blackmailing, and are suggesting to the residents of camps to vacate camps immediately if they want compensation soon.
In front of media, Muzaffarnagar District Magistrate Kaushal Raj claims that he is not using any force, but only “pursuing” them to move to safer places as camps. As a sham government says that they have built temporary camps in Budhana Tehsil, which is “well equipped” for winter, and hence urging the victims of the riot to move there. However, a mere visit to the Budhana, will tell you that the camp is desperately inadequate, to shelter not more than few hundred. Moreover, administration is just forcing them to vacate and there seems no arrangement to reach safer places.
Forced to vacate lands they purchased: In last few days, Loi camp – one of the biggest camp – that sheltered most affected victims of riots from nearby Fugana mainly, had almost been shut. A local property dealer, Yameen bought about 10 bighas of land from a local Hindu near the bus-stop of Neem Kheri for ‘plotting’ and sold them of to victims of the riot from Loi camp. The land would be able to provide shelter to about 60-70 families. The site is very close to Parsauli Police Check Post.
Neem Kheri camp
Some of the hapless victims, who have got compensation or had means, bought pieces of land and were readying to build houses there. When TCN visited the site on December 30, about 15 families had meanwhile put up tents to stay temporarily till they build their houses. As Loi camp was closed completely many more families shifted there.
However, today, as this story is being filed, TCN got calls from Neem Kheri, victims crying and whining that all tents from Neem Kheri have been forcibly removed. These villagers are unsure now where they will spend their nights in this chill. There are several small children, some who were born in camp itself.
It should be mentioned here that the UP government had earlier forced the victims to sign affidavits in lieu of compensation that clearly mentioned that the victims would not return to their homes. The affidavit has since been abandoned after facing flak from the Apex Court.
Land bought by riot victims to make houses near the Neem Kheri bus stop.
Constantly under media glare, local administrations appear desperate and do not want the victims to stay in cluster, and are hence retorting to demolition of camps. They suggesting that those victims either move to the Budhana Tehsil in government camps, temporarily shift in relatives’ houses, or buy new land for houses.
Police came to evict the Neem Kheri camp yesterday as well and as the victims resisted some of them of them were beaten badly. One Mustaqeem from Fugana, who was earlier in Loi camp, and whose wife was even gang-raped, was thrashed by police when he resisted.
But today’s Neem Kheri’s forceful evacuation is astounding as victims had bought land and had made tents in their own properties. The justification of the government is that until houses are ready, they should reside in safer camps.