Left leaders, residents of slum clusters demand rehabilitation before demolition of slums in Delhi

New Delhi, May 29 (PTI) The leaders of Left parties, slum clusters' residents and activists held a sit-in protest at the Jantar Mantar here on Thursday, demanding dignified rehabilitation before any demolition is carried out in informal settlements across the city.

The protest was attended by the representatives from areas such as Madrasi Camp, Dhobi Ghat, Lohar Camp, Okhla Vihar and Patparganj among others.

They alleged that demolition notices have surged post the Delhi Assembly elections and bulldozers are being used without proper surveys or alternative housing arrangements.

Former Rajya Sabha MP and CPI (M) leader Brinda Karat, who addressed the protest, told PTI that the BJP had promised a house where there is a jhuggi just months ago and is now going back on its word.

"The ruling party and the Delhi High Court said you have to remove all the jhuggis because of the flooding problem," she said.

"Will they demolish the Akshardham temple? The Commonwealth quarters? The bridges built on the Yamuna floodplains? Their spectacles help them to see only when they have to identify the houses of the poor to destroy them. So, this kind of skewed development, which helps big property construction owners, real estate people and the rich, that is what we are opposing," added Karat.

Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) state president Rikta said that "there has been a spate of bulldozer actions since the G20".

"This is not a problem unique to Madrasi Camp. What we are seeing is a concerted strategic effort to drag on the legal process so much that people give up their right to rehabilitation," she added.

The DYFI state president said the policy sounds progressive on paper, but in reality "the government is very selective".

"The judiciary, too, seems under pressure to appear pro-development. They are allowing demolition without waiting for rehabilitation," said Rikta.

"All this is being justified using claims of floods and climate change, even though the Master Plan itself says the poor are not responsible for floods. Very few have access to legal aid and even among those who do, most end up being relocated 60 km away to Narela, against promises of in-situ rehabilitation," she added.

The protestors claimed that demolition notices have been issued for June 1 in Madrasi Camp near Barapullah bridge following a Delhi High Court order.

In the list of eligible candidates, many were left out due to 'technical inconsistencies' like name mismatches.

Chitra, a resident of Madrasi Camp, said the alternative housing offered in Narela is far from schools and hospitals.

“They are asking us to pay Rs 1,12,000 to live there. The plumbing, doors, everything is of poor quality and now we need at least one lakh more to fix those. There is no safety. It’s a place full of crime,” said Chitra.

"If we had so much money, we would buy a house. Why would we build jhuggis? We built our homes with hard work and now they’re being demolished," she added.

The protestors said that this was the first of many demonstrations under the Awas Adhikar Janandolan, a platform being formed by various Left parties and people’s organisations, to coordinate the struggle against forced evictions in the city. PTI SGV SGV AS AS