Five years after the 2020 Delhi violence, a report by the campaign group Karwan-e-Mohabbat has highlighted the extensive failure of authorities to provide meaningful compensation to survivors, who continue to struggle with losses, legal hurdles, and bureaucratic neglect, according to an analytical report published on The Wire.
Muslims were recorded as the religious group that suffered the most damage in the 2020 Delhi violence, with reports indicating targeted harm to the community both during the unrest and in its aftermath.
According to a recent report, 114 cases of property damage, 25 cases of injury, and a total of 139 cases were reported among Muslims, while only 3 cases of property damage, 2 cases of injury, and a total of 5 cases were recorded for individuals from other communities.
Despite an initial distribution of ex gratia relief and death compensation in the immediate aftermath, no substantial reparations have been made, underscoring what the report describes as a systemic abandonment of responsibilities by the state and Union governments.
The 117-page report, titled The Absent State: Comprehensive State Denial of Reparation and Recompense to the Survivors of the 2020 Delhi Pogrom, was published on the anniversary of the violence and authored by lawyers Suroor Mander and Swati Draik, along with researchers Akanksha Rao, Ayushi Arora, and Syed Rubeel Haider Zaid, as well as Harsh Mander.
It details the shortcomings in relief, rehabilitation, and compensation, revealing that survivors have faced persistent obstacles in seeking justice and financial support. While the Delhi government had requested Rs 153 crore for relief, only Rs 21 crore was sanctioned, and no compensation has been disbursed despite multiple approvals by the North East Delhi Riots Claims Commission (NEDRCC), which was originally set up to assess property losses rather than allocate funds.
During the violence, the Delhi Police failed to respond to distress calls, requiring the intervention of a now-retired judge to prevent further loss of life. The state government, whose top officials were engaged in religious ceremonies at the time, initially did not establish relief camps and later repurposed pre-existing homeless shelters, a decision the report condemns as insensitive and inadequate.
Compensation amounts determined for victims of the 2020 violence were significantly lower than those awarded after the 1984 anti-Sikh violence, and instead of independently addressing compensation, the Delhi government transferred the responsibility to the NEDRCC through the High Court.
The commission, though tasked with evaluating damages, has neither held public hearings nor engaged with survivors regarding their claims, leaving them uncertain about the status of their applications.
Survivors who attempted to navigate the claims process encountered further bureaucratic obstacles, as they were not given receipts upon submission of their documents, creating uncertainty about whether their claims were even registered.
Karwan-e-Mohabbat filed an RTI application seeking details on the evaluators’ qualifications, standards, and guidelines, but received no response. Out of 146 documented compensation cases, 81% involved property damage, while 18% related to physical injuries, yet none have resulted in actual payments.
The report also sheds light on the socio-economic struggles of northeast Delhi, where nearly half the households rely on ration cards and most lack digital access, making it difficult for survivors to follow compensation procedures.
Muslims were overwhelmingly the most affected, with 139 cases of property damage and injury recorded among them, while only five cases were reported among other communities. This aligns with multiple reports indicating that the violence disproportionately targeted Muslims, yet Delhi Police investigations have largely led to the arrests of Muslim activists while politicians who made incendiary speeches remain unpunished.
The report highlights that survivors, ranging from teenagers to elderly individuals, have suffered financial hardships, medical emergencies, and disruptions in education, yet they remain uninformed about compensation schemes due to poor communication and shifting deadlines.
Bureaucratic delays and the absence of concrete action have compounded the trauma of the violence, leaving survivors in prolonged distress with no clear path to justice or recovery.