Opinion - News Analysis

A pittance as payoff

By Manas Dasgupta

The most common complaint of the riot-affected is inadequate compensation.

THE GUJARAT Government claims to have already disbursed more than Rs. 56 crores as direct cash benefits under various heads to the riot victims. However, representative of the victims dispute the Government statistics and say that more than 90 per cent of those affected are yet to get anything. Ten per cent had received some "meagre amount".

It's not just about cash compensation. The riot-hit also complain about the Government's apathy in looking into their grievances. The 10-point charter of demands presented to the Government on May 30 by the Qaumi Relief Committee seems to be gathering dust in the Chief Minister's office. The demands were based mostly on the oral assurances given by Narendra Modi to the committee at an earlier meeting, and yet nothing has moved, says the committee general secretary, Shaukatkhan Tyrewala. The demands included a re-survey of the damage to the houses, industrial units, shops and other business establishments and immediate ex-gratia payment of Rs. 50,000 per damaged industrial unit and Rs. 10,000 to the small shop owners, allocation of Government land in minority-dominated areas to those reluctant to return to their original places of residence, restoration of the 500-odd damaged religious places to their original status, immediate payment of compensation to the next of kin of the deceased, arrest of the accused named for criminal offences and withdrawal of charges against those falsely implicated, adequate police protection in the worst-hit areas and providing 30 per cent seats in the police department to the minorities, and setting up of peace committees.

Gaffarbhai Memon, who claimed a loss of Rs. 50,000, has been paid nothing, Sayed Ahmed Shaikh, who estimated a loss of Rs. 80,000 has been paid a paltry Rs. 1,000 and Kurshidbanu Shaikh, who owned two houses and estimated her loss at Rs 1.60 lakhs, has been paid Rs. 3,250. Even assuming that they had been exaggerating their claims, how can a family start life afresh with only Rs. 1,000? Even the paltry compensation smacked of discrimination. A Hindu household which did not suffer any losses and is still living in the same house has been treated as a riot-victim just because it is a mixed locality and paid a compensation of Rs. 5,000. But a Muslim, next-door, whose house has been totally destroyed has received a mere Rs. 250. "Are we also not the citizens of this country? Why this discrimination," asks Yasin Shaikh.

In the labour-dominated eastern parts of Ahmedabad, one of the worst-hit in the communal riots, some grim-faced jobless youths maintain a round-the-clock vigil of their residential colonies. These young men, who identified themselves as BJP supporters, say nothing to the passers-by, but their presence is enough to unnerve riot victims intending to return home from the ramshackle relief camps.

Zarinabibi of the Ramandada-ni-Chali said, "we feel scared, but what can be done, one day or the other we have to come back home". "This is where we have lived for four generations and we have no intention of running away," said Yusufbhai Memon. They are not interested in shifting to Juhapura or such other Muslim-dominated areas. "This is the first time that we were attacked and I am sure it will not happen again," he said. But the youth-watchers are not so sure. "We have no problem if the Muslims want to come back, but we cannot guarantee riots will not break out again. It can start even from a road accident or as a reaction to some incidents in far-off Juhapura," one of them said.

The situation is much worse in the shanty-towns of Vakil-ni-Chali, Choksi-ni-Chali, Mohanlal-ni-Chali and such others in Saraspur, Gomtipur, Bapunagar, Odhav and other areas. In these parts there is no way the local residents can return in the near future. The "houses" they lived in till February 27 do not exist any more. There are only piles of rubble. Not one Muslim house in the mixed localities seems to have escaped the notice of the hooligans — all the household goods have been looted, the doors and windows pulled out, the walls and the roofs demolished and even the water supply and gutter lines destroyed.

But except in Naroda-Patiya, Meghaninagar and a few other worst-hit areas where people were burnt alive, the locals in most other places are keen on returning if the Government pays them compensation to repair their houses irrespective of the threats.

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