The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Role of non-State players in slum evictions worries rights activists

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Karnataka

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Role of non-State players in slum evictions worries rights activists

Special Correspondent

Bangalore: Seven Bangalore-based human rights organisations, which undertook a study of four slum evictions over the last one month, have said that an “alarming” trend was emerging in the city where non-State players, real-estate interests and powerful politicians are snatching away the basic rights of the poor to housing and civic amenities.

Impunity

Ramdas Rao of People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) told presspersons here on Wednesday that evictions in the four slums studied by them – Alemari Slum on Tumkur Road, Veerabhadra Nagara Slum in Hosakere Halli, Medara Hatti slum near KIMS Hospital and Priyadarshini Colony in Bannerghatta Road — had been done with “complete impunity” and with support from slum board officials and the police. In all, 950 families have been displaced in the four slums, he added.

Protection

Prof. Rao said while one of the four places was declared a slum by the Slum Clearance Board, and therefore entitled to be protected by them, another was on the verge of being declared.

G. Manjunath of the Concerned for Working Children (CWC) pointed out that of the other two slums, the one at Medara Hatti had been in existence for 50 years, while Alemari Slum had people living in the same place for 15 years.

He pointed that in the process or eviction, mechanisms set in place by the Government, such as tent schools for children, had been destroyed.

Nagari Babiah of People’s Democratic Forum (PDF) said that 90 per cent of people in these places were dalits and migrant workers.

“They had been ousted unceremoniously and violently. Most of them are on the roads with no alternative arrangements made for their livelihood or living,” said Prof. Babiah.

The residents had told them that their belongings had been taken away and never returned, he added.

Y.J. Rajendra of PUCL demanded to know why Karnataka State Human Rights Commission had not taken up these cases of “blatant human rights violation”.

He said that these four slums were only examples and such cases of “attack on the working, dalit classes” were on the rise in the city.

Panel

The fact-finding committee that studied the eviction included representatives from PUCL, CWC, PDF, Janawadi Mahila Sanghatane, Vimochana, Alternative Law Forum and Hengasara Hakkina Sangha. The organisations had put forward several demands, including immediate rehabilitation of the displaced people.

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