'I suddenly saw blood on my hands': Delhi victims recall CAA violence horror

When journalists meet the people of Delhi, they pour their heart out. There is fear and anxiety among both the communities. There is anger at the administration that “allowed” the violence to take place. All they want is peace and an end to violence. But there is simmering tension and every information reaching people about violence appears to be creating more crisis.

Asif (in his twenties) suffered bullet injuries in his right hand

"I was not part of any protest. I had gone out of my house in the morning and unwittingly became a victim. I don't know how a bullet hit my hand. There was tension in Karawal Nagar. There was a lot of stone-pelting. I couldn't count how many were there. They had stones in their hands and some rods and sticks. I heard people saying that some of the rioters were carrying acid also. I saw some people carrying bottles. I had heard that petrol bombs were hurled earlier. I wanted to save myself. I was really scared. At present, I cannot recall as to how I was hit. I suddenly saw blood on my hands. There was pain. I was brought to the hospital. I still don't know why the rioters were doing this. We never had any problems. I fear for my life. It is hand-to-mouth existence for me. I don't know whether I can work peacefully. I don't want to talk to any one now. I don't know what is to come in future. May be, I will talk later.

Wakeel Ahmed, Toymaker, Chand Bagh

"Chand Bagh witnessed a lot of violence till Tuesday evening but now it is peaceful, at least for a day. I don't know what will happen tomorrow. How suddenly peace returned? Once curfew was imposed in the evening, there was no violence. So, if curfew was imposed in the first day itself, when some stone-pelting was reported, this sort of violence would not have happened. There have been protests in Chand Bagh, Seelampur, Jafrabad and Mustafabad among other places for weeks. But the violence started on Sunday after BJP leader Kapil Mishra instigated people. We are leaving in constant fear now. My mother and other relatives were staying elsewhere. I somehow managed to bring my mother from Bhajanpura area on Tuesday morning. I was scared about her. I brought her to my home at 7 AM on Tuesday. It was all peaceful then. But three hours later, all hell broke lose in my locality. Police is silent. If the administration wanted to quell trouble, they would have easily. But they allowed it. In Chand Bagh, there is less fear among community members. But in Gokulpuri, our community members are a bit scared because they are less in numbers there. Several shops have been looted and torched. In our area, we have not touched the property of anyone from the other community. The protest is against the government and not against any particular person or community. Then why they are coming in between us. I was born in 1984. That was the year when Delhi was rocked by Sikh riots. I have already heard about it. Our locality has never seen communal flare up. First time, I know what it means to be scared."