We have lived like a family, say residents of Jahangirpuri

Across communities, most locals term last week’s violence an aberration

A relationship of peace and harmony is how the residents of riot-hit Jahangirpuri described their bond with each other ever since they started living there more than two decades back.

“Things have never been hostile here among the Hindu and Muslim communities… even in the Muslim majority blocks, there are a handful of Hindu families living next door as well but we have always had an amicable relationship and even small scuffles don’t take place here,” said Aakib, a resident. While the area’s C-Block is mostly Muslim-dominated, the H and G-Blocks largely consist of Hindus.

Residents told  The Hindu that Saturday’s clashes, when members of both the communities allegedly turned violent and resorted to stone pelting during a “Shobha Yatra’ being carried out to celebrate Hanuman Jayanti, seemed to be a “spur-of-the-moment” incident and an aberration from the years-long brotherhood both the communities have enjoyed.

Dropping her son outside the locality’s primary school, wife of one of the men arrested for the violence, who declined to be identified, said: “They (police) showed me a photo where my husband is seen standing with the crowd without any weapon… how does that make him a criminal? He sells fish for a living and I hope the police realises that he is innocent… I am a housewife and he was the sole breadwinner of the family”.

“The Hindus earn during Eid as we buy clothes from their shops… we have never thought of them (Hindus) as belonging to a different community…even though my husband has been arrested, I will never curse Hindus since we have always lived around them,” the woman added.

Shakina Begum, wife of the prime accused Mohd. Ansar, said her husband used to run a mobile repair shop in the area and was never involved in any criminal activities. “He went there only to resolve the matter and calm tempers, only due to this they (police) arrested him…he is innocent and has been wrongly framed,” Ms Shakina said.

Arif, 20, said that ever since he had lived there, Muslims have participated in all the Hindu festivals with vigour as have Hindus in Muslim festivals. “They (Hindus) take out Kanwar Yatra from our lanes every year and never has it bothered us…we give them Iftar meals after we break our fast and they give us their prasad,” he said.