Activists protest slum demolition

Dec 27, 2007 Times of India

MUMBAI: More than 3,500 activists and slumdwellers held a dharna at Azad Maidan on Wednesday afternoon to protest against large-scale slum demolitions.

Over 600 homes were bulldozed in the last seven days alone. The protest was organised by the National Alliance of People's Movements (NAPM). Slumdwellers were upset that, despite a government affidavit in 2005 that set aside 50 acres of land in Mankhurd for those whose homes had been razed in the demolition drive, the land still lay vacant and slumdwellers were not allowed to build their homes on it.

"At a time when the government leased out 230 acres of land in Powai to Hiranandani Builders for a mere 40 paisa an acre, slumdwellers got together and collected Rs 2,000 for the the 50 acres at Mankhurd. This is a hundred times, the price at which Hiranandanis clinched their deal," alleged Simpreet Singh of NAPM.

A cheque of Rs 2,000 from the slumdwellers was presented to minister of state for housing, Rajesh Tope by a delegation of activists led by Medha Patkar and Shailesh Gandhi who visited Mantralaya in order to demand affordable housing for the poor. "We are not asking for free housing for the poor. They are willing to pay for their land," says Simpreet. Tope said that a discussion on the issue would be held with the concerned ministers on January 8.

"Principal secretary for urban development, Ramanand Tiwari told us that only around 250 of the 1,200 acres of land that would be freed after the repeal of the Urban Land Ceiling Act would be available for low-cost housing. He said he was not sure of whether or not the rest of the land would be freed or what it would be used for," added Simpreet.
The protesters say that the CM held a meeting last week in which he outlined plans for carrying out a large-scale demolition of slums built after 2000. According to those involved in the morcha, the government did not carry out any scientific verification of those who had set up their homes after the year 2000.

"Even families who have been living in the city way before 1995 have had their homes demolished," adds Simpreet.