Syed Ali Ahmed | India Tomorrow

NEW DELHI, APRIL 26—The Muslim inmates at Covid-19 quarantine centres in Sonia Vihar and Wazirabad in northeast Delhi went without ‘sehri’ (early morning food) and fasted the whole day on Saturday without meal.

However, the issue was sorted out after the intervention of Northeast District Magistrate Shashi Kaushal. She told India Tomorrow that they could not be given ‘sehri’ yesterday due to some confusion. However, it was given to them today (Sunday) and arrangements for breaking the fast, including supply of ‘khajur’ and food was made from today with the help of some NOGs. It will be normal from today.

The relatives of several inmates said that ‘sehri’ was not given on Saturday despite the inmates having intimated the authorities in advance about the commencement of their fasting month of Ramzan and having told them that they would be observing fast.

Among those quarantined at the two centres are also some foreign nationals who had come to Tablighi Jamaat Markaz at Nizamuddin and were held up after lockdown.

Relatives of the inmates told India Tomorrow that there are about 200 inmates at the two centres and the authorities had assured that they would get ‘sehri’ at the appointed time.

However, none of them turned up with meal and all of the inmates had to observe the fast without eating their meal at ‘sehri’. According to their relatives, they have been in these centres for the last 25 days.

In Sonia Vihar, majority of the inmates are from Shastri Park where a delegation of Tablighi Jamaat activists visited during the lockdown. “The police has quarantined all Jamaat activists, Imam and caretaker of the mosques where Tablighi activists were staying”, said a resident of Shastri Park.

“All of them tested negative for Covid-19 twice in 25 days. But they are not being discharged”, said the residents.

One of the inmates, on conditions of anonymity, said: “There is no ceiling fan nor table fan in the hall. We have not been given mosquito repellents. We cannot sleep peacefully during the night due to mosquitoes. We are being served sub-standard food. Sanitation condition is also very pitiable”.

He said that the drinking water supplied there was also contaminated  which smells like drain water.

A social worker Naseem(name changed), who lives in Shastri Park, said: “I was brought to the quarantine centre on April 1 by a policeman who had assured that within two hours, I would be discharged but I was admitted to the centre along with many others. I am not the only person at the centre who was brought on the pretext of just medical check-up. There are several others and all of them are rotting there without any reason. When my relatives talked to the District Magistrate, she said that they would not be freed before May 3”.

Relatives of several inmates said: “We cannot contact the quarantined people because authorities have taken away their mobile phones. They are treating them like criminals in jails”. Asked about it, District Magistrate Shashi Kaushal said that it pertained to law and order and police did so keeping in view the law and order situation.

Shakil, another resident of Shastri Nagar, said that though he had no connection with the Jamaat, he was taken to Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital where doctors on duty discharged him after primary check-up but the policemen brought him here in the quarantine centre. “Other inmates also have the same story to tell”, said Shakil.