For the families of many victims of the 2005 and 2008 blasts in Delhi, the pain is still as searing as ever, and the wait for justice far from over. In a multi-faith prayer meeting, held on the third anniversary of the 2005 pre-Diwali blasts in Sarojini Nagar, family members of the victims joined relatives of the victims of the recent serial blasts and the one in Mehrauli. The victims of the 2007 Samjhauta Express blasts were also present. “Bringing together the families of the blast victims, allows them to gain strength from sharing experiences. The message is one of humanism, of being united against terrorism, irrespective of religion and nation,” said Ashok Kumar Randhawa, the president of the Sarojini Nagar Mini Market Traders Association, the organiser of the prayer meeting being held since 2005. Leaders from different faiths prayed together. “I feel my son is still present, whenever I come here for the prayer meeting. All of us are united by a similar sense of loss, and a common sorrow,” says Indu Poddar. She cannot bear to pass by Shyam Juice Corner, where she lost seven-year-old Karan. While the meeting allowed relatives of victims to share their grief and loss, it also brought into focus other pertinent issues. For many, compensation remains elusive and enmeshed in legal tangles. According to Randhawa, seven people killed in the Sarojini Nagar blasts are still classified as “missing persons”. “It can be proved at least three of them were present and lost their lives in the blasts. Yet the authorities have still not recognised this,” he said. The list includes Ram Jeevan, a help in Shyam Juice Corner, who was present with his owner when the explosion took place. For Bhagwan and Saleena Das, grandparents of eleven-year-old Manisha Michael, who lost her parents and brother on October 29, 2005, the last three years have been a struggle, not only of raising their granddaughter, but also in getting compensation for their son. The family has been denied compensation after body of their son Michael were not found following the blasts. “My daughter-in-law, who lived only for a month after the blasts, testified that my son Elwin was right next to my grandson when the blast happened. When my grandson died in the blast, how is it possible that Elwin could have survived?” a tearful Saleena asked. Repeated petitions and a letter to the Chief Minister have had little effect.For others like Indu Bansal, the issue of compensation has become a protracted legal battle. Bansal, who lost her only brother Inderjit Gupta, sister-in-law Prachi and niece Sunakshi in the 2005 blasts, is still waiting for compensation for her brother. For the authorities, since Indu is married, she is not entitled to compensation. “I do not come to Sarojini Nagar anymore, except for this memorial,” says Indu, both of whose parents are no more. She points out that despite a ruling of the Patiala Court according to which a married sister is entitled to compensation after her brother’s death, justice has eluded her. A similar story of struggle runs through the lives of Ghulam Hasan and Masrat. Hasan, who lost his younger brother Muhammad Qasim in the recent blasts in Karol Bagh. He is yet to receive compensation for his brother. He, along with his two brothers, had come to Delhi from Anantnag in Jammu and Kashmir, in the hope of finding a safe haven and livelihood. He says, “When we inquire about compensation, we are told the file has still not been cleared.” He has rent to pay for and also look after Muhammad’s widow Masrat and his one-and-a-half year old daughter Munajja. Others who attended the function included parents of the late inspector Mohan Chand Sharma killed in the Jamia Nagar encounter, and the brother and father of Santosh, the boy who died in the recent blast in Mehrauli.
