NEW DELHI: A year after the Red Fort blast, which rocked the Chandini Chowk market and the area near the monument, locals say the terror caused by the incident remains fresh in their minds.As noisy hawkers and honking cars crawled through the cramped roads, a silent tribute meeting was organised Tuesday in memory of those who lost their lives in the blast, a haunting reminder of the past in a seemingly normal-looking marketplace.On Nov 10, a car laden with explosives was detonated outside Red Fort, killing 12 people. The area, which saw heavy traffic, was sealed off for over a week after the incident and it took months for visitors to return to the nearby Chandini Chowk market, said locals. “The crowd is back, but the market still hasn’t recovered,” said Sanjay Bhargava, a garment showroom owner.The lane in which the blast occurred is now packed with honking cars and e-rickshaws, and the market lanes witness hawkers and buyers scrambling to find a path to move. However, shop owners said their sales are much less compared to the years before the incident. “The congestion and lawlessness in the area is back. Wholesale buyers are, therefore, scared to come here,” added Bhargava.The tribute brought many of the victims’ families to Red Fort for the first time after the blast. Ashok Randhawa (70), who organised the event, said it was about showing support to the grieving families. “A family never forgets the death of their loved ones. We want them to feel they’re not alone in their sorrow,” he said.Among the people who have returned to the area is Vijay Yadav (50), a street vendor. His water trolley is dented with holes from the impact of the blast. The trolley saved his life, said Yadav. “I bent to pick up a bottle at the exact moment the blast occurred and my cart was struck with shrapnel. It gave me a second life,” he said.The blast, however, cut open his forearm. Yadav was allegedly not eligible for Delhi govt’s compensation as he didn’t have a medico-legal certificate for the wound. “When I visited the hospital the following morning to get my hand treated, they refused to give me an MLC. I spent my own money on treatment and now I’m back at the same place to pay my wife’s medical bills,” said Yadav.Another injured, Rita Prasad (26), got Rs 20,000 compensation from govt. A car wiper had perforated her right leg that day, causing a deep wound. Her father has spent over three times the compensation amount on her treatment, which is still on, she said. She has been told by doctors she can’t run or play sports. “I was an athlete back in school. Now, I’m lucky I get to walk properly.”At the end of the tribute meet, the victims’ families embraced each other before walking back into the crowded street. “They already have to suffer the emotional pain of losing their sole breadwinner. Should they also have to suffer financially?” said Randhawa.
