‘There was no time… we dragged inmates by their hair, legs to safety’

“We pulled them by their hands and legs and hair… anything we could grab. They were screaming in fright but there was no time to think.

We were all panicking. Twenty-three years ago, militants burnt down our house and we had to leave Kashmir. I saw my home burn a second time today,” Ganjoo said. The inmates at the shelter are his only family.

A makeshift camp, after  the home run by Earth Survivors Foundation was gutted, is the only hope for 150 people, some mentally ill.

The camp, nestling between trees in Vasant Kunj, is in stark contrast to its surroundings — old parents thrown out on the streets, mentally ill abandoned by families and underprivileged children left to fend for themselves.

Sixty-nine-year-old Ajay Kumar Agarwal, who claims to be a cousin of British parliamentarian Lord Swraj Paul,  is an inmate at the shelter.

Agarwal, who once owned industries and properties in Faridabad, Jalandhar and Nepal, was allegedly thrown out of his home. He came to live at the shelter two months ago. He underwent a hip-joint transplant in Fortis this February. On Thursday, he had gone to the hospital for physiotherapy.

But Ramesh Kumar (72) still can’t get over the horror of Thursday night.

“We had dinner around 9.30 pm and after listening to the news, we went to bed. I woke up to shouts and screams. I saw flames all around us and the room was full of smoke. I limped out and saw everyone in the yard outside. Nothing was left, even the trees had caught fire,” Kumar said.

By then, the founder of Earth Survivors, Ravi Kalra, had been informed. He rushed to the spot, informing all employees and volunteers to gather as soon as they could. According to Kumar, fire tenders came about 30 minutes after the call was made.

“The fire had spread by then. We couldn’t stand the heat. Some volunteers tried to rescue the elderly, others freed the cows,” he said.

Despite the efforts, two inmates lost their lives.

“Most inmates escaped unharmed. Since morning, help has been pouring in from local residents. Some brought fruits, other food and water.

Everybody has been extremely helpful,” Kalra said.

Since early Friday, policemen and local volunteers were also trying to do all they could to help the inmates.

Harender, a 21-year-old student of IGNOU, who came to the old-age home last week to film a documentary on the inmates, saw the news of the fire on TV.

“I rushed to help. These people are those shunned by society. At least we need to give them our love and care,” Harender said, serving porridge to an old woman.

Volunteers also went around guiding the inmates to use only the makeshift toilets. “Many of the inmates here are mentally challenged. They will get baffled when they are unable to see the things they are used to. We fear problems may arise from a health perspective, so we need to be extra careful,” Mansi, a volunteer, said.