Date:05/11/2005 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2005/11/05/stories/2005110519830300.htm

New Delhi

Longing for a peaceful night of sleep on city's pavements

Bindu Shajan Perappadan

Memories of the fateful day haunt the street kids who witnessed the Sarojini Nagar blast

NEW DELHI: With no parents to confide their fears in and little community support coming their way, street-children who lived through the Delhi bomb blasts this past Saturday took a day off on Friday to try and put behind them events of that fateful evening.

Making a beeline to watch the Hindi film "Hanuman" at PVR Saket in South Delhi were 38 children working in and around Sarojini Nagar who were witness to the horrific blast and have not been able to sleep or even get back to work after that day.

"The terror of the evening, the cries of fear and the confusion has remained with us and we have been more or less left on our own to deal with our problems," said 10-year-old Anil, who works as help at a tea stall in Sarojini Nagar market.

With no parents and only the pavement for home, Anil was listed among "missing persons" for a couple of days after the blast. Luckily for him, he wasn't seriously injured and after being treated for some minor injuries at Safdurjung Hospital, he came back to his stall in the market.

"I was working at my shop when the incident happened. I was thrown back by the impact and lost consciousness. Later I was picked up and taken to hospital. I was scared that I would die. Even now I get nightmares of that day. Maybe a day out like today will help me think about something else," added Anil.

Similar stories of sleepless nights, fear of getting back to work at the same spot and dread of losing someone dear in another similar tragedy were echoed by many others in this small group.

The afternoon outing for the children organised by non-government organisation Childhood Enhancement Through Training and Action (CHETNA) with help from British Gas India Private Limited was aimed at trying to begin the healing process after the blast.

"These are children who have been left alone to deal with visions of death and terror and we are here to tell them that they need not suffer alone," said CHETNA director Sanjay Gupta.

Sheelesh, a 12-year-old bag seller also from Sarojini Nagar market who witnessed the blast, said nightmares of that evening still haunt him. "I heard a loud blast and saw blood splashed across the road, everybody was running about and I started looking around for my friends hoping that nothing should happened to them. Even thinking of that evening brings tears to my eye, I am trying to forget that day."

For most of these children, Diwali, Bhai Dooj and Id have come and gone without any celebrations this year, but the only thing they are longing for is a peaceful night of sleep on the city's cheerless pavements.