TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter,
New Delhi: Taking note of the cold conditions in the forthcoming months, the Apex Court has directed the Uttar Pradesh Administration, in the riot hit districts of Muzaffarnagar, Shamli and Bagpat to provide necessary materials including medical facilities for the inmates particularly children in the camps as well as all those affected due to riots.
The Supreme Court has been overseeing the riot rehabilitation. Earlier on September 12 also the SC had directed the State of UP in association with the Central Government to take immediate steps and take charge of all persons, who are stranded without food and water and set up relief camps providing all required assistance.
That post communal passion in Muzaffarnagar, Shamli, Baghpat and Meerut where more than 80 children and elderly persons have died because of severe cold, air borne disease, pneumonia and bare minimal medical help leading to severity of the cases. Moreover, a large number of women have died due to lack of basis facilities and amenities and bare minimal medical help.
10 minor children and 16 elderly persons have died in one camp at Loi, Muzaffarnagar, 40 children itself have died in the Malikpura Camp at Kairana.
“It is very unfortunate for a country like India that the whole country is unable to save even small children who were dying on account of their no fault,” the court lamented.
The petitioners alleged that that in spite of our earlier directions by the SC, the State Government has not fully implemented all directions in providing necessary help and assistance to the inmates of the camps particularly to the children, aged persons and all affected persons.
State government has failed to provide even the basic amenities and drinking water to the riot victims in the relief camps and are coercing them to vacate the camps. Poor villagers are afraid to return back to their ancestral homes and are hence finding it extremely difficult as the temperature is falling down each night.
That till date the State of UP failed to implement the recommendations of the National Human Rights Commission, the National Minority Commission, the directions passed by the SC.
No compensation has been given to the kin of those who died in the camps, due to extreme cold, unhygienic conditions, etc.
Rapping the UP Government for its failure, the Apex Court directed the State to ascertain the correct position, “take remedial steps at once,” and to file a detailed report on the next date of hearing on January 21, 2014.
The present displaced riot affected victims at present is 12033 persons in Tehsil Budhana, 14179 person in Tehsil Kairna, 1670 person in Shamli, in the three tehsil a total of more than 4313 families and more than 27882 persons are staying the camps. Besides there are hundreds of families who are staying at friends’ or relatives’ places and no account of them have been made.
One of the co-petitioners Advocate Naushad Ahmad Khan has alleged that the state government had acted discriminately to provide compensation only to the families of 6 villages in Muzaffarnagar, severly hit by riots, discounting the about more than 50 villages of Shamli and Muzaffarnagar, and more than 30 villages of Baghpat.
Moreover, the state administration has failed to consider those villages where assault, looting and houses have been ransacked, the state failed to include all such villages but those villages are not included in the list of the riot affected villages, he alleged.
There are 10 camps in Tehsil Budhana, 14 camps in Tehsil Kairana and one camp in Tehsil Shamli are functional.
Advocate Khan also alleged that the categorization for the compensation and confidence building, as suggested by the state is quite irrational, unjustified and illogical.
There is no provision for the safety and protection of the land holdings, the agricultural lands and the crops have been made by the administration, petitioner alleged.
Over 60 people were killed in riots in Muzaffarnagar and nearby areas in September, while more than 43,000 were displaced.
Speaking to TCN, Advocate Naushad Khan alleged that while the death continues in the camps, UP CM Akhilesh Yadav either appear ignorant or is being ill-informed by local administration.
He also pointed out the failure of the central government. He said that the PM, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi had visited riot hit district on September 16 and assured all possible help in rehabilitation, but nothing has reached the ground yet.