Finally, they get a roof over their heads

Home, at last! This is exactly what the 50-odd riot-hit families felt when they were handed over houses — built specially for them by the Gujarat Sarvajanik Relief Committee — in Vatva on Thursday. For the past six months, all the members of these families were sheltered by relief camps. Most of them were refugees at the Dariyakhan Ghummat Relief Camp, and were later shifted to the Qureshi Relief Hall. ‘‘Our homes were destroyed during the riots. As refugees, we were shifted from one camp to another. Finally, we have a roof of our own. Our biggest problem has been solved,’’ says 60-year-old Aminabiwi Azizbhai, whose house in Mehndikuva Municipal Quarters was damaged during the riots. ‘‘My house was located in an area dominated by the majority community. When we were targeted on February 28, our neighbours shut us out. We were not ready to go back there,’’ says Mohammad Illias, Aminabiwi’s elder son. Most of the families who have been provided a house, are worst-affected. ‘‘Either someone in their family died or their house was completely destroyed during the violence. They are worst-affected as they are unemployed and in no condition to return,’’ says Inamul Haq Iranki, organiser of Dariyakhan camp and member of the Gujarat Sarvajanik Relief Committee. One such riot victim is 65-year-old Ismail Mirza, a resident of Jawahar Nagar. Ismail, who had shifted from Uttar Pradesh to Gujarat just before February, lost his entire family — two sons, two daughters and his wife — in the riots. ‘‘They were burnt to death right in front of my eyes. But, their bodies could not be discovered. Therefore, I received nothing as compensation. Anyways, I do not need the money. What will I do with the money when they are no longer alive? This house is more than enough for me,’’ says Mirza. Though, each family is glad to have got a one-room tenement worth almost Rs 1 lakh, it’s certainly not the end of their problems. Most of the people here are unemployed. ‘‘I used to work as a driver for a transport company and also owned a small shop. But, my shop was burnt and my job is gone. The good thing is that we have a house. The bad thing is that we are far away from the city and getting a job nearby is going to be very difficult,’’ says Yasminbhai Mansuri, who was a resident of Odhav. Not just the adults, even the children are facing problems. There is not a single Government or a municipal school for miles from the area. ‘‘There are only a couple of private schools around and without enough money to feed ourselves, how will we afford to educate our kids?’’ asks Ajmeri Sasmuddin, a father of five and former resident of Talod, Sabarkantha.

Republished from The Indian Express