Curfew Relaxed For Festivals In Riot-Hit Khargone, But A Tearful Eid For Many

Khargone violence: The district administration had on Tuesday imposed a total curfew in view of three festivals coinciding.

The complete Eid curfew in Madhya Pradesh's Khargone district, which saw communal clashes during a Ram Navami procession last month, was relaxed for 11 hours on Wednesday. Petrol pumps were also allowed to open for the first time since the April 10 violence.

The district administration had on Tuesday imposed a total curfew in view of three festivals coinciding. Temples, mosques, and eidgahs bore a deserted look. Prayers were offered within homes as police and administration vehicles blaring sirens stayed mobile across the riot-hit town.

Tears trickled down from the eyes of Shadullah Beg -- a portion of his house was demolished by the local administration as part of action against encroachments -- as he spoke to NDTV. "Our lives stand ruined, my entire business and means of living have been destroyed. I had a buffalo worth Rs 65,000, two cows and their calves, and three goats, which formed part of my small dairy business. I also had a male goat worth Rs 18,000 for Qurbani on Eid. All that has been taken away by the authorities, despite our family pleading to them to give some time to shift them to another place," he said while recounting the losses from the controversial demolition drive.

He claims a major part of his house was demolished after the April 10 violence without any prior notice. "In 2021, a part of my house was demarcated as encroachment. Neither I nor my small kids have any role in the riots, but still, our lives have been ruined. I ran a watermelon roadside stall for which I had brought watermelons worth around Rs 70,000 to Rs 80,000, but that too was taken away by authorities," a tearful Mr Beg added.