OPPOSE THE DEMOLITION OF COLONIES!
OPPOSE THE INHUMANE ATTITUDE OF GOVT TOWARDS TOILING MASSES!! SUPPORT THE
STRUGGLES OF THE WORKING CLASS!!
Dear Friends, with the Lok Sabha elections at the doorsteps, the
political scenario of the country is heating up. Every political party is
trying to woo the voters with the agenda of ‘DEVELOPMENT’. While Congress is ‘trying
to pull the country out of financial crises’ through its economic reforms, BJP
is presenting “Gujarat Model of development” as the ‘only’ way to progress and
the newly emerged AAP, recognizing “Corruption” as the main problem of the
people and hindrance in the path of development, is promising to eliminate it.
However,
in this whole agenda of ‘Development’, the very concern of a large section of
society is nowhere. The section which on the one hand, with its labor, is
creating everything in this world but on the other is bearing the onslaught of
this popular concept of ‘Development’. This section is toiling masses of the
country. In this era of Neo-liberalism, when the meaning of development is
understood by big roads, fly-overs, luxurious cars and the big shopping malls, this
section finds no place in the Economics of Manmohan Singh! Even after whole
days’ hard labor, the very basic question of their survival remains
marginalized. Due to these ‘Developmental’ policies and with rising inflation
and unemployment as its effects, the condition of the people is worsening and
on the other hand only 100 Rich Families in India have more than 1/4th
of total income.
Few
days back, the fury of this concept of ‘Development’ struck the slums of Chandigarh.
The biggest slum in Chandigarh, colony no. 5 was demolished mercilessly in the
harsh winters. Deploying about 2000 policemen and 20 bulldozers, colony with
around 70,000 population, spread in 108 acres of land was levelled to ground in
just two and a half days. Thanks to ‘wisdom’ of BJP, about 200 people, who could
have resisted, were in prison due their call for “Jail Bharo Andolan”. The SSP even extended the greetings to the
police personnel for accomplishing the task in just half the time estimated. Under
the gimmick of “creative destruction”, thousands of people were rendered
homeless to beautify the city.
Just
like colony no. 5, the government has 17 more colonies on its target. The govt.
promises to provide home to these people. But, as was seen, only a limited no.
of families (just 1/4th) have been allotted houses, others were
rendered homeless. Even the condition of people living in the houses allotted
under the ‘rehabilitation’ is not good either. These houses constructed outside
the city, are no more than cubby-holes. The material of construction used in
the buildings is too inferior. It doesn’t seem they could hold for long,
already the roofs have started dripping. Where the employment and routine life
of people have been disrupted, the school going children are also suffering.
Some have been forced to drop-out.
In
2005, the Centre govt. came out with “JnNURM” which had agenda to ‘improve the
quality of life and infrastructure in the cities’. Under this the “Small flat
scheme, 2006” was introduced in Chandigarh which undertook to make Chandigarh
the first “slum-free” city of India. However, methods applied and conditions
put forward for the ‘rehabilitation’ of the evicted people were such that very
few could fulfill them e.g. only that person could be allotted home who owns a
house in the colony to be demolished, those who were staying at rent were not
included. A bio-metric survey was done to recognize the people for allotment of
the houses, but it was done at max for 2 days in a colony due to which many
people missed it out. Besides these, it is required that person’s name should
appear in voter list of 2006 and 2013 and more identities like these are
demanded. If any of these proofs is lacking, there is no possibility that an
individual can get house even though he might be residing here for many years.
For these very unnecessary conditions laid down by the govt. cases of around
2/3rd of residents are pending. Furthermore, those who have been
allotted have to pay a license-fee of Rs. 800 per month for 20 years, which
would be increased every five years. Even then the ownership right is not being
provided.
In
this scenario, this ‘rehabilitation’ policy appears to be plot to throw people
out of the city and render them homeless. To understand the things behind the
curtain, we see the neo-liberal model of development at work, especially in
third world countries, where it is proving out to be most disastrous for
people. Like in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil we see new “ghettos” coming up where the
slums are being walled, giving various excuses. People are met out with
inhumane treatment, as if they are criminals. Police in large number is
deployed there and people are inspected whenever they go out or come back.
Here
we need to understand that the “Development” doesn’t mean the roads or highways
or Big Beautiful buildings built upon the pauperization of masses, besides its
meaning lies with the wholistic growth and prosperity of the people. These
people are no outsiders but have been residents of the city from 25-30 years
and many were even born here. Infact these are those people who have built this
city, those who have transformed this wilderness into the “City Beautiful”. And
now these people are being forced to leave the city.
We appeal all to understand this whole incident with a rational
perspective and oppose this inhumane and anti-people policy, which under the
sham of “upgrading the city-life” and “rehabilitation”, is displacing them and
rendering them homeless. We appeal all to stand in solidarity with the toiling
masses and support their struggles.