Thirty years after the life they knew was reduced to ashes by riotous mobs that laid siege to the city, families of the 1984 anti-Sikh riot victims continue to lead a life of penury and uncertainty at the Anti-Sikh Riots Society in Tilak Vihar.
With grossly insufficient government aid, their children have struggled to get educated and then find jobs. “Everybody keeps talking about price rise. Governments are being voted and thrown out of power over the issue. But all of them wants us to survive on Rs.2,500 per month, when even a beggar makes more money than that,” said Prem Kaur, a beneficiary of the widow pension announced by the government for the riot victims.
Ms. Kaur, who lost her husband Tota Singh, has two sons who are engaged in small businesses. Besides her, around 250 widows live in the Anti-Sikh Riots Society in West Delhi. The colony was allotted by the Delhi Development Authority to people who lost their loved ones in different parts of the city — primarily in Trilokpuri, Mandawali, Kalyanpuri, Mahavir Nagar, etc.
A total of 944 flats were allotted. Around 15 per cent of the families have moved out since. Though 30 years have passed since the city witnessed the pogrom, the victims are still struggling for compensation, employment opportunities and power subsidy.
“As per official figures, 2,733 people died in the riots. In 2006, they were entitled to a compensation of Rs.3.5 lakh each. However, as per the government’s own admission, compensation to over 900 families is still pending. We recently petitioned Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh to provide relief to the victims. We are waiting for the government’s response,” said housing society president Atma Singh Lubana.
Besides the dead, even those who sustained injuries were to be compensated. Monetary compensation was also to be given for damage to residential and commercial properties. The residents claim that government agencies had initially identified 10,987 properties as damaged.
“However, only 3,297 people received compensation. While 5,207 are still awaiting compensation, 1,483 cases have been rejected on grounds of lack of record. We applied in 2006. The officials now say the scheme has been closed. Most victims have lost faith and stopped visiting offices for compensation as all applications have to be petitioned in the office of the Sub-Divisional Magistrate concerned,” said Mr. Lubana.
The residents also complain they have been overburdened by mounting electricity bills. The bills for families living here had been waived off by the government till September 2013. The subsidy has been withdrawn since.
The residents say power subsidy was one of the demands they had put before the candidates of all political parties during both the 2013 Assembly and 2014 Lok Sabha elections.
“Even if the government does not waive off the entire bill, we are willing to pay at a fixed rate, which should not be changed,” said Surjeet, another resident.
