When residents of a cluster of slums in the Janta Camp area of New Delhi learned that the G20 summit would be held in the Indian capital, just 500 meters from their homes, they hoped that it would benefit them too.
Instead, they were left homeless. Dharmender Kumar, Khushboo Devi and their three children were among dozens of people in Delhi whose homes have been demolished in recent months – an action that residents and activists say is part of the beautification work for the G20 summit, which takes place between the September 9th and 10th.
Some of the favela residents appealed to the high court to stop the evictions, but the court found the settlements illegal. City officials then ordered them to vacate the site by May 31.
Officials in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, responsible for the demolitions, say the houses were illegally built on government land and that their removal was “an ongoing activity”.
Houses in slums like Janta Camp are built over the years, like a patchwork quilt. Most residents work nearby and have lived within the confines of their small homes for decades.
Demolitions began four months ago. Bulldozers arrived on a hot May morning, with video footage of the demolition showing temporary homes being destroyed as former residents watched, some of them in tears.
“The government is demolishing houses and removing vulnerable people in the name of beautification, without any concern about what will happen to them,” said Sunil Kumar Aledia of the Delhi-based Center for Holistic Development, which works with the homeless. roof.
Recovery
At least 49 demolition actions in New Delhi between April 1 and July 27 resulted in the reclaiming of nearly 93 hectares of government land, Housing Minister Kaushal Kishore told parliament in July.
“No houses were demolished to beautify the city for the G20 summit,” he declared.
The demolition of the Janta Camp shacks came as a shock to Mohammed Shameem, another resident, who said he thought the “big shots” attending the G20 summit would “give something to the poor”.
He stated: “The opposite is happening here. The big shots will come and sit on our graves and eat.”
For Kumar, who works as a clerk in an office on Pragati Maidan, the demolition of his home and the eviction of his family has big implications.
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“If we move from here, my children’s education will also suffer,” he said. “Here they can study because the school is close by.”
Two of Kumar’s children – five-year-old Srishti and 10-year-old Eshant – attend a public school nearby. Their youngest daughter, Anokhee, is nine months old.
The family, which also includes Khushboo Devi’s father, lived in their shack for 13 years until they were ordered to vacate because “the area needed to be cleared”.
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Source: CNN Brasil
Bruce Belcher is a seasoned author with over 5 years of experience in world news. He writes for online news websites and provides in-depth analysis on the world stock market. Bruce is known for his insightful perspectives and commitment to keeping the public informed.
