For residents of Shakur basti, there’s little reason for cheer. However, amid wails and the grief of losing not only their homes but a 6-month-old toddler, residents of the slum got a reason to smile on Monday.

A few metres from where Anwar Alam and Safina lost their daughter, Ruksiya, in an incident that has now turned into a major political controversy, a woman gave birth to a girl. The mother and child were quickly shifted to a hospital from the biting cold.

The parents have named the girl, Rachna, symbolising a fresh start.

Residents say that the woman was heavily pregnant when the Railways came in with their bulldozers and razed their homes.

The birth was greeted with much enthusiasm. "Most of us have lost everything and the child has given us a ray of hope," said Kaleem, who works as a labourer at a cement godown.

The news bought some cheer to Ruksiya's parents too. “I pray that the child grows up in a better environment,” Safina was quoted.

Image: An affected family at Shakur Basti where a demolition drive was carried out in a slum, in New Delhi. Photograph: Kamal Singh/PTI