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Slumdwellers reclaim land

Staff Reporter

People whose homes were razed during the demolition drive in Mumbai have returned

Narmada Bachao Andolan leader Medha Patkar

MUMBAI: Around 5,000 slum dwellers whose homes were razed during the demolition drive last December have returned to the Mandala site in north-eastern Mumbai. With the support of the National Alliance of Peoples' Movement (NAPM), the homeless slum dwellers, who were severely affected by the rains over last five days, decided not to wait for the lists to be finalised by the Government.

Medha Patkar, currently at the Mandala site, said: "With much struggle we managed to get the Government to allow the slum dwellers to return to the original sites temporarily. '

But the list of verified and eligible persons was not completed and suddenly the rains hit the city. What are these people expected to do? Where will they go? So around 1,000 families have gone back to the original site. Each family will take a 12 ft by 15 ft plot."

Rehabilitation process

Simpreet Singh from NAPM said, "The Government started the survey on June 15 but had not allotted any land till July 27. Then they released the names of only 127 families whereas we thought over 200 families were eligible. Our representatives sat in Collector's office to recheck. But the attitude was exclusionary, as they did not accept documents such as ration cards and affidavits. Then there was a lathi-charge in which three persons were injured. After that, the people went back to the site." Mohammed Azam, who has just got a plot, is busy getting bamboo and plastic sheet to fashion a shelter. "It has been so difficult.

There are many people who lived in the open or with neighbours or relatives. But the rains washed away everything," he said.

There have been allegations that the list cleared by the Government was manipulated and that people whose houses were not demolished are now getting plots. There have also been clashes amongst the allottees. Medha Patkar said such clashes did take place. But, she said, the fact that the entire community decided to accept plots of a certain size is a big step.

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