For the families of many victims of the 2005 and 2008 blasts in Delhi, the pain is still as searing as ever, and the wait for justice far from over.

In a multi-faith prayer meeting, held on the third anniversary of the 2005 pre-Diwali blasts in Sarojini Nagar, family members of the victims joined relatives of the victims of the recent serial blasts and the one in Mehrauli. The victims of the 2007 Samjhauta Express blasts were also present.

“Bringing together the families of the blast victims, allows them to gain strength from sharing experiences. The message is one of humanism, of being united against terrorism, irrespective of religion and nation,” said Ashok Kumar Randhawa, the president of the Sarojini Nagar Mini Market Traders Association, the organiser of the prayer meeting being held since 2005. Leaders from different faiths prayed together.

“I feel my son is still present, whenever I come here for the prayer meeting. All of us are united by a similar sense of loss, and a common sorrow,” says Indu Poddar. She cannot bear to pass by Shyam Juice Corner, where she lost seven-year-old Karan.

While the meeting allowed relatives of victims to share their grief and loss, it also brought into focus other pertinent issues. For many, compensation remains elusive and enmeshed in legal tangles.

According to Randhawa, seven people killed in the Sarojini Nagar blasts are still classified as “missing persons”. “It can be proved at least three of them were present and lost their lives in the blasts. Yet the authorities have still not recognised this,” he said. The list includes Ram Jeevan, a help in Shyam Juice Corner, who was present with his owner when the explosion took place.

... contd.