There were policemen in every lane in Jahangirpuri three hours after the rioting broke out. Children peeped from the windows. Their parents were shouting in the lanes a group of women spoke of the harassment by the men of the Punjabi community while others abused the men of the Dhobi community. The men swore to protect their women. In the chaos, a third group of people hurled abuses at the police. A drunk man shouted, ``The police have taken our money but have done nothing about our problems. We had complained to the police last week that the situation was getting more tense everyday. But they did not do a thing about it''.

Some women beat their chest and broke down in public. ``I knew this would happen,'' a woman cried, ``such things don't last long. They come out in the open. We have to save the Punjabi pride.'' A woman from another group shouted back: ``Now it is a fight between the women of Jahangirpuri. Our men will protect us''.

The locality looked like a scene from hell. Everyone shouted at everyone else. No one listened. Groups of policemen stood watching. The situation was tense and they would not intervene unless violence broke out again.

Young lads had taken upon themselves the task of briefing journalists about Seema, Ganesh and Babu Ram. They all seemed to have known about the episode and have decided their allegience. Every youth at D-block had sworn to take revenge. ``How long will they stay in police protection? When they come back home, we will get back at them,'' an youth swore.