Working people of Delhi assert right to life

Hundreds of working people marched from Mandi House to Parliament on February 20, 2009, protesting the spate of demolitions of the homes of working people being carried out by the state. The march was organised at the initiative of the Delhi Shramik Sangathan. The Lok Raj Sangathan, which has been working consistently for the rights of slum dwellers, as well as many other working people’s organisations, including trade unions, participated actively in the protest march.

In the period before elections to the state assembly, the government had announced various schemes like the Rajeev Ratan Awas Yojna for the urban poor and gave assurance that no slum will be demolished. However, soon after the elections, the demolition squads have become active. On January 10 2009, Viklang camp (meaning camp of differently-abled people) situated near Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium was demolished. Around 90 physically handicapped persons from  350 families’ have been living in this camp since tha last 20-25 years. On February 5, 2009, New Sanjay Camp, Ph-II, Okhla was demolished where around 450 families have been living since the last 25-30 years. Both camps were demolished by PWD in the name of Right of Way. The families are not eligible for any compensation as per the PWD and the court. Nobody is clear what is Right of Way. But it is clear that the Government has adopted this strategy that any slum near to any road, drain, canal etc will be removed without any compensation in the name of Right of Way. The court is being used by the Government to facilitate this. The benefit to the Government is that it is acquiring land and saving the cost of rehabilitation.

Indira camp and JJ Camp in Okhla and Sarswati camp in R K Puram have received notices from the PWD for eviction. JJ Camp in Badli is also facing the similar threat. T –hut camp in Kirti Nagar, U & V camp in Shalimar Bagh are facing court cases for eviction. The list is long.

The protestors raised the issue that working people have the right to life and this includes the right to shelter. They will not tolerate being made victims of a brutal state which uses these just concerns of working people cynically as an election tool. They demanded that comprehensive legislation be passed which will guarantee the right to a home to every human being.

The protestors pointed out that after prolonged street battles a couple of years back centering around the governments plan to demolish Transit Camp, Kalkaji, and many other struggles such as over Yamuna Pushta and other colonies, the Central Government passed a one year moratorium on demolitions in the capital. This was a partial victory for working people of the city.

In this period, the issue of demolitions in the name of public projects as well as national highways, as well as turning the cities of India into world class cities, has become a country wide issue especially affecting the urban poor and middle strata. Working people in cities all over the country — especially in the over 60 cities that have been designated as targets for this attack — have been fighting for the right to life, which includes, most significantly, a  secure roof over their head. The Central Government, in response to this public pressure, as well as to the exigencies of the ensuing General Elections, has passed on February 19 a one year extension of moratorium on demolitions in Delhi. However its real intent is shown by the fact that it has not even bothered to produce a plan which will ensure a decent home for every working person in the capital, let alone in all the urban areas of the country.