Families in the Northeast district of Delhi have lost everything: their family members have been killed, their homes burnt to ashes and their belongings destroyed in the horrific communal riots that took place from the night of 23 February and carried on for three days.

Pictures by: Shrey Gupta

The AAP government has begun relief and rehabilitation measures. Delhi’s Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia visited Sarvodya Bal Vidyalaya, a government school in Khajuri Khaas, one of the worst affected areas. He assured children and their parents of all help and told them not to be afraid anymore. 

This parent-teacher meeting of government schools was organized by the Directorate of Education on March 4 and 5. The school became a hub for traumatized children and their parents to meet and talk.

Manish Sisodia said, “The reason that we are conducting parent-teacher meetings is so that both parents and their children regain confidence. For days in a row, people were not stepping out of their homes due to fear of these riots.”

A book stall was set up at the school. Children were encouraged to pick up a book of their choice and read. “It is only the younger generation who can shape the future of India and help us progress, if they study hard and get educated,” Sisodia said. 

Members of the Muslim community in Garhi Mendu village in Northeast Delhi had fled their homes after violence began on February 24. On March 5, some families returned to what was left of their burnt down homes.

With schools damaged, and exams postponed, normalcy has been disrupted. As families struggle to cope with the loss of their homes and belongings, children try to make sense of the chaos around them.