Gokulpuri wears a deserted look as alert men patrol streets

New Delhi: After the rampage in parts of north-east Delhi alert men, on Wednesday, roamed the streets of death, looking out for signs of violence.

Loni Road in Gokulpuri wore a deserted look with very few shops open and autorickshaws refusing to go further down the road. The Millennium Post reporter had to walk 3 km to reach the site of violence. Smoke bellowed from the mosque on the main road which was set on fire early in the day and a cylinder thrown inside to shatter the mosque into pieces. But religion stayed safe in people's hearts as the topi clad Muslims made their way to another mosque to offer the afternoon prayer some stopping and taking pictures of the mosque that they once used to worship in.

Ironically, the police station and the mosque share the same wall but the mosque was in smokes and the police station empty. For many local residents the ghost of 2002, came alive.

An advocate by profession and a local, Ahmed Ali Khan said that the police did nothing as the mosque was invaded by Hindus who in their slippers entered and torched the religious site. They burnt the holy book and the nearby shops and houses. " I called the local MLA, I called the SHO but everyone had turned a deaf ear to us. Just some days back I remember leaders coming and sitting in my office and asking for vote and today when we needed them where were they? "

Ray of sunshine in an alley

Further, into the lanes, a 55-year-old Amina Begum sat firmly on a chair overseeing people cooking rice and potato in large quantities. She said: "There are many day labourers who have come from other states and live here, they eat at local shops but since everything is shut they have no food. We have pooled in raw material from the neighbourhood and we are cooking meals for them. It is free for everyone."

And the hate speech continues

An auto driver from Gokulpuri, Ravi, brazenly remarked that the Muslims do not belong to India. He said: "Muslims are greedy people, we have been nice by giving them shelter in this country and yet they want more. When the partition happened why did they not go back? They can still go back. Kapil Mishra was right when he gave that ultimatum. We want Muslims out of the country."

Groups of young boys and men walked the lanes fearing more tension from the other side of the canal – a Hindu dominated region – somewhat prepared and yet not prepared as they roamed empty-handed awaiting more violence.

There was an eerie silence that haunted each lane and everyday market sounds of a shutter going down, a man shouting at his son to go inside seemed so loud that families came running to their windows to see what the commotion was about. People peeped from their windows, they spoke softly

if at all they spoke, they murmured, they tread softly lest they attract attention. People are scared.