Amidst the charred truck, with broken gates and dismantled seats, sat Ali Ahmed, haunted and distressed. His only source of income, his truck, was lost, or to be more precise, it was snatched by the mob during Tripura violence, 2026.
On January 10, 2026, violence unfolded in Fatikroy, Tripura, where Muslim residents were allegedly targeted by a mob following an altercation over the collection of funds for a local Hindu temple.
Several Muslim-owned homes, shops, businesses, and other valuable assets, along with a mosque, were allegedly set ablaze. The burns of the violence were borne by innocent people like Ali Ahmed.
“I worked for so many days to earn enough to buy the truck. It was taken on loan, but they burned it entirely. I have no other source of income; this was my only livelihood. What will I do now? “How will I survive?” said Ali Ahmed.
“What did I do? I was living peacefully,” he added.
Hailing from an area where most of the families depend on sole earning members, a loss of livelihood accounts heavily. Not only his livelihood but that of his neighbors was also uprooted, making him frantic and no one to help.
The violence was severe, but its consequences were even more severe. The area was shattered and charred, creating a hindrance in finding an alternative source of livelihood. And if found, how can a man who has spent his entire life on one skill learn something new in a few days?
Days after the violence, Ali Ahmed lingered on a thought: Whom to bank on? Whom to seek help from. Or maybe accept that the loss of livelihood is forever.
While he was battling with thoughts and grappling with anxiety, a silver lining shone in his life through Miles2Smile. The organization, already on its relief project in Tripura ahead of the violence, met Ali Ahmed and assured him the help he needed.
Once Ali Ahmed obtained stability and was ready to restart the work, the revamping of his truck was an initiative by Miles2Smile, providing livelihood and relief.
“I never thought that I would be able to have my truck again; I never thought that I would be able to earn again. I am beyond thankful to Miles2Smile for the truck, for my livelihood,” Ali Ahmed said, beaming.
