A Delhi municipal worker stands next to the remains of vehicles, steel cupboards and other materials on a street vandalised during the violence in New Delhi, India on February 27, 2020 [File: AP/Altaf Qadri]

Five years ago this week, Northeast Delhi burned. A state-enabled pogrom left 53 dead, over 250 injured, and countless families shattered. The violence, fueled by hate and political opportunism, targeted those who dared to resist the discriminatory Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC). Mosques were torched, homes were looted, businesses were destroyed, and survivors were left with nothing but their grief and scars.

As we mark the fifth anniversary of the Delhi riots this week, we must ask: What has changed? Have the survivors received justice? Have those responsible for inciting and enabling the violence been held accountable?

Survivors Still Await Fair Compensation

For those who lost everything in the riots, rebuilding has been an uphill battle. Families saw their homes and life savings turn to ash overnight. Business owners, shopkeepers, and daily wage workers were left without a means of livelihood. The Delhi government’s compensation plan—riddled with delays and inconsistencies—has done little to bring relief.

The disparities in compensation are glaring. A People’s Tribunal in 2022 criticized the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government for its failure to properly compensate victims. While an Intelligence Bureau officer’s family received Rs 1 crore, most civilian victims—overwhelmingly Muslim—were given far less, with families of adults killed receiving Rs 10 lakh and children’s families getting Rs 5 lakh. Those whose homes and businesses were destroyed were left with a fraction of their actual losses.

One survivor, who lost his home and his sole means of livelihood, describes his frustration:

“They took everything. What I received was not even enough to rebuild my life. I have no faith left in the system.”

The psychological and emotional toll on these families is immeasurable. Some were forced to relocate, some now live in debt, and others have given up hope of ever recovering what they lost.

Activists Remain Imprisoned Under Draconian Laws

While the survivors struggle for justice, activists who spoke out against state repression remain behind bars. Under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), voices of dissent have been silenced through fabricated cases and indefinite incarceration.

Among those still imprisoned are:

Umar Khalid – Jailed since 2020 for allegedly orchestrating the riots, despite a lack of credible evidence.
Sharjeel Imam – Arrested for speeches against the CAA, accused of sedition.
Shifa-Ur-Rehman – A community leader and former president of the Alumni Association of Jamia Millia Islamia (AAJMI), who even contested elections from Okhla while in jail.
Meeran Haidar, Gulfishan Fatima, and many others – Student leaders and activists who have been framed as part of a so-called larger conspiracy behind the riots.

The financial toll has been crushing—many families have drained their savings on legal fees while struggling to make ends meet. Meanwhile, trial delays and bureaucratic hurdles continue to keep innocent people locked away, without fair hearings or due process.

Hundreds of Nameless Prisoners Still in Jail

Beyond the high-profile cases, hundreds of others remain trapped in the system—forgotten and unheard. These include first-time protesters, students, and daily wage workers who were arrested arbitrarily and falsely implicated in the violence.

A 2022 Human Rights Watch report condemned the blatant bias in the police investigations, stating that authorities systematically targeted Muslim activists while ignoring BJP leaders and right-wing extremists who openly called for violence.

Five Years Later, Justice is Still Out of Reach

The Delhi pogrom was not spontaneous—it was enabled by a system that criminalizes dissent while protecting those who spread hate. The failure to deliver justice is not an oversight; it is a deliberate continuation of the oppression that fueled the riots in the first place.

Five years on, the survivors continue to fight—for their homes, for their families, for their voices to be heard. Those in jail continue to wait—for a legal system that is supposed to protect them, but has only worked against them.

Read more:

Delhi riots: Five years on … Scroll.in

Why the 2020 violence in Delhi was a pogrom Al Jazeera

Five years later: Delhi Police’s riots conspiracy case is built on sand … Scroll.in

Change.org Petition: Release Umar Khalid, Release all political prisoners

Funds for Education of Delhi Riot Victim Kids

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