70-year-old Resham Bibi leaving Atali Village with some of her possessions.
70-year-old Resham Bibi is leaving Atali Village in panic. As the rickety autorickshaw noisily moves through its deserted roads, she breaks down. "I got married and came to this village," she says sobbing, "We will go wherever we can. Have just taken whatever I could. The bed, furniture is still lying at home."
Some earthen pots, pans and charpoi is all she has managed to pile into the auto after stone-throwing between two communities brought back communal tensions in the Atali village of Ballabhgarh in Faridabad District of Haryana.
Another resident fires up his motorcycle. "It's better to run. God will take care of us. We don't want to die here," he says, his voice trailing off as he rides off.
Like Resham Bibi, her neighbours from the minority community too are fleeing, the increase in police numbers doing nothing to calm their anxiety.
It all started on May 25, when cars and bikes were burnt over disputed land where a mosque was to come up. Other villagers objected. But when construction continued, the simmering anger boiled over, and petrified villagers from the minority community sought shelter in the police station. They did return 10 days later, but Wednesday's incident has pitched both sides against one another and there is a sense of distrust that runs deep.
Sabir Ali's home was burned in previous violence. This time, miscreants damaged goods and furniture in the house. "Last time we were assured things would be fine, so we returned. Now they say the same thing. How can we trust that, it's better to run with what you have than regret later," he says.
Not far away from Sabir Ali's place, Rahul takes us to his relative's home, where his aunt is sleeping on a charpoi, her head bandaged. "She needed 18 stitches, and there wasn't ambulance to take her to the hospital. We want peace but they don't want it. They started the stone throwing yesterday."
It's a claim both sides have made. Now there are close to 1,500 police personnel in the village, round the clock, manning every home and many rooftops.
But both sides have blamed the police for being mere bystanders as the violence erupted again. Even last time despite many FIRs being registered, not a single arrest was made. Senior police officer Vishnu Dayal denies the allegations. "We are working to restore peace. Things had become normal after the last time's violence. But after yesterday's incident there was stone throwing. We don't know who started it. But we will ensure those who have left return. And arrests will be made. We are trying to trace the miscreants."
Even though there has been a continuous police presence for over a month... its done little to sort the problem that seems to be constantly simmering just beneath the surface.