“My elderly parents were made to sit in a police van. They have diabetes and had to sit there, hungry and thirsty, for four hours,” said Jafir Khan, a survivor of Sendhwa violence.
The communal violence consumed everything that Jafir had worked to build his house. During the communal violence in Sendhwa in 2022, the house of Jafir Khan, a chauffeur by profession, was sliced down to the ground.
Jafir was away from his house when he received a call from his family informing him that a bulldozer was ready to raze his house to the ground.
Jafir further shared with Miles2Smile that when his family saw the bulldozer outside their house, they asked the authorities, “Will our house be demolished too?” The authorities reassured them that their house would remain intact, and only their neighbor’s house would be demolished. However, within an hour, their house was reduced to rubble.
When we met Jafir, his eyes were brimming with tears, revealing the deep pain he carried inside.
With a heavy heart, he further narrated his ordeal about the loss of his house. “My family members were just peeking through the window; they didn’t throw any stones. If looking through the window is a crime, then that’s a different matter.” Jafir said.
Upon hearing his ordeal, we were shocked by the extreme depths to which humanity could fall.
Committed to assisting Jafir in rebuilding his house and regaining his lost smile, Miles2Smile launched a fundraiser. On collecting a desired amount, we immediately extended help to Jafir.
Overcome with gratitude as he received the aid, tears of both sorrow and joy flowed down his face.
To know more about our Sendhwa work click: https://stories.miles2smile.org/category/sendhwa-2022/