From: Initiative India <initiativeindia@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, May 14, 2010 at 8:53 PM
Subject: [initiative-india] Mumbai slum dwellers issue Legal Notice: Keep demolition squad at bay
To:
A Wing First Floor, Haji Habib Building, Naigaon Cross Road
Dadar (E), Mumbai-400 014 Ph. No-2415 0529 E-mail: napmindia@gmail.com
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GROUND ZERO UPDATE FROM MUMBAI'S SLUM
ORGANIZED BASTI-DWELLERS KEEP DEMOLITION SQUAD AT BAY
Threat and challenge persists: Legal Notice under Atrocities Act issued
People determined not to let go their houses and rights
As the struggle of the unorganized workers, dalits, women, elders and children from the Mumbai's Annabhau Sathenagar slum entered the second day, re-asserting their right to housing with dignity and without violence, the organized strength and unity of the people emerged successful in keeping the police and demolition squad at bay, despite preparation by the latter to continue the demolition with at least 11 more bull-dozers.
Throughout yesterday, hundreds of hutments were burnt and razed to the ground along with all the hard-earned belongings that have been reduced to ashes. The violent demolition drive ended up injuring almost 60-70% of the slum-dwellers, particularly women and children who have suffered severe wounds and medication is underway. Shockingly, among those brutally beaten up was also a 110 year old women Bagabai Hirale!
Since many of those brutally lathi-charged belong to the scheduled caste community, the people today issued a Legal Notice under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities Act), 1989 to the Deputy Collector (Encroachments / Demolitions) Mr. Dhananjay Sawalakar and ACP Mr. Dipil Sawant. The various legal grounds in the legal notice included sudden, wrongful and barbaric dispossession of dwelling premises without following the due and mandatory procedures under law, illegal demolition during pendency of appeal under Maharashtra Slum Areas (Improvement, clearance and Redevelopment) Act, 1971, demolition without taking any warrant and following mandatory procedures of Panchnama etc. under the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 and in the absence of statutory Environment Clearance required under the provisions of Environment Impact Assessment Rules, 2006. It has been pointed out that all is in stark violation of Article 14 and 21 of the Constitution of India
We, however, know that the officials, though responsible and will be held accountable, are just the small fry and this slew of demolitions is being planned and executed at the behest of the politician-builder-corporate-criminal lobby that is mushrooming in the city and its suburbs under the cover of real estate and 'infrastructure development.
Many supporters including Shri Anand Patwardhan, prominent film maker and Shri Ramdas Athawle of the Republic Party of India as also member of various people's organizations visited the slum today and spoke to the people, sharing their agony and emboldening their determination to fight back in full measure to demand their constitutional right to a dignified housing. The presence of Medha Patkar, National Convenor of National Alliance of People's Movements since early today morning has also boosted people's morale and the police dare not come in front at all.
The burring, arson, loot is very similar to the deliberate violence inflicted at Mandala basti earlier. We have information that the officials have conveyed their plans and intent to carry this out in other bastis as well and that the Revenue Department / Collector has asked for police assistance during demolition. We shall not tolerate a repeat of 2004 and any further attempt to inflict violence shall be resisted tooth and mail by the people, in their own indomitable way of Satyagraha, we assert.
Thousands of people shouting slogans with solidarity from fellow basti dwellers boosted the strength and spirit of the people to challenge the inequity and injustice. A large public meeting was also organized at the demolition site itself today and each basti-dweller excelled the other in challenging the hypocrisy of the state and the whole politics of 'space' and 'encroachment' in cities such as Mumbai.
As their belongings are on the streets, the people have erected plastic make shift tents and are staying put in the basti. We demand that the people must be fully compensated for the mental, moral and material losses and trauma, assistance provided to re-build their houses and a specific assurance that there shall not be any forcible eviction until a suitable alternative housing is ensured. The Andolan, asserting its everyday philosophy of 'Ghar Bachao, Ghar Banao' also had a cleanliness drive today.
We urge you to write to the concerned authorities including the Ministers and officials of the 'Urban Development' Ministry calling upon them to halt this injustice immediately and question as what kind of an urban development can this be?
Your messages of support are immensely valuable and do matter to the struggling people, who run, clean and make our cities worth living.
In Solidarity,
Santosh Thorat Jameela Begum Simpreet Singh Sumit Wajale Madhuri Variyath
Do write to:
ð Shri Jaipal Reddy, Hon'ble Minister, Ministry for Urban Development, Government of India Address: 8, Tees January Marg, New Delhi - 110 011 Ph: 011-23063495 Fax: 011-23062089 & 23792052 E-mail: sjaipal@sansad.nic.in
ð Ms. Kiran Dhingra Secretary, Ministry of Urban Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation Fax: 011 – 23061444 (O) & 011- 23382489 (R)
ð Shri Ashok Chavan, Chief Minister-Maharashtra, chiefminister@maharashtra.gov.in, ashokchavanmind@rediffmail.com ; Phone No. (022) 2202-5151, 5222, Fax No. 2285416
ð Smt Sonia Gandhi, Fax No 011-23794616
ð Shri Gurudas Kamat, Congress MP, Mumbai Fax: (011) 23714243 (O), 23092626 (R)
ð Shri Dhanajay, Addl. Collector – 9702302333
ð Shri Dilip Sawant, ACP-Mumbai Police- 9821722776
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Contact us at: 09423965153 / 09969363065 / 09820619174
Ph: 022-24150529 Delhi Contact : 09818905316
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Palash Biswas
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