Muslims on yatra route have begun to pack their bags

‘‘I have been living here with my family for the last 60 years. Never before did I feel the need to move out during the Rath Yatra. But this year, after losing my son during the riots, I do not want any other member of my family to meet the same fate. We don’t know what’s going to happen but since there are rumours that things may go out of hand, we thought it best to move out,’’ she said.

Her 14-member family is leaving for Jaipur till it’s safe to return. ‘‘My niece lives in Jaipur. If the Rath Yatra goes off peacefully, we will return in a few days. Otherwise, we will stay there till things become normal here,’’ said Shabirabiwi.

Banubiwi Kadar Maniyar, whose family has been living in Nagina Pol for the last 65 years, is equally apprehensive. ‘‘There was a time when we used to come out of our houses during the Rath Yatra and watch the procession. But now we are so scared that we don’t even plan to stay here during the Rath Yatra. I live here alone with my three daughters. Who will defend us if anything happens? So today, we are leaving for Surat, where we will stay in my brother’s house. Yeh kaisa waqt aa gaya hai, ki hamein apne hi ghar se jaana pad raha hai,’’ she said. While many like Banubiwi and Shabirabiwi plan to leave the city, there are others who would rather move to ‘‘safer’’ areas within the city itself.

Like Mayuddin Hussain Sheikh, who has decided to shift to Muslim-dominated Juhapura with his wife and three children. ‘‘My in-laws stay in Juhapura, tonight we will move there. If nothing goes wrong, we will return the day after the yatra,’’ he said. ‘‘For the sake of safety, a call for ‘janta curfew’ for Muslim residents has been given on that day. Even then, residents are scared of staying back, just in case there is trouble,’’ said Aziz Gandhi, a social worker of Dariapur.

It’s the same story in Shahpur. Kanan Ali Pathan, a resident, said: ‘‘People are unwilling to take any chances. So, many of them have moved to their relatives’ places. I, too, will move to my sister’s house in Sarkhej with my family tomorrow. Let us hope no untoward incident takes place so that we can all return to our homes in peace.’’

And while most of the residents are fleeing, there is still the rare exception. Like Zahedabanu Sheikh of Shahpur, who said, ‘‘Marna to ek din sabhi ko hai. Jo hoga hum uska saamna karenge (Everyone has to die one day. We will face whatever happens.’’)