Surat Demolition: Housing Rights Violated

What you have provided to poor? We have allotted them house and they are not moving into it? Do what ever you want they have to be evicted from illegal occupation of land and river bed? We would grant them houses once they prove they are residents of this city? And thus the questions for those who turns head while answering questions of the rights violation of the poor slum dwellers in Surat. The municipal commissioner would be sole saviour of the lives of the people, they know the helpless people would not go to court, cannot ask for mercy and would be thrown and bulldozed. Hundreds of families and childrens are on streets again, this time its not communal riots or natural disasters like flood or earthquake. The Surat Municipal Corporation has struck them hard, they may find it incapable to escape from this onslaught. The rights have been thrownaway to ashes. The manderins of power and games they play has kept the poor slum dwellers of the Surat on tenterhooks since last few months and few days ago they were swept by the power of governence.
The appeal and protests of the people are responded not with mild response, but brute police force, hearding them outside the frames of demolition machines. Media through its irresponsible reporting is busy in making the slum dwellers, an eyesore, filth and dirt on the land of Surat. The city which these migrant traders, labourers, vendors, maid women, children had adopted is no more their own, they are at receiving end as fall out of new housing scheme and unacceptable flood protection disguise of displacement.

Where else Gujarat has found its human face of development? Its Surat, the human rights violation and fundamental regards for its own citizens the SMC has errored again. No matter the slum dwellers would be forgotten but these very children who lost shelter and right to make living would never forget the day and people who made this happen. We are ashamed for those professional who advised for such inhuman treatment to poor, without understanding their voices and concerns.

Few of us would crib but in the name of modernity and improvisation the renewal seems to have regained the violation and aggressive behaviour of babus in municipal administration supported by the state political lobbies at the very top. God save Gujarat!!