Northeast Delhi has been under the scanner of communal riots since last week. Amid the violence, Arun Modern Senior Secondary School and a madrasa, located in Farooqi Mosque on the same street in Brijpuri area, were vandalised and torched by mobs on Tuesday.
The school, now torched, is home to 1000 students who have been enrolled there.
“I don’t know why they targeted the school. The signs of violence are present in every corner of the institute. They burnt down the computer laboratory, library, classrooms, toilets, school bus. Records of all students have been gutted,” said a teacher, who wished not to be named.
Bhisham Sharma, the owner of the school, said the rioters burnt books worth ₹70 lakh. Mr Sharma said that the mob was on a rampage and the assault continued from 3.30 p.m. to 6.30 p.m.
“The only thing we are thankful is that there were no children at that time in the school, otherwise the loss would have been huge,” he said. The rioters targeted the properties after identifying it as belonging to Hindus and Muslims, he said.
Kesar Abidi, a school teacher said that most of the children in the school are from Muslim families but it is owned by Mr Sharma. “They damaged every classroom. It is a very shameful act. God is a witness to everything. God will not spare the perpetrator,” said Ms Abidi.
Ms Abidi who is a social studies teacher, said, “How and what will I explain to the students when they will ask me about the damage. How will I face the questions from the students? I don’t want innocent kids to know about Hindus and Muslims.”
Just after the attack on the school, a mob attacked a madrasa located next door. The floor of the mosque has bloodstains, burnt curtains and damaged furniture. Also, the Maulvi of the mosque was thrashed by a mob and was left only after thinking he was dead, said Mr Rizwan.
Delhi Violence: Shrine worshiped by Hindu-Muslim community burnt during riots
