Tag: Medha Patkar

Categories
Big story

Thousands lose their homes while the rain pours down

Several hutments were demolished recently at different spots in Mumbai. Where will these people go while rains lash the city?
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

khar east andolanThe monsoons have set in Mumbai and Maharashtra in earnest, at least three days before expected time of arrival. And while the monsoon brings its usual problems for the average Mumbaikar – water-logged roads, floating garbage, leakages in walls and erratic trains, for some Mumbaikars, this monsoon is going to test their survival skills.

On June 4, 2013, some slums in Mumbai were witness to demolitions via bulldozers and they also suffered their share of police brutality as they tried to save their homes. “Bulldozers mowed down houses at Ganpat Patil Nagar, Sanjay Nagar, Indira Nagar and Adarsh Nagar. Around 250 houses were demolished at Ganpat Patil Nagar and more than 300 houses were broken down at Adarsh Nagar-Indira Nagar and Sanjay Nagar,” said an activist attached with the Medha Patkar-led National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM).

“As always, the police force was present in huge numbers and disrespectful to the protestors that included men, women, children and the aged. Even the pregnant ladies were not excused of high handedness. With the onset of the monsoon, these people’s vulnerability is increased as they have no roof over their heads and their belongings either crushed or lying here and there,” he added.

NAPM alleges that the demolition drive at Ganpat Patil Nagar was done under the pretext of ‘protecting mangroves’ as per the orders of the Bombay High Court, “which not at all had said anything about demolishing slums. The over enthusiasm shown by the local MLA of Shiv Sena – Vinod Ghosalkar – in demolishing this slum and evicting the families from the land exposes the nexus with the land mafia which wants to transform this locality into high rise buildings and towers. Even the Forest Department has informed that they do not want for demolition of slums but only protection of mangroves.”

At Indira Nagar, Adarsh Nagar and Sanjay Nagar, the demolitions were done to widen a nallah (sewerage line) in time for the rains; demolitions were carried out at the same spots last year for the same reason. Activist Siraj Ahmed, who was detained by the police for protesting the demolition, said that the nallah was never widened despite repeated demolitions.

“Most shocking and deplorable is the fact that in January this year, no less than the Chief Minister of Maharashtra and the Chief Secretary had promised to under take a survey of the these khar eastsettlements for the purpose of declaring them as slums and provisioning of basic amenities,” an NAPM release says. “Instead of water pipe lines and toilet blocks, they have sent bulldozers and police force. It seems that the slogan of ‘slum free India’ is to be realised by bulldozing the existing slums and not be upgrading or resettling them.”

(Pictures courtesy tehelka.com, khareastandolan.wordpress.com. Pictures are file images)

Categories
Big story

Golibar agitation hots up

Activist Medha Patkar goes on indefinite hunger strike, while affected citizens demand urgent action from the State Government and MHADA.

It happens all the time, but in a city teeming with millions, news of the poor losing their homes always slips through the cracks.

Inaction and lack of media coverage notwithstanding, the people of Golibar Maidan are up in arms against the Government and the builder lobby to protest against the demolition of their homes. They allege that the demolitions are illegal, and are knocking on the doors of the Government for justice.” Agitated at the lack of response by the State, activist Medha Patkar started an indefinite hunger strike four days ago, while hundreds ghearoed the office of the Slum Rehabilitation Authority yesterday and demanded a joint interaction with the Chief Secretary, Principal Secretary (Housing), Joint Commissioner of Police, CEO of SRA, Chairman of MHADA, Additional Collector and other concerned officials,” said an activist. He added that “hundreds of urban poor from various bastis are constantly joining the agitation.”

The agitation has been launched also to protest the “injustices and atrocities being meted out in the name of ‘slum rehabilitation’, the anger against the ruling establishment that is hand-in-glove with the profit mongering builders.”

The agitation, which triggered off due to the demolition of 48 houses at Golibar and also many houses at Chandivali, “reflects the sentiments of thousands of poor across the city, who clean, run and build Mumbai, but still have to wage a war for their basic right to shelter, food, education and other civic amenities.” The National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM), which is spearheading the agitation, alleges that not just at Golibar, corruption to the tune of hundreds of crores is rampant across Mumbai in various projects in the garb of ‘slum rehabilitation’. “Land and resource grab is the only motive with which the builders operate, aided actively by the State machinery. The demolitions at Golibar, despite the ongoing inquiry against Shivalik Ventures (which is set to undertake the Golibar SRA project) only goes on to prove the high-handedness of the builder lobby in the state,” Patkar said yesterday.

(Pictures courtesy thealternative.in, thehindu.com)

Categories
Event

Medha Patkar arrested from Golibar Maidan

Activist arrested from Khar site where slum dwellers are being evicted all day. Protesters allege that cops have thrashed them.
by National Alliance of People’s Movements

In a series of illegal actions against the urban poor in Mumbai, the city Police today came down heavily on Medha Patkar and a group of people resisitng the illegal evictions at Golibar, Khar (East). Other active local residents including Prerna Gaikwad, Ajit and 20 men and women have also been arrested this afternoon. Those protesting have been beaten up very badly by the police and goons on behalf of Shivalik Builders, in the presence of MHADA engineers and officials. The latest information is that at least 10 houses have been demolished at Golibar.

A posse of police vehicles and JCB machines are still at the place and the demolition drive is still on.

The bulldozers at Golibar, a 50-year-old slum, are once again out to demolish and evict the slum dwellers who have been fighting corruption and a land grab by Shivalik Ventures, in which the 2G Spectrum scam-ridden Unitech has a stake. In the past, the slum dwellers have repeatedly opposed and exposed the illegal acts of the private developers who are all out to grab the land. It was only after the expose that the Chief Minister of Maharashtra scrapped the two 3K projects.

Even now, as usual, no notice has been served on the people before the demolitions. The Bombay High Court had directed that the residents must be relocated to a good transit camp that is in a completely livable condition, and also directed that individual agreements with the residents must be registered. However, without following this directive of the High Court, the demolitions are continuing in a totally illegal maner. It is also significant to note that as recently as on January 18, the CEO of the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA), Nirmal Deshmukh, ordered a halt to the demolitions, but the same has started once again, with MHADA’s intervention.”

Update: The NAPM has demanded the immediate release of all detainees, and immediate action on the police personnel involved in the demolition drive. Another demand is for action against Shivalik Builders for several alleged illegalities and encroachments on the land by the firm.

(Picture courtesy thehindu.com. Image is a file pic)

Categories
Event

Slum dwellers’ struggle reaches Day 8

Ghar Bachao Ghar Banao struggle continues, Anna Hazare support brings media to Azad Maidan in large numbers for first time.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

The Medha Patkar-led agitation of Mumbai’s slum dwellers and those affected by scams in the Slum Rehabilitaion Authority continued yesterday, with a major shot in the arm: activist Anna Hazare landed at Azad Maidan to pledge his support to the protest and the relay fasts being undertaken therein.

With Anna’s presence at Azad Maidan at 2 pm, media personnel descended at the venue in large numbers, probably for the first time since the agitation began.

As per a press note issued by the National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM), “The continuing struggle of Mumbai’s slum dwellers entered a new phase today…Shri Anna Hazare visited Azad Maidan and expressed his support to the struggle for right to shelter. In a democratic republic with the Constitution written in the name of the people, no Government has any right to evict people in a brutal manner and make them homeless, he said, calling a halt to the atrocities.”

Earlier, Mankhurd MLA and Samajwadi Party honcho Abu Azmi visited Azad Maidan to express solidarity with the protesters; he was initially heckled and questioned about his absence from the start of the Andolan. Eventually, he agreed to support the protest and join the delegation that meets the Chief Minister at Mantralaya today.

“The GBGB Andolan received the minutes with decision by the CM and the Mantralaya, yesterday night. We, from Azad Maidan, sent a reply demanding certain clarifications and suggestions,” Patkar said. The Andolankars have, however, forwarded a set of demands, some of which are: the Government must provide a written assurance of no further evictions till enquiry reports into the first group of SRA projects are out, a GBGB representative should be part of the enquiry process, and that slums must be declared within a month and provided with all basic amenities, among others.

(Picture courtesy pardaphash.com. Image is a file pic) 

 

Exit mobile version