Haryana violence: Living under the shadow of fear in Gurugram, Sohna

A fruit juice vendor in Sector 70, pleading anonymity, told this newspaper that a mob had reached his shop on Tuesday to vandalise it, but left him unharmed after they came to know that he is a Hindu.
A collage of charred remains of a shop (L) and flames rising from another shop that was set ablaze by miscreants during fresh violence in Gurugram, Haryana, Aug 1, 2023. (Photo | PTI)
A collage of charred remains of a shop (L) and flames rising from another shop that was set ablaze by miscreants during fresh violence in Gurugram, Haryana, Aug 1, 2023. (Photo | PTI)

GURUGRAM: A day after mobs went berserk and shops were vandalised, an uneasy calm prevailed in the Millennium City on Wednesday amid the heavy presence of the police force, which conducted flag marches at several places. Some workers have begun migrating from the city and also from nearby Manesar due to fear of violence.

Schools, colleges and offices, which had been shut by the administration for two days, were opened. However, thin attendance was reported. Educational institutions remain closed in neighbouring Sohna, though. Shops in Sohna, which had been shut earlier in the day, were only opened following the intervention of the peace committee comprising members from both communities.

Though the district administration claimed that the situation in Gurgaon and Sohna was normal, fear of fresh violence was palpable among shopkeepers. Several meat, scrap and furniture shops at Gurugram’s Pataudi Chowk, Khandsa Road and Sector 70 had been attacked and vandalised on Tuesday.

A fruit juice vendor in Sector 70, pleading anonymity, told this newspaper that a mob had reached his shop on Tuesday to vandalise it, but left him unharmed after they came to know that he is a Hindu.

A few shopkeepers put out notices outside their shops, saying they belong to a certain community, in an effort to avoid mob violence. In Badshahpur, a Muslim snack vendor said he opened his shop only after the police assurance.

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The New Indian Express
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