Store owners who arrived at the North-East Delhi District Magistrate’s office on Sunday to file claims for property damaged in the recent violence, had “mixed feelings” regarding returning to the area.
“I can never go back to setting up a shop there” said Nargis, whose beauty parlour in Ashok Nagar had been looted. “Had the people of the area stood together, they could have done something to stop it... I have no faith now,” she said. Her husband’s clothes store next to hers had also been allegedly looted with a cumulative loss of nearly ₹20 lakhs been reported. “Now if we set up a shop, it will be in our own area.”
Imran Khan, whose motorcycle repair store was gutted in fire along with scores of two-wheelers, did not want to continue working in the area. “Nobody can guarantee that something like this will not happen again,” he said. Mr. Khan had not been to the store yet to inspect the damage. “We have not gone there yet. People have told us that the situation is still tense,” he said.
Others, such as Sagir Ahmed, whose confectionery store in Shiv Vihar was also looted, has not been able to visit his shop yet either. “Our neighbours have been saying that the situation is still not entirely normal. We are scared to go there,” he said. Mr. Ahmed has been running the store since the last 13 years and also owns the building. He said he did not have an option and had to continue working here.
Abdul Wahid, who ran a foam mattress store on the main road in Chand Bagh, said his store had been burnt, but that he had no plans of shifting. “I have been working here since 1992. Where will we go now?” he said.
‘18 teams formed’
An official at the help desk set up here said that 18 teams had been formed to inspect damaged sites in violence-hit areas. While at the DM’s office, claims were only being reported, remuneration would only be granted following physical verification.
