The World Habitat Days & Zero Eviction Days in India
National Forum for Urban Poor (NFUP ), an active member of Leaders and Organisors of Community Organisations in Asia (LOCOA ) and affiliated to International Alliance of Inhabitants (IAI ), committed to the decision taken by the World Assembly of Inhabitants at WSF-Dakar , 2011, call upon all housing and land rights activists/organisations to join in mass actions in 4 Mega Cities (Mumbai, Kolkata, New Delhi and Bangalore ) of India between 1 st October and 31 st October 2011 to demand an immediate end to forced evictions and land grabbing, and a halt to the persecution and intimidation of activists and genuine fulfillment of the right to housing and land for all.
Housing has been a serious problem that has affected especially the poorest of the poor. Unable to find livelihood options, the poor are pushed out of their own traditional habitats in search of jobs in urban conglomerations and small towns. The greed of eager builders is pursuing vicious agents to find spaces to erect skyscrapers for profit that is pushing the poor out of the temporary shelter they are occupying.
While, around 30-35% of total urban population (1.20 billion) in India live in slums and squatter settlements more than 55% of Mumbai’s population lives in slums and pavements without proper shelter and other basic amenities like water, sanitation, health, education etc. Similarly, in the rural sector, millions of people live in poverty and squalor and in most unhygienic and degrading conditions. The social, political, religious and cultural scenario in India is rapidly deteriorating every day. After more than 6 decades of independence and of planned development, India has neither shown signs of independence nor equitable development, but rather a dependence on anti-social forces and gross human rights violations. For instance, all land acquisition under the Land Acquisition Act, is of land needed for commercial-development purposes, mostly to evict slum dwellers in the urban areas, to displace poor in the name of building big dams, highways, flyovers, city beautification, expanding urbanization and special economic zone, to alienate poor in the name of development and so on. Often this displacement is accompanied by a disregard of the processes of law. The urban poor are rendered helpless and unless they come together, organize and strengthen themselves to push forward their steadfast demands, they are left in the lurch.
Looking at the common factors of the neoliberal system that lie behind the persistent and systematic violations of land and housing rights throughout India, National Forum for Urban Poor (NFUP ), an active member of Leaders and Organisors of Community Organisations in Asia (LOCOA ) and affiliated to International Alliance of Inhabitants (IAI ) is a non-political, secular and community based federation of more than 100 grass-root COs, POs, NGOs, CBOs and activists working for the betterment of urban poor on the issues of evictions & housing rights in different parts of India are committed to the decision taken by the World Assembly of Inhabitants at WSF-Dakar , 2011.
Therefore, we call upon all housing and land rights activists/organisations to join in mass actions in 4 Mega Cities(Mumbai, Kolkata, New Delhi and Bangalore ) of India between 1 st October and 31 st October 2011 to demand an immediate end to forced evictions and land grabbing, and a halt to the persecution and intimidation of activists and genuine fulfillment of the right to housing and land for all.
The World Zero Evictions Days – World Habitat Days Programme in India
Community meetings, Public Meetings and mass-rallies will be organized to create awareness on WHD/WAI and to demand the right of our communities to housing and/or land, as well as an end to forced evictions and the following are the possible programs :
1. National Forum for the Urban Poor, Delhi (Delhi Urban Poor Forum) a network of 53 different grass-root NGO’s, CBO’S will hold a community march and public meetings at Ismail Colony and Sonia Gandhi Camp on 3 rd and 4 th October, 2011 respectively to highlight the WHD/WSF-2011 and housing issues of the slum-dwellers. Representatives of the Delhi Urban Poor Forum also plan to submit the memorandum of demands to the Chief Minister of Delhi.
Contact Person :
Ms.Lalitha S.A.
Regional Co-ordinator, Delhi.
Cell No.09818759685
E-mail: lalithasa10@gmail.com , lalithasa10@hotmail.com
2. National Forum for the Urban Poor, Bangalore consisting of Bangalore Meithri Sangha( BMS ) Bangalore: Koramangala, Bagalor Layout, Dodigunta, Janata-colony, Hari-colony, Ambedkar Nagar etc. along with other grass-root CBOs & NGOs, Bangalore will hold a Public Forum at Feroz Estate Meeting Hall on 20.10.2011, 11am-2pm. About 100- delegates from different parts of Bangalore will participate in the housing Rights meeting, WHD/WSF/WAI-2011. Followed by this meeting, a memorandum of demands will be submitted to Bangalore Slum Clearence Board, Bangalore.
Contact Person :
Ms. Gopa Raman.
Regional Co-ordinator, Bangalore.
Cell No.09611529965
E-mail: gopa.raman@rediffmail.com
3. National Forum for the Urban Poor, Kolkata, West Bengal consisting of Bustibasi Samannaya Samity (BSS), Kidderpore having 27 member organisations and four sub – committees, Garden Reach Slum Development (GRSD), Garden Reach having 12 nos. member organisations and three sub – committees, Howrah Dalit Forum, Howrah having 15 nos. member organisations and three sub – committees, Contai Mahakuma Khoti Matsajivi Unnayan Samity (MMUS) having 42 member organisations, East Midnapore and 2 sub committee, Bangla Bustee Academic Development Society, Garden Reach having 12 member groups and one sub committee, Raja Bazar Educational & Development Society (READS) having 15 member groups and Pratibandhi Sahayak Samity, Panskura, having 7 zonal units along with other allies will jointly organize a public meeting at Esplanade(Metro Channel), Kolkata on 14/10/2011, 11am to 4pm to create awareness on the decisions taken at WSF-2011, WHD and WAI to protest against forced evictions and to defend our housing rights.
Housing Rights Activists, Local Municipal Councillors, MLAs & other Govt. Authorities, will also be present.
Contact Person :
Mr. Nitai Dolui ,
Regional Co-ordinator, Kolkata.
Cell No.09831636106,
E-mail: nitai.gsp@gmail.com
4. National Forum for the Urban Poor, Mumbai consisting of People’s Responsible Organisation of United Dharavi(PROUD), People’s Organisation of Wadala for Equality and Rights(POWER) , Bombay Urban Industrial League(BUILD ), Committee for the Right to Housing(CRH ),Slum Rehabilitation Society(SRS ), Prateekshanagar Rehvasi Sangh, Bengal Welfare Association Samaj Seva Kendra, Jogeshwari, Rajiv Gandhi Nagar Rehwasi Sangh and SKR Nagar Rehwasi Sangh Safai Karmachari Sanghatana will organize a public march around Dharavi followed by a Public Forum Meeting at Sant Chennayya Samaj Seva Sangh Community Centre, Sion-Bandra Road, Mumbai on 31st October, 3pm.
Around 500 people will participate in the above meeting and later a memorandum of Demands will be submitted to the Chief Minister of Maharashtra.
Contact Person :
Mr. Prashanth K. Anthony,
National Co-ordinator, Mumbai.
Cell No.09820392998.