NEW DELHI: For the last two days, Mohammad Rehan is busy attending phone calls. The mobile phone belongs to his tenant Mohammad Mubarak Hussain, who died in Maujpur during the communal riots on Tuesday. Hussain’s name is on the first list of deceased released by GTB Hospital.
“He was helpful. Ask anyone in the colony and they will only praise Hussain. Unfortunately, such incidents claim the lives of common people,” said Rehan. Hussain, from Madhubani in Bihar, used to odd jobs in Maujpur area. According to his neighbours, he was going to drop his younger brother Mohammad Ibrahim to Kashmiri Gate ISBT, when they were caught in the mob frenzy.
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“He tried to protect his brother from the murderous crowd which was out of control. Mubarak paid with his life as outsiders from both sides went on a rampage,” said Farzana, Hussain’s neighbour. Rehan, who runs a nursing home on ground floor, is busy attending distraught calls from Hussain’s family.
“His parents are coming to Delhi but they need a guide as the city is new to them. First, they will go to the hospital and then take the body back,” said a neighbour. Meanwhile, Gulfam Ahmed is cursing the day he decided to move to Delhi from Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh.
“It was a mistake. For the last three days, I have not opened my shop. The business was already down and the riot is taking a toll,” said a teary Ahmed, who lives a few lanes away from Rehan and owns a stationery shop.
“We have been getting frantic calls from family and friends asking us to come back. Is it possible to suddenly uproot our lives and start afresh?” questions Ahmed, who has four children and three of them are working.