After quake, hate leaves rubble

Broken walls, shattered teacups, damaged bicycle....It resembles a quake-affected area but is, in fact, the Guptanagar colony of Vejalpur. T...

Broken walls, shattered teacups, damaged bicycle….It resembles a quake-affected area but is, in fact, the Guptanagar colony of Vejalpur. There were over 300 houses in the colony but not one has been spared.

A mob attacked the colony on February 28 and set fire to the houses. Hoodlums later returned to demolish the charred homes and loot them. With their houses in debris, residents, now staying at Juhapura relief camp, say they are up against a brick wall. The compensation is too little to build new homes.

Seventy-year-old Jainat Biwi Sheikh used to live in a rented house with her son, a daily wager. ‘‘All our belongings have been looted and we got Rs 1,250. The compensation will go to our landlord and we will have nothing,’’ she says.

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Sayeedabanu Malik, a Guptanagar resident for 20 years, syas: ‘‘Everything was looted, from doors and windows to tin roof. My daughter-in-law’s jewellery was stolen.’’

Usmanbhai Sheikh weeps every time he thinks about his home. ‘‘They didn’t spare anything. My daughter earned by sewing clothes. Her sewing machine too is lost.’’

Mohammad Feroze Sattar had a two-storeyed house. ‘‘We are a 13-member family. We lost Rs 1 lakh. All I have is compensation of Rs 1,250 and a cheque for Rs 600.’’

Vejalpur Inspector K.J. Soni says: ‘‘Some people have been arrested for violating curfew. We have to investigate if they looted and destroyed houses. If residents want to return, police will certainly help them.’’

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