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Medha's protest gathers country-wide support

Mumbai: The hunger strike called by social activist Medha Patkar of the National Alliance of People's Movements (NAPM) in protest against developer Shivalik Ventures at Mumbai's Golibar colony entered its fourth day on Monday.

Ms. Patkar's health is believed to be deteriorating. “She has fever, high blood pressure and bouts of vomiting,” Mukta Srivastava of NAPM told The Hindu over telephone.

Ms. Patkar's protest is gathering strong support from all corners of the country with various activists and organisations lending their strength to the struggle.

“Around 30 organisation and activists have shown their solidarity by writing to the Chief Minister. In Delhi [activist] Bhupendra Rawat has begun an indefinite hunger strike. Protests were organised in Ranchi, Jharkhand and Aurangabad. Today, Nationalist Congress Party corporator Vidya Chavan paid a visit. The local Collector also met the people,” said Ms. Srivastava.

While a relay fast by slum dwellers has been on, one resident joined the indefinite fast on Monday. Golibar residents have for long been protesting against Shivalik Ventures for obtaining consent “fraudulently” for redevelopment projects.

“Although the CM had earlier assured us an inquiry into the matter of Golibar demolitions and the larger issue of redevelopment of slums in Mumbai, no action has been taken for over two months. This has forced Medha to go on an indefinite fast to get justice,” NAPM said.

The Golibar agitation has called into question the controversial 3K clause of the Slum Rehabilitation Act and the process of slum rehabilitation itself. (Under 3K, the government is empowered to give large clusters of land to a developer for redevelopment.)

Ms. Patkar has demanded that the clause be “cancelled along with all the projects which come under 3K”.

“[Through] 3K, the government has gifted more than 500 acre of slum land to six developers in the past two years,” said a NAPM release.

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