New Delhi's religious communities faced violence together

Afreen Khatoon lives in Delhi's Muslim-majority Chand Bagh neighborhood. During the violence that gripped the Indian capital last week, Khatoon and her children were forced to escape their apartment. They were able to flee the violence with the help of Hindu neighbors.

"We have lived here together with Hindus all of our lives. There has never been a sense of enmity among us. The rioters came from outside and attacked us. Our neighbors have been helpful. There are no tensions among us," Khatoon told DW. Her family has temporarily moved into a relative's home.

Last week, violent riots broke out in northeastern New Delhi. More than 40 people were killed and 200 were injured.

There were reports of mobs targeting Muslim homes and businesses with Molotov cocktails and stones as residents scrambled to escape. An uneasy calm has settled over the city, and Muslims still fear for their safety.

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New Delhi's religions come together

However, amid the turmoil, neighbors from both Hindu and Muslim faiths tried to keep the peace. In northeast New Delhi's Chaman Park, a group of Muslims patrolled the neighborhoods during the riots to protect a Hindu temple and surrounding homes.

"We were up during nights, along with our Hindu neighbors from the area. We are protecting our homes and places of worship from attacks. We're all brothers. We're in this together," Meher Alam, part of the group, told a DW reporter.

Mohammad Aslam's family lives above the family business in Chand Bagh. After Molotov cocktails were thrown into his home from the main road, he was able to escape with his family to a relative's house in a nearby neighborhood.

He said people in the neighborhood stopped rioters from entering the area where his relatives lived.

"They blocked entrances, and that is how we remained untouched. Many lives and homes were saved because of their quick action. Otherwise my family and I would not have been alive today," he said.

In the same neighborhood, a group of local Muslims formed a human chain to protect a Hindu temple from being vandalized by a mob.

In other parts of northeast New Dehli, Sikh places of worship called Gurudwaras opened their doors to people who were trying to escape the violence. And leaders, such as the archbishop of Delhi, urged churches across the city to provide aid and shelter to those who needed it.

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Fanning the flames of violence

Tensions between Hindus and Muslims have been rising since the government passed the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in December 2019. The law provides Indian citizenship to religious minorities from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh. The law excludes Muslims and comes amid an upsurge in Hindu-nationalist politics under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

A BJP-led backlash against a peaceful protest against the CAA in the Jaffrabad is thought to have provoked the violence in late February.

Kapil Mishra, a BJP member, threatened in a tweet to clear the protests by force. Soon after, a mob gathered and launched attacks mainly on Muslim-owned properties. Some mosques and a temple were damaged.

As of now, no action has been taken against Mishra. The tweet calling for the protest to be cleared has since been deleted.

Muslim-backed politicians have also fanned sectarian flames. Tahir Hussain, who was recently suspended from the Aam Aadmi Party, has been accused of calling for violence during the riots.

Authorities couldn't keep the peace

As the violence subsides, New Delhi residents have said they are disappointed with how the government and the police handled the riots.

The New Delhi police have been criticized for delayed and insufficient action, and for failing to take measures against those inciting violence.

Many affected by the violence said that calls to the police helpline went unanswered, and that authorities arrived too late.

Some eyewitness accounts say that the forces responding to incidents stood by and allowed the rioters to commit acts of violence.

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Justice S. Muralidhar, a New Delhi judge, criticized the police for failing to lodge reports against BJP leaders who reportedly gave inflammatory speeches.

As of March 3, Delhi police said they had filed 254 reports, and arrested or detained 903 people. Paramilitary forces were also deployed in the affected areas to maintain law and order.

"When such incidents happen, it is the duty of the people in power to protect the public. We all want to live in peace. But if the authorities don't act, there is bound to be disharmony amongst the people. If our own government doesn't protect us, who will?" Mohammad Umar, a resident of the Khajuri Khas neighborhood, told DW.