A two-member CPI(ML) consisting of UP State leaders Mohd. Salim and Bal Mukund Dhuriya visited the riot-affected areas of Muzaffarnagar. They visited several villages and relief camps between 30 November to 5 December.

They found the conditions in the area to be deeply disturbing. The conditions of the relief camps are dismal, with children dying of cold and women being raped. So far 28 children have died in camps in Shahpur, Budhana, Malarpuur and Sunhati due to abysmal conditions and lack of medicines.

BJP’s felicitation of the BJP MLAs accused of leading the communal violence, coincided with the Akhilesh Government’s order forcibly evicting the riot-hit from the relief camps, and pressurising them to accept a Rs 5 lakh payment in exchange for giving up their right to return to the villages from where they were evicted! In exchange for the Rs 5 lakh, they are being asked to sign an affidavit saying ““Main aur mere parivar ke sadasya apne gram mein hui hinsatmak ghatnaon se bhayakant hokar gaon va ghar chhodkar aaye hain, tatha in kinhi bhi paristhitiyon mein ab apne mool gaon evam ghar nahin lautenge (I and my family left our village and our home due to the violent incidents there. We will not return to our village and home under any circumstances).” Also, the the UP forest department has booked thousands of Muzaffarnagar riots victims for setting up relief camps by “encroaching” forest land.

The report submitted to the UP Government by the 10-member committee of Ministers under the leadership of senior SP Minister Shivpal Yadav, appallingly, blames the madarsas running of the relief camp for not wanting to wind up the relief camps in spite of the situation having returned to ‘normal’! The SIT constituted to enquire into the riots is doing a mere token job of it and not bothering even to talk to the victims.

The CPI(ML) has called for national efforts at collection of relief materials for the Muzaffarnagar riot-affected, and will also pursue the matter of rehabilitation and justice for the survivors.