Battlefield Delhi

There had been forebodings of unrest threatening tospill over since December last year and a bandh called by traders againstthe ongoing sealing and demolition drive by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD),under orders from the courts, turned violent in many partsof the capital on Wednesday.

Expecting trouble, the MCD teams were accompanied bypolice escorts. But the gathered crowds turned violent. The worst-hit region wasSeelampur, a resettlement colony in North-East Delhi.. It was a virtual battle zone—irate protestors clashing with police andindulging in heavy stone-pelting throughout the day, while security men resortedto firing, bursting teargas shells and baton charging to disperse them.

About 50 policemen, including the area DeputyCommissioner of Police Devesh Shrivastava, were injured when the assembled crowds pelted them with stones. Eye-witnesses claim that those pelting stoneswere not just traders, but others, possibly instigated by "anti-socialelements". The police fired back tocontrol the crowd. In the end, it left at least three dead, among them aseven-year-old boy and a 15-year old returning from school, and a manin his early 40s, who has not yet been identified.

Police said the man was killed in firing by them, butit could not be confirmed whether the seven year old boy, identified as Ashraf,and the teenager were victims of police firing or bandh violence. The bodies ofthe three have been kept at Guru Tegh Bahadur Hospital. "They were broughtdead," hospital sources said.

Rapid Action Force (RAF) was deployed in several areas to bring the situationunder control and prohibitory orders were clamped in Seelampur and adjoiningregions, where an uneasy calm prevailed. A school bus carrying hearing impairedchildren was left stranded opposite Seelampur police station with the childreninside for six hours.

It is significant, however, that the violence was primarily in the congestedresettlement colonies largely inhabited by the poor. Even the affected tradersin these colonies belong to the much poorer sections, unlike their counterpartsin Central and South Delhi who are far moreinfluential and powerful. Resentment in Seelamput had been seething for a longtime, as it is a busy congested area dotted with small industrial units forbattery manufacturing, plastic packaging, hosiery and cloth items, operatedlargely from tiny residences. The congested area had been targeted regularly inthe sealing drive and had actually erupted into a similar violent protest onSeptember 9—but that had been controlled within 10 minutes or so.

Additional DeputyCommissioner of Police (North-East) Rajeev Ranjan blamed "anti-socialelements" for the flare-up today.. "The violence is not related to the bandh.The bandh was peaceful. The traders were winding up their protest by 11:30 am. Idon't know how the violent incidents happened. It seems some anti-socialelements have taken advantage and created the flare-up," he said. He alsoclaimed that the mob was armed with country made pistols, bricks and rods.

Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit echoed the sameline, and said she was deeply concerned and felt the pain of the people. "Thebandh was peaceful. Some mischievous elements took advantage to create chaosleading to the killings. I was upset hearing the news of the killings of poorchildren. We have been trying to minimise the effect of the drive. But the courthave a particular view. Everyone know that we are carrying out the orders on aparticular situation," she said. But that is something that is tough to swallow. Delhi politicians across the party lines have played footsie with the law, resorting in the end to "out of control law and order situations" as an alibi. While there is a genuine need for planning for rehabilitation and relocation of traders, the politicians have had more than enough time at their disposal to actually sort the problem to the courts' satisfaction. Delhi was held ransom to similar threats of violence when CNG was sought to be introduced, but thankfully the courts had stayed the course then. This time the situation has been aggravated by severe factionalism in Delhi Congress which led to virtual snapping of lines of communications between different branches of the government.

But that didn't prevent Sheila Dikshit who went on to call the violence "completely politically motivated". Shesaid the sealing issue was being politicised and that "onlyan enquiry will bring out what led to the violence and subsequent firing." She also said that "dozens and dozens of MCD officials who have been found guilty of alloting land that should not have been given out in the first place have been suspended."

Incidents of brick-batting were also reported fromBhajanpura, Yusuf Sarai, Hauz Khaz, Khajoori Khaas, New Ashok Nagar, Shakkarpur,Madhuban Chowk, Mayur Vihar, Lakshmi Nagar, Ashram, Mayapuri, Dabri and Dwarka.Scores of people were injured in lathi charge and violence in these areas also.The protestors targetted police vehicles, DTC buses, Metro trains and otherpublic property.

Metro services were also affected in North-East Delhi after irate protestorshurled stones at a train in Shahdara. As a precautionary measure, Metro serviceswere short-terminated at Shashtri Park station, avoiding the areas of Seelampur,Welcome and Shahdara, a DMRC official said.

Meanwhile, the bandh call given by the Confederation of All-India Traders evokeda near-total response with most of the wholesale and retail markets in thecapital remaining shut throughout the day. However, posh markets like ConnaughtPlace and Khan Market were open with most of the shopkeepers not joining thebandh. "Though we have sympathies with them (protesting traders), we don'twant to be part of anything which is illegal," said Sanjiv Mehra, presidentof Khan Market Traders' Association.

Traffic was also blocked in several areas liked Vikas Marg near Preet Vihar,Rohini, Jail Road, Madhuban Chowk, Palam-Dabri road, Ashram, Chirag Delhi andSouth Extension.

DCP Devesh Shrivastava, who suffered injuries on hisface in stone-pelting, said around 50 protestors have been detained inconnection with the incident and a case of rioting has been registered atSeelampur police station.

The Local BJP had also given a separate bandh call and party activists took outdemonstrations a several places in support of the trading community. BJPpresident Harsh Vardhan was detained along with party activists while they wereprotesting the sealing drive in Lakshmi Nagar area of East Delhi. He accused thepolice of resorting to high-handed methods against protesting party-men.

"We were protesting peacefully, raising slogans against the government.There was no need for police to use teargas against us or to resort tolathicharge," he said.

(With agency inputs)