Delhi Violence: Traders Not Even Allowed Access to the Charred Tyre Market at Gokulpuri

It has been ten days since Gokulpuri’s tyre market was set ablaze in North-East Delhi after violence broke out between protesters who were against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, and those opposed to them, on February 23. The fire, which was allegedly set when the violence happened, was doused after 10 fire tenders were deployed at the site.

With over 200 shops in the market, it has crucial economic relevance for the Muslim community in the area. Despite sharing a wall with the Dayalpur police station, over 180 shops were completely gutted in a fire that spanned days. At a time when the situation on the ground slowly inches back towards normalcy, the road to the market’s revival, however, will be a long one.

As of now, the police has cordoned off the area, leaving traders in the lurch – without any source of income and no means to gauge the damages that they will have to bear.

"We are running from pillar to post to no avail. We went to the SDM's office to get permission to go inside our own market, but there has been no luck. I have seen everything I owned being reduced to ashes and I know we will have to start again, from scratch,” said Shehzad, a trader in his 60's, who was standing right outside the police barrier.

Traders in the area said that amid tensions, many of them had closed their shops prior to the fire and gone back home or to safer locations. To many, this was a direct attack on Muslim livelihoods. Speaking to NewsClick, a trader, who wishes to remain anonymous, said: “This fire was a result of a systematic targeting of the Muslim community. It happened because all of the 224 shops in the market belong to Muslims; every shop has over 5 to 6 workers, none of whom are getting paid now. This violence has pushed us back by many, many years.”

The market was built over DDA land in 2001 and many traders shifted to the area from the Jama Masjid area of Old Delhi. Usman, a trader in his early 30's, said that he had just started with his business. "Now, I have to think of ways by which I can put food on the table for a family of six. Our work was very wage-dependent and we have invested lakhs of rupees on supplies, all of which are now gutted,” he said.

With the market not operational for over 10 days, traders are resorting to taking loans to manage everyday supplies for their households with no respite from municipal authorities. “The worst thing that could have happened is us having to take loans in order to survive, when one could serve other people instead. God had given us enough to support others, but now, there's nothing left even for us,” added Shehzad.

Many shop owners also claimed that their shops had been looted by those who set fire to them. Speaking to NewsClick, Rashid Khan, the President of the traders association said: “We are appealing to the SDM to allow us access to the shops. A majority of the people here do not have any insurance which is making the economic burden extremely difficult to bear along with our personal pain."

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