People were celebrating as my business burned down: Indian entrepreneur in Belfast says he didn’t expect so much hate
An Indian businessman who dreamed of opening his own grocery store in a derelict building he bought in Belfast has been left with nothing after someone deliberately set fire to the building. The arson attack on a former gospel church in Shankill Road began in the early hours of Saturday morning. The owner, who bought it last year to open an Indian supermarket, said he did not expect to encounter such racial discrimination in Ireland, where he has lived for 18 years.“My life’s investment is in this, and we don’t have insurance because the electrician work is still going on,” he said.“Everything is gone and burned,” he added.Police confirmed it was a case of arson and that the roof was deliberately set on fire.The Indian-origin business owner spoke to the BBC on condition of anonymity. He said people were celebrating the destruction of the building. “My life’s investment is in this, and we don’t have insurance because the electrician work is still going on,” he said.“There’s no compassion. This is a world I didn’t expect when we moved here. This is a racist hate crime. I started feeling the reaction a few weeks ago. The reaction of people standing on other roads. They’re not welcoming. I find them very offensive.”“There were properties for sale and that was enough for our business. There was no particular reason for the Shankill area, it was just a building for sale in the town. It was my life savings. I was completely drained emotionally, financially and mentally.” I didn’t sleep all night last night, and I was in such a state of mind that I didn’t even have the energy to speak.“You can’t understand what I’m going through. I have two children. It’s a small family here and we’re on our own. We have nothing now, everything is drained. I have to think about how to feed my children… I don’t know who is going to come out to help us, to protect us.“I just wanted to open a business. Now I don’t even feel safe standing there. We came to Northern Ireland and made this our home… now I don’t know what I’m going to do. My brain isn’t working… I’m too scared.”
