Running on empty

As he waited on Tuesday to get a curfew pass to make his way to his Meds Hospital in the Old City area of Hyderabad....

As he waited on Tuesday to get a curfew pass to make his way to his Meds Hospital in the Old City area of Hyderabad,Dr Govind Sharmas biggest worry was his fast-depleting medicine supplies. Located virtually at the epicentre of the origin of the communal violence in the Old City,his hospital is among the few modern ones in this part of town. However,since Monday evening and all through Tuesday,Sharma hadnt been able to make it to the hospital.

Dr Sharma,his wife,his orthopaedic surgeon son Bharat were all holding sheaves of applications for curfew passes for the staff and doctors at the 35-bed hospital on Tuesday. We have to relieve the nurses who have been on duty for over 24 hours. We need to enable a consultant to see patients. I am afraid if the curfew continues,we wont have medicine stocks, Dr Sharma said.

We managed to send home the patients who could be treated at home. We only have a few inpatients currently but we still need to have passes for mobility through the curfew areas, said Dr Bharat Sharma.

He added that after years of working in the area,the poorer part of Hyderabad with a majority Muslim population,he had realised one thing. We have learnt that nobody cares or is bothered about this region beyond the votes.

As the indefinite curfew clamped to bring the situation under control showed no sign of being lifted on Wednesday,hundreds of people were struggling to adjust. Curfew passes,enabling movement through the trouble-hit areas,were a much sought after possession.

Daily wage earners were among the worst hit. Ordinary people dont have the time for violence. It throws our life out of gear the most. These things are all politically motivated, said Salim Ahmed,an auto-rickshaw driver.

The only buzz of activity around Old City till Tuesday was pre-university students at junior colleges in the region emerging to write their exams at 8 am,before being shepherded back home at 11 am. Some labourers at the markets around Charminar napped in the uneasy peace on Tuesday. Among those scrambling for curfew passes at local police units were hundreds of factory workers and businessmen,who had ventured out of their Old City homes for work on Monday morning but could not return through the evening or Tuesday.

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A five-member family from the Hussaini Alam locality,where some of the violence originated,managed to use some police clout to slip out of the Old City and ventured to apply for curfew passes. We have guests from Pakistan and they need to get a lot of work done because they leave in a couple of days. We dont want to take a chance so were trying to get curfew passes , said Badrunnisa,a family member.

Though police gave women a short reprieve from the curfew to stock up on provisions,most returned empty-handed because no shops were open and government supplies were not sufficient.