After days of lean days, Shaheen Bagh was full of activities on Sunday as the sit-in site saw large number of supporters turning up to support women. The International Women’s Day was celebrated with fervour with several women lined-up as speakers. Moreover an exhibition was also put in with its money to go to victims of north-east Delhi riots.

Women from across India stood by the Shaheen Bagh women who have been holding sit-in since December 15, demanding scrapping of Citizenship Amendment Act and drop the idea of the National Register of Citizens.

Among those who visited Shaheen Bagh, included several women from Pragatisheel Mahila Sangathan. Also, cultural events were held with one Bhojpuri band showcasing its talent.

“We are sitting here for last 85 days and we firmly believe that government will have to take back CAA and NRC. We are getting support from across the country and we are happy that several persons, including women, have come here to join us,” said Fatima, who is a local resident of Shaheen Bagh, reported PTI.

“Today, on International Women’s Day, I salute the brave women of Shaheen Bagh. Women of Shaheen Bagh have inspired the whole world and they have set an example for the world,” said Prof Chaman Lal, the honorary adviser to Delhi’s Bhagat Singh Archives and Resource Centre. He saluted the “brave women” on International Women’s Day.

“I have come here from Lucknow to support you on International Women’s Day. You have started a revolution and the government will have to take back CAA and NRC. I have come here to tell you that we all support you in this,” said Shilpi Choudhary, who came from Lucknow.

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The prices of chicken have drastically come down in the last few days with one shopkeeper in Abul Fazal Enclave selling the birds for Rs 80 per kilogram. However, the prices range from Rs 100 to 140 depending on shopkeepers, according to a resident, who is a regular buyer.

He said he was taken back to see a shopkeeper selling the birds at Rs 80 per kilogram whereas he bought it for Rs 130 from a shop a few metres there.

The shopkeeper who is selling the birds at Rs 80 per kilogram said he might continue to sell them at a lower price for a few more days. 

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Upender Singh, SHO Jamia Nagar, has been transferred.

Inspector Kusum Pal is new SHO of Jamia Nagar, according to journalists aware of the development.

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On Friday morning #ShaheenBaghEmpty started trending on Twitter after a channel based on the thin turn-out at the sit-in site did coverage from the spot. However, after the Friday prayer, the crowd swelled at the site with many residents turning up.

For days the thin crowd at the site has been talk of the town with many speculating that the stir to be in its last leg. But with crowd though not as seen earlier was modest one on Friday afternoon, said residents.

Shaheen Bagh, the hotspot of anti-CAA protests was seen lying vacant on Friday. On social media, ‘#ShaheenBaghEmpty’ was seen trending on Twitter, reported indiatvnews.com.

Since December 15, residents have been blocking the main road connecting Noida and Delhi demanding scrapping of CAA, and non-implementation of NPR and proposed NRC.

Several efforts have been made to convince the protesters to lift road blockade with neighbourhood residents claiming that the road blockade is causing immense hardship to residents, businessmen and schoolchildren.

However, protesters have maintained that they allow ambulances, school buses. Several videos too have surfaced showing ambulances and school buses being given passage. A video also surfaced in which people of other community were given passage to take dead body for the last right.

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Okhla MLA Amanatullah Khan, who is also chairman of Delhi Waqf Board, said on Thursday the Board is to start repair of mosques vandalised in North-east Delhi violence.

“The committee has taken up repair work of all the 19 mosques that were damaged and burnt in Northeast Delhi in recent riots. The total cost of repair will be estimated later and for the time being, an initial amount of Rs 5 lakh has been released,” Khan posted in his timeline a few minutes ago.

The Masjid Committee of Waqf Board will start repair work from Friday and an advance of Rs five lakh has been issued for the purpose, Khan said, reported PTI.

Relief camps are also being run by the Waqf Board at Mustafabad.

“The Waqf Board staff is on duty round the clock to help the victims. Every facility is being provided at the camp through various help desks,” said a Delhi Waqf Board official.

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The Department of Education, Govt. of NCT of Delhi, issued a circular today directing all schools of the Capital to remain shut for up to primary classes until March 31, 2020.

The circular was issued as a precautionary measure to stop the spread of COVID 19 (coronavirus) that was first reported in China and also has a few travel related positive cases in Delhi. In this regard, all Govt., aided, private and schools run by civic bodies have been directed to remain closed for their primary classes.

In his tweet, Sisodia said: “As a precautionary measure to prevent the possibility of spread of COVID-19 amongst our children, Delhi Government has directed immediate closure of all primary schools (Govt/ aided/ private/MCD/NDMC) till 31/3/20.”

“In the interest of the, health and safety of students of Primary classes, all the Govt, Govt Aided, Private recognised (unaided) schools of Directorate of Education, and those run by local bodies (MCD, NDMC, & Delhi Cantonment Board) will remain closed with immediate effect for students up to Primary classes till 31st March 2020 ” read the notification from the DoE.

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A story has been published in several newspapers that social activist Harsh Mander has given a speech where he allegedly made some derogatory remarks against the Supreme Court of India at a rally against CAA at Jamia Millia Islamia, said the university in a statement issued to the media.

“This is to clarify that the speech in question was delivered by Mander outside gate no. 7 of the university on Maulana Mohammed Ali Road, a public road not part of the university. Protest against CAA/NRC/NPA is going on the road outside gate no.7 of the university, spearheaded by Jamia Coordination Committee which is actually Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) of some students, alumni and others where they invite people from different areas to speak on CAA etc,” it said.

“Any incident happening in the vicinity of Jamia Nagar, a cluster of habitation surrounding the university, should not be taken as an incident in the university campus. Such incidents have nothing to do with the university. Jamia has already issued a public notice that any kind of protest meeting, agitation, speeches and mass gathering or any unlawful activity causing inconvenience in day to day academic functioning are not allowed inside the university. It is therefore requested that in any story relating to CAA protest by JCC should suitably incorporate our version to avoid any confusion,” said the university.

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It was more than a year ago, when Shaheen Bagh resident and Jamia Millia Islamia alumnus Syed Arif Azeem started losing weight. After consulting doctors it was known that he was suffering from gallbladder cancer.

He lost the fight against the deadly disease yesterday at Apollo Hospital, said advocate Kamran Mallik, adding that Azeem and Kamran studied law at Jamia together in 2000.

Azeem was a criminal lawyer, practicing in Delhi High Court Saket and was very friendly and well mannered, said Kamran.

Another lawyer Khalil Ansari recalled how Azeem was in pain and his friends were concerned about his deteriorating health after he was diagnosed of cancer.

Azeem, who originally hailed from Bihar’s Gaya, studied at Mughalsarai where his father was posted in the Railways for years until he retired. Azeem is survived by wife and two brothers, said Kamran, adding that his father and mother died years ago.

Mourning Azeem’s death, AAJMI president Shifa-ur Rhaman recalled the days at Jamia when they studied together in graduation.

“We were in regular touch and he was very active when I was contesting AAJMI election a few years ago,” said Shifa.

Lawyers and residents in large numbers were present at Shaheen Bagh graveyard where Azeem was laid to rest after zuhar prayer today.

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A delegation of Delhi Minorities Commission, comprising of Dr Zafarul-Islam Khan, Chairman, and Kartar Singh Kochhar, Member, visited the violence-affected areas of the North East District of Delhi. The Commission started its tour of the area by meeting the area ACP and DCP who explained the problems involved in policing, rescuing and rehabilitation. They claimed that policemen bravely rescued hundreds of stranded people who were surrounded by mobs, like rescuing 350 Muslims from Sherpur on 25 February. Later the delegation, accompanied by some police officers and members of the Commission’s peace and minority advisory committees, toured the affected areas.

Here is what the commission found during this tour. In statement issued to the media, the commission said:

“We found extensive damage to Muslim houses, shops and workshops everywhere we went. We found that people were visiting their damaged homes and houses for the first time since they fled on 24-25 February but since the houses and shops were badly damaged and the debris were lying inside as well as on the streets, there was no question that they will be able to start living there again any time soon. Moreover, removing debris or starting repairs will affect their chances of getting any compensation from the government.

“At a parking lot near Ambedkar College, we found burnt hand-carts (thelas) and tractors. The guard at the site told us that 100 hand-carts and 11 tractors were torched and a school bus, still parked at the place, was extensively damaged. The attackers took away whatever they could like batteries of the vehicles before torching them.

“At Yamuna Vihar, on one side of the road are Muslim houses and shops while on the other side are Hindus’ houses and shops and both areas were affected by looting and burning. At a charred petrol pump, the owner Mahinder Aggrawal claimed that 30 vehicles were torched there.

“At Bhajanpura, we found that Muslim-owned shops, like a travel agency and motorcycle showroom, were looted and torched while Hindu-owned shops were left untouched.

“We also saw Councillor Tahir Husain’s factory building which was still under construction. He is an accused in the riots. At E-Block of Khajuri Khas, we found Muslim shops burnt. A police officer claimed that the area DCP saved 350 Muslims from the locality.

“In gali no. 5 of Khajuri  Khas, residents told us that violence started there late in the night of 23 February shortly after the threat and ultimatum of Kapil Mishra. This gali is a blind alley where 100 persons lived and they could not on their own flee from the main road. They left the place under police protection in the morning of 25 February. In this gali, we found the house of the BSF jawan Mohammad Anis, which was badly damaged. He was not at home at the time though four members of his family were present there. We saw here a carpenter’s shop owned by Muhammad Ilyas which was looted and badly damaged.

“In 3/51 Khajuri Extension, Jameel Ahmad has car repair garage where seven cars, six autorickshaws and nine motorcycles were burnt. He told us that Hindus took away their cars hours before the garage was torched and its building was looted and damaged.

“At C-429 in gali no. 29 of Khajuri Khas, we saw the gutted Masjid Fatima where people had taken refuge in the belief that mobs will not attack a religious place. Masoom Ali’s damaged house is adjacent to the mosque. He told us that the SDM was telling them that residents of one house will get only one compensation irrespective of the number of families living there.

“In the same gali, there is house no. C/1/28/413 which belongs to Prem Chand, Delhi Police ISI who had let it to a Muslim family since 2007. The house was torched after the family fled the place. The rioters returned later to burn it once again. In Brijpuri, we found the 30-year-old Arun Modern School owned by Bhisham Sharma who was a Congress MLA several times. It was extensively burnt and damaged in the evening of 25 February. Removables like computers and even steel railings and CCTV cameras were looted. 800 students study here. This was the only place where we found repairs going on, on war footing, perhaps to reopen the school at the earliest.

“In Shiv Vihar, we found two schools which both were occupied by the goons who had come from outside the area. The first is Rajdhani Public School owned by Faisal Farooq and the other is DRP Convent School owned by Pankaj Sharma. Both share a wall. At Rajdhani School, driver Raj Kumar told us that some 500 persons barged into his school at around 6:30 pm on Monday, 24 February. They wore helmets and hid their faces. They remained there for the next 24 hours. They went away next evening after the arrival of a police force in the area. They were young, well-built people who had arms and giant catapults which they used to throw petrol bombs from the school roof to other houses across the road. Some of them used heavy ropes, still in the school, to climb down into the other adjacent school. They took away the computers and any other thing they could carry and smashed and burnt what they left behind.

“At DPR School, we were given the same description of the people who occupied the Rajdhani School but more people, upwards of 1500, stayed here for over 24 hours from 24th evening. They climbed down into the school from the roof of the adjacent Rajdhani School. Roop Singh, guard, gave us the same description of those people as given by the Rajdhani School driver. Singh told us that he somehow saved himself and his family by slipping away from a rear door. He lived with his family in a quarter inside the school. He told us that these people looted or burnt everything in the school. We found in the school open area a mound of burnt desks with only their steel frames intact. They were going to fix new wooden tops on those frames. Rajdhani School gave us a photograph (attached) of the mob which had occupied it for over 24 hours.

“In it, young people are seen wearing helmets and covering their faces. The guard of the DRP School confirmed that same kind of people occupied his school also. Over 2000 such people stayed in the two schools for over 24 hours. They used to go out in small trucks in shifts of 2-3 hours each time to execute their looting and burning mission outside. Their food was brought to them inside the school. It was clear that they had local people helping them.

“In Shivpuri, Muslims are a small minority. It is the worst affected area, we found outnumbered Muslim homes selectively burnt and damaged. We found here Aulia Masjid which was gutted and badly damaged. The floor of the mosque was hidden by the debris and two gas cylinders were lying on the floor. Apparently these could not explode. Most houses were blasted using gas cylinders taken from other houses. We found here in gali no. 10, the bakery of Iqrar son of Mohammad Afsar which was looted and later burnt in the night of 25 February.

“There are many affected localities in the North East district which we could not visit. Moreover, thousands of people have fled from the area and gone to their villages in UP or Haryana or were living with relatives elsewhere in Delhi. Hundreds are still living in camps run by the community. Some are also living in camps run by the Delhi Government.

“It is our assessment that the violence in North East district to Delhi was one-sided and well-planned in which maximum damage was inflicted on Muslim houses and shops with local support. Without massive help these people will not be able to rebuild their lives. We feel that the compensation announced by Delhi government is not adequate for the purpose.”

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Here is her message:

Warm greetings from Jamia Millia Islamia, Naturally you must be feeling concerned and anxious about the well- being of your wards studying at Jamia Schools, given the spread of corona virus causing severe contagious illness.

I would like to reassure you that the administration of Jamia Millia Islamia is taking every possible step for making the school campus safe for the students with the help of proper cleaning, fumigation and sanitization of the school-buildings and the area surrounding them. Please do not panic – Almighty God will safeguard us against it.

Coronavirus normally spreads through respiratory droplets.

Please advise your wards to avoid close contact with the one who is infected with this virus. Also advise them to wash their hands frequently with soap and use hand sanitizer. They should avoid touching their mouths, noses and eyes with unwashed hands.

The symptoms of coronavirus infection include fever, runny nose, breathing problem and cough. Consult a doctor in case your wards are down with fever, breathing problems, runny nose and frequent sneezing.

If your wards have these problems, please inform the Principal of the school so that precautionary measures can be taken. And give them a lot of fluid and medicine for fever and cold in consultation with a doctor. Separate seating arrangements will be made for the examinees down with fever and breathing problems.

I would urge you to remain in close and regular touch with your wards if they are staying in hostels/rented rooms. I would seek your close cooperation to keep the school campus safe and healthy for the students.

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