As the true extent of the pogrom against Muslims in Delhi is coming to light, it is evident now that the most extreme violence occurred in Shiv Vihar area of East Delhi. There were only a few homes of Muslims in this area and two mosques. Everything without exception was set ablaze. The national media of the country has apparently not reached here yet. If they did reach there, then the real situation of the ruin here is not being told. For Twocircles.net, Aas Mohammed Kaif visited the area and captured the images of ruins on Saturday, February 29, 2020. – Ed
This photo is from Phase 6 area of Shiv Vihar. The Medina Mosque was badly burnt here. There is Baghel House nearby and flames also reached this house. Two youth Vijay and Harendra were showing us this house. They both smelled of alcohol, we also saw the bottle of English wine on the side of the street near their house. Many women who had taken refuge in Chaman Park claimed that the attackers were very drunk. This bottle of English liquor was found lying on a pile of ashes.
This is Malik House in Phase 7, Shiv Vihar area. The owner of the house is Sadiq Khan and this was the most luxurious house on the 25 Feet Road. The house is now completely ruined. Some of the neighborhood residents told us that “This house was stoned by a mob of Hindus and it was burnt in anger. More than two dozen houses of Muslims have been burnt in Shiv Vihar.” Saira, who lives in Shiv Vihar and took refuge in Chaman Park, told us that Sadiq Khan used to work for people and was helping the community. He was intentionally targeted by the mob.
These are the remains of the vehicles in the house. One of these vehicles is a five-wheeler. One of them is an Avenger bike. There are two Scooties and a Passion bike. It is not clear what the other vehicle was. The Avenger bike was Sadiq’s son’s first bike. Scooty used by his daughter. The advertisement promotional line of Avenger bikes which is a youth favorite is ‘Feel like God’. The rioters are said to have told the Muslims in Shiva Vihar, “Call your God” and after this house they also burned the mosque of Khuda.
There has been unilateral violence in Shiv Vihar. The houses were burnt systematically after marking them as Muslim residences. Mosques were set on fire, houses were looted, bullets went off, lives was taken away. This continued unabated for several days. The violence relented when a crowd of Muslims from Mustafabad reached Shiv Vihar to rescue the trapped people. This picture is of a Hindu street. The street has been completely closed. Ashok Kumar, a resident found outside the street, said that Muslims should not come to attack, so we have defended it. We asked him why all the houses of Muslims in Shiv Vihar are burnt? They replied that they set their houses on fire themselves.
The Medina Mosque is completely gutted. It is in Phase 6 of Shiva Vihar. The Muslims who took refuge in Shiv Vihar at Chaman Park weep after remembering it. The CCTV camera is hanging on the mosque door. “There is no single Muslim in the entire Shiva Vihar area. This locality has become completely Muslim free.” says Mushahid, who is fixing the electric wires here, with his team.
Aulia Mosque, the second mosque of Shiv Vihar, was also burnt. An attempt was made to blow the gas cylinder inside the mosque with a blast. This mosque is at the entrance of Shiva Vihar 200 meters from Mustafabad. The Muslims who have left from here hardly come back now. The houses are not in such a condition that they can live in them. A Mustafabad girl Sumayya told us that at the very end of the street in Chaman Park there is a temple at which a stone was not thrown in this Muslim majority area while mosques were burnt in the Hindu-dominated area.
This is an inside picture of the Auliya Mosque. There are four cylinders of LPG gas in it. There is an oil canister. If these cylinder burst, perhaps there would be media reports that gunpowder or explosives were stored in the mosque. None of these cylinders broke. The police did not reach to save the mosque.
This photo is of Chaman Park. All the victims of Shiv Vihar have been sheltered by the residents here. About twenty years ago, due to cheap land, these people had settled in Shiv Vihar with mixed population. Most of these girls go to school. CBSE exams are going on in Delhi. Many girls can’t even take the exam. Riot kills many dreams. Arshi, 14, says, “It was not a riot, we were attacked, brother.”