Heroes of Trilokpuri: Eunuchs stop communal goons by threatening to strip

Although the prohibitory orders on gathering and movement of people imposed in east Delhi’s Trilokpuri area following a communal clash were relaxed for three hours on Tuesday as no fresh violence was reported, it won’t be easy for the residents to forget the fearful memory of the riots in the last one week. But, there will be few stories and heroic acts that they will not want to forget. [caption id=“attachment_1774675” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  A police personnel reviews the situation in Trilokpuri. PTI.[/caption] The story of a group of 15 eunuchs who stopped a gang to resort to violence is one such inspiring tale. According to a Times of India report, a group of eunuchs stood guard as a mob armed with swords charged towards Block 35 and stopped them by threatening to start taking off their clothes, forcing the mob to back off. Often, when a child is born, eunuchs reach the house and ask for money and threaten to take off their clothes if they are not gifted. But, this time, the threat was used for a noble cause. The ToI report noted that the group are also giving brooms to both Hindus and Muslims and asking them to clean the streets littered with stones and shards of glass. Meanwhile, 50-year-old Shameema Begum, the owner of a grocery shop in Sanjay Camp jhuggi where 500 Muslim families live, is doing another good deed. As prices of essentials like milk have gone up to Rs 100/ litre due to hoarding, this lady were giving away food to people, noted an Indian Express report. “People were seen secretly taking turns to go inside the narrow lane where her shop is, emerging with packets concealed under their clothes,” the IE report said. A minor clash occurred between the two communities late Thursday over rituals for the Diwali festival in Trilokpuri’s B-Block. Two groups of people pelted stones at each other. Police immediately rushed to the area and pacified the people. A group of persons again started pelting stones Friday on the other group aggravating the tense situation. Two shops owned by the Muslim community were also allegedly been set ablaze. Nearly 60 people of both the communities have been injured in the clashes, with two Hindu boys in a critical condition. “Four persons were reportedly injured by gun shots but these were not fired by police. We are trying to identify who were behind the firing,” a police officer told IANS. Forty-four people have been arrested following the communal clash, but a hunt is still on for five men whose acts are said to have triggered the violence. Thirteen police personnel were also injured in the stone pelting. A few people from both the groups were injured and admitted to separate hospitals in east Delhi. Trilokpuri is divided into 36 blocks out of which three blocks - 15, 20 and 22 - are Muslim dominated. Seventeen blocks are Hindu-dominated, while only seven comprise of a mixed population. Over 1,000 policemen, including the rapid Action Force (RAF), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) are deployed in the area after the clashes broke out. Police patrolling vans were busy combing the sensitive blocks, where after the situation was examined Monday, a curfew was imposed with stricter restrictions. With inputs from agencies