Normal life affected as streets of N-E Delhi burn for 3rd day

New Delhi: Shuttered shops, closed factories and signs of an exodus from the national Capital — this is what North East Delhi on Tuesday looked and felt like. Even after two days, the streets of North East Delhi continue to burn and so did the lives of the commoners, who until Sunday night had nothing to do with the contentious Citizenship Law whatsoever — suffering from the unintended consequences of a clash that was quick to turn communal in hours. Many families in the area, out of fear, are afraid to walk out of their homes.

According to families living in areas like Seelampur and Jafrabad, the violence will have a long-lasting negative impact on them. "Many families are dependent on small scale units in North East Delhi. Now, because of fear and tension prevailing in the area, these units have been closed by their respective owners. This is what we call dark days," said residents of Seelampur. Labourers who are dependent on day-to-day earnings have also suffered some of the worst consequences of the riots in Delhi.

Since morning, people in small groups were seen carrying their luggage and leaving the protest-affected areas in North East Delhi. They were moving to the homes of their family members. Kuldeep has been working in a factory in Seelampur for the last three years. In the morning, he was on his way to his native place in Amroha. "From Sunday, my family is regularly making phone calls and asking me to return. I am returning and hope peace will prevail here," he said.

Standing next to Kuldeep, Waseem was on his way back to his native place in UP along with his friends. "Never seen such violence in my life," he said after sitting in an e-rickshaw. Another family of three people were also returning to Uttar Pradesh. "I have seen the violence. The situation in the area is very tense. I am a family man and I cannot take a risk in this situation. I am going to my relative's place in UP with my brother, wife and infant son," a resident said. Out of fear, many people asked this reporter not to reveal their names.

Small-time vendors who sell food items and other things on the street had to face the wrath of riots in their respective areas. Few of them were on the roads on Tuesday but the dread was apparent on their faces. "Situation can turn violent any time but I can't do anything. My family depends on my earning, so, in such a condition, I am selling food items," a 42-year-old food vendor said. Same was the story of other vendors who were on the street amid fear and tension across the entire North East district.

In the last three days, the streets of Delhi witnessed horrific scenes as several shops and markets were gutted by a mob of CAA supporters in multiple areas of North East Delhi.