Dubai: A Dubai-based Indian businessman has distributed relief supplies to victims of the recent Delhi riots that have claimed at least 47 lives and left around 350 injured.
Joginder Singh Salaria, chairman and managing director of Pehal International Transport and founder of Pehal Charitable Trust (PCT Humanity), said his trust gave away essential raw food materials to residents of North East Delhi, which was hit by communal violence.
“PCT Humanity volunteers have distributed essential supplies in 500 bags weighing around 22kg in the past couple of days,” Salaria told Gulf News.
He said each bag contained 17 grocery items enough to cover two months for a family.
The supplies were distributed to residents of Mustafabad, Eidgah, Shiv Vihar and Karawal Nagar.
The “Ration Distribution Camp” organised by the trust had banners carrying the slogan “The power of positive thinking.”
A Punjabi expat, Salaria said the PCT Humanity volunteers witnessed the extent of the damages caused by the deadly violence in which vehicles, houses and shops went up in flames and public and private properties suffered extensive damages.
Message of peace, harmony
By extending a helping hand to those who have suffered greatly in communal violence, he said his trust wants to send out a message of peace and harmony.
“It is our duty to reach wherever we can to support people who are suffering. We don’t check the religion or caste of anyone who is suffering. I hope this sends across a good message to the world.”
Condemning the rioters, Salaria said: “This is a very painful incident. We totally condemn this act of violence. Whoever was behind this riots are trying to break our country into pieces and we should not let it happen again.”
Though there have been reports about goons snatching away relief materials in some pockets, Salaria said his volunteers did not face any such issues.
“We had to stop the distribution due to the enforcement of Section 144 in some areas.”
Apart from that, he said, there was no disruption to the relief efforts. “We actually had good cooperation from the local people.”
The Aam Aadmi Party’s Delhi government had announced compensation for the next of kin of the people who died in the Delhi communal riots that shook the nation’s capital.
NGOs and other agencies from various states have also been supplying relief materials to residents of the violence-hit areas.
Salaria’s Delhi-based charity trust, which is also a registered member of the International Humanitarian City in Dubai, has been offering support to many people in various countries.
The trust’s beneficiaries include widows, orphans and cancer patients in India, drought-hit villagers in Pakistan, impoverished children in Uganda and Ethiopia.
In the UAE, the trust has been reaching out to labourers fasting during Ramadan, patients requiring blood and prisoners languishing in jail without money to buy air tickets after completing their sentences.
