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INDIA: 6000 slum dwellers evicted and denied resettlement in West Bengal

November 19, 2009
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Sir,

In a brutal eviction drive, to uproot nearly 6000 slum dwellers in the vicinity of Eastern Bypass, Kolkata and demolishment of their 1200 shanties for a suggested ‘beautification’ and ‘development’ programme took place by the personnel of Bidhan Nagar Police Station and Rapid Action Force (RAF) on 04/10/2009 from 6 to 10 a.m., the drive not only made them homeless but posed serious challenges to their life and livelihood.

The affected faced ruthless physical assaults and even women, pregnant women and children were not spared from police atrocities and many of them sustained injuries during this heinous displacement drive without the mandatory provision of a court order for the same. The dwellers are mainly daily wage labourers from socially marginalised sections with a sizable number from religious minority community.

The composition of the populace is again common to this metropolis as they were victims of internal displacement from their rural natives and came to Kolkata, the nearest metropolis for a better pasture and sustain their life. In this course their families settled alongside a stinking sewage just adjacent to the place of affluence; Salt Lake.

The age of the said inhabitation is nearly 30 years and by that only the residents having adversary possession rights over their living place, according to the domestic law of the country. Again it should be emphasized by the civil society that the people were not migrated by their own wish but under compulsion as state failed to provide them basic livelihood option at their natives. The whole eviction drive was done without prior and proper R&R (rehabilitation and resettlement) package, what was against the basic justification and legal validation.

Our fact finding over the issue revealed that on 3/10/2009, Saturday, State Urban Development Authority announced the eviction through public address system without proper information on the time and date for the proposed eviction and in very next day on 4/10/09, Sunday, a large posse of police from Bidhan Nagar (south) police station with Rapid Action Force personnel; numbering in 7 to 8 hundreds with lathis and firearms with empty trucks and bulldozers reached at the place. The raiding party totally ransacked the slum. The personnel in uniform demolished every earthly belongings of the community and not even spared cooked food. Having the prior assumption about the eviction, some residents hided few materials of emergency need at different adjacent place but the Policemen forced the affected people to unhide the same and burnt those in front of them, thereafter. There were four tube-wells, bored by the slum dwellers by their own money. Police destroyed those sources of drinking water. The raiding party indiscriminately lathi charged on the dwellers without any provocation or resistance by these marginalized population.

The eviction drive was purposefully done on a Sunday, when all the offices & courts are closed restricting the dwellers to make any complaint before administration or court of law.

All the material belongings were snatched from the people and looted by the police personnel. Not a single seizure list were made out by the police.

The eviction drive compelled the people to leave the slum. And few of them were spending their days little far from the place under plastic sheets. But every night they were threatened by the police and ultimately on 12/10/2009 police again torn apart those sheets and forced them to live under the bare sky.

On 16/10/2009 a street corner meeting was organized by some Civil Society Organizations (CSO) and their network, named as GRIHA ADHIKAR MANCH (GAM). On 21/10/2009 a team consisting representatives of this network and the victims met with the officer in charge of Bidhan Nagar South Police Station. He referred them to meet with Mr. Ashok Das, the Sub Divisional Officer (SDO) of Bidhan Nagar. While the representatives met Mr. Das and demanded for proper rehabilitation, Mr. Das shirked off and said the whole responsibility is upon Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA) but he did not utter anything about the brutal treatment committed by the police and thus he washed his hands.

The incident not only tarnished the basic tenets of fundamental rights as guaranteed under Article 21 of Indian Constitution. But also bared the anti people act of the state with complete apathy for socio- economically marginalized community. Here I want to recall the state actors that international right to adequate housing is enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as well as the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and our State has international obligation to obey as a party.

Apart from the said infringements, the incident violated few other universally accepted principles or rights for the people, such as:

- The right to non-interference with privacy, family and home
- The right to be protected against the arbitrary deprivation of property
- The right to the peaceful enjoyment of possessions – these forced evictions occur without mandatory warning, forcing people to abandon their homes, lands and worldly possessions
- The right to respect for the home
- The right to freedom of movement and to choose their residence
- The right to education – we are attaching a list of school going children with regular and informal schools, an NGO run education center was demolished during the drive.
- The right to security of the person – implementing authorities not spoke out about any rehabilitation measure make the populace more insecure and vulnerable
- The right to effective remedies for alleged human rights violations

We demand for:-

- Immediate proper rehabilitation and appropriate resettlement of the evictees
- Immediate compensation to the injured of police and RAF atrocities.
- The police and RAF personnel should be booked under appropriate penal provisions for their illegal acts and offences
- Departmental proceedings against the sanctioning authority/ person for the eviction/ demolition drive for negating the law
- Specific criminal case against all the personnel who were involved with the illegal & forcible eviction and also for theft, looting, damaging of property, outrage of modesty of women, threatening and terrorizing the children including the disabled.

Thanking you,
Yours truly,

Kirity Roy
Secretary, Masum
&
National Convenor, PACTI

The list of few victims whom we met, are attached herewith:-
Sl. NoNameSex Age in yearsOccupation
1Md. Lalu DasM47 Casual Labour
2Ms. Rekha Bibi F32House wife
3Md. Najmul IslamM27Casual Labour
4Md. Asraf Ali IslamM23Casual Labour
5Md. Akram Ali IslamM 20Casual Labour
6Ms. Rajina KhatoonF5 Minor
7Ms. Marjina Khatoon F3Minor
8Sk. DaianM40Labour
9Ms. Rabea BibiF35Labour
10Mr. Rakibul AliM18Labour
11Mr. Israd Ali M21Labour
12Ms. Rakea KhatoonF12Child Labor
13Mr. Firoj Mohammad M10Child Labor
14Mr. Islam AliF7Child Labor
15Mr. Sahabuddin MollaM25Labour
16Ms. Marjina BibiF20Domestic Help
17Mr. Basirudin MollaM7Child Labor
18Ms. Maruba Khatoon F4Minor
19Ms. Salima KhatoonF2Minor
20Ms. Namita Mridha (widow)F29Domestic Help
21Mr. Birakta MridhaM14Child Labor
22Mr. Amit MridhaM10Child Labor
23Mr. Nibas SarderM 45Mentally Challenged unemployed
24Ms. Kanika SarderF35Domestic Help
25 Mr. Kartik SarderM22Labour
26Mr. Bhajahari MondalM 65Jobless
27Ms. Renuka Mondal F50Domestic Help
28Mr. Shyamal MondalM27 Labour
29Ms. Mamoni MondalF22House wife
30Mr. Krishna MondalM2Minor
31Ms. Pratima MondalF3Minor
32Mr. Sukumar Ari M40 Labour
33Ms. Uma AriF 30Domestic Help
34Mr. Ranjit AriM15Child Labor
35Mr. Sachin Ari M13Child Labor
36Mr. Abhijit Ari M7.5Child Labor
37Mr. Uttam Ari M32Labour
38Ms. Rita AriF18House wife
39 Ms. Manasi Ari F26House wife
40Ms. Mitu Ari F5Minor
41Mr. Heno Ari M3Minor
42Mr. Dudhkumar AriM42Labour
43Ms. Archana AriF31Domestic Help
44Ms. Purnima Ari F12Child Labor
45Ms. Pratima Ari F3.5 Minor
46Mr. Biswajit AriM7Child Labor
47Mr. Abdul Sattar Ali MollaM45Rag picker
48Ms. Amina Bibi F36Rag picker
49Ms. Asma KhatoonF 18Jobless, unemployed
50Ms. Najma Khatoon F 17 Child Labor
51Ms. Salma KhatoonF6Child Labor
52
Ms. Dabina KhatoonF9 monthLactating child
53Mr. Gaffal Ali Molla M16Labour
54Mr. Gokul Ali MollaM15Labour
55Mr. Aftar Ali MollaM14Rag picker
56Mr. Ataul Ali MollaM13Rag picker
57Mr. Ashakul MollaM12Rag picker
58Ms. Gita SarkarF45Labour
59Mr. Babu SarkarM25Labour
60Mr. Pocha MondalM 45Labour
61Ms. Namita Mondal F27Domestic Help
62Mr. Joy MondalF11Child Labor
63 Mr. Bijoy MondalM8 Child Labor
64Ms. Jayshree Mondal F6Child Labor
65 Mr. Pintu Mondal M35 Rickshaw puller
66Ms. Shila MondalF25 Domestic Help
67Mr. Hriday MondalM2Minor
68Mr. Badal Mondal M25Rickshaw puller
69Ms. Dipali MondalF 20 House wife
70Ms. Sumitra Mondal F7Child Labor
71Mr. Sujit Mondal M3 Minor
72Mr. Bikash MondalM30Water carrier
73Ms. Mamoni MondalF 25Domestic Help
74Mr. Benpati Mondal M14 Child Labor
75 Ms. Kadam Mondal F15Child Labor
76Mr. Kangra Purui M45Rickshaw puller
77Ms. Mithu PuruiF30House wife
78Mr. Nibas Mondal M20House wife
79 Mr.Naru MondalM22Labour
80Mr. Rahul Mondal M5Minor
81Ms. Sonu MondalF2Minor
82Mr. Dinu MondalM45Labour
83Ms. Kamala Mondal F42House wife
84Mr. Ajit MondalM20Rag picker
85Mr. Biplab Mondal M 18Rag picker
86Ms. Behula MondalF 16 Child Labor
87Ms. Jamuna Mondal F 14Child Labor
88Ms. Rupbati Mondal F12Child Labor
89Ms. Usharani Mondal F50Domestic Help
90Mr. Kamal MondalM27Labour
91Ms. Tumpa MondalF 20 House wife
92Mr. Kaushik Mondal M2Minor
93Mr Samar BiswasM35 Rickshaw puller
94Ms. Anita BiswasF22House wife
95Ms. Dipa BiswasF4Minor
96Mr. Shiba BiswasM 2Minor
97Mr. Banchha MondalM22Labour
98Ms. Shrabanti MondalF18House wife
99Mr. Joy Mondal M44Labour
100Ms. Radhika MondalF30House wife
101Ms. Shila Mondal F19Minor
102Ms. Debi MondalF14Child Labor
103Mr. Dipu MondalM18Rag picker
104Mr. Deben MondalM 50Labour
105Ms. Arati MondalF40House wife
106Ms. Vasani MondalF16Child Labor
107Mr. Tapas MondalM10Child Labor
108Mr. Bapi Mondal M30Labour
109Ms. Sima MondalF25Labour
110Ms. Swapna Mondal F 5.5Minor
111Ms. Ratna MondalF2Minor
112Mr. Rakesh Mondal M4 Minor
113Mr. Selim MondalM19Labour
114 Ms. Mamoni MondalF17Labour
115 Mr. Jit Mondal M1.5Minor
116Mr. Rahim Mondal M60Jobless
117Ms. Laxmijan Bibi F50House wife
118Mr. Hasan Ali MollaM25Labour
119Ms. Arana KhatoonF 18House wife
120Ms. Jamana BibiF30Mentally Challenged
121Mr. Nader Ali MollaM9.5Child Labor
122 Ms. Sukhjan KhatoonF6.5 Child Labor
123Mr. Arun Mondal M40Labour
124Ms. Namita Mondal F35Domestic Help
125Mr.Raju Mondal M20Rag picker
126Mr. Baju MondalM15 Rag picker
127Mr Praja MondalM12Rag picker
128Mr. Budho Mondal M40Labour
129Ms. Anjali Mondal F35Domestic Help
130Mr. Prabodh Mondal M45Rickshaw puller
131Mr. Subodh MondalM40Rickshaw puller
132Mr Shankar Bairagi M35Rickshaw puller
133Ms. Shyamali Bairagi F35Domestic Help
134Ms. Gayatri Bairagi F 32Domestic Help
135Ms. Jharna Bairagi F25Domestic Help
136Mr. Mantu Bairagi M75Crippled
137Ms Kanan BairagiF 60Crippled
138Ms. Ashoka Bairagi F12Child Labor
139Ms. Bishakha BairagiF 11Child Labor
140Ms. Mumpi Bairagi F 8 Child Labor
141Mr. Bhim Bairagi M2 Minor
142Mr. Baren Mondal M 60Crippled
143Ms. Bina Mondal F45Domestic Help
144Ms. Sushma MondalF12 Child Labor
145Mr. Nilkamal Bhowmik M40Rag picker
146Ms. Gita BhowmikF35Domestic Help
147 Mr. Papa Bhowmik M17Rag picker
148 Mr. Bubai BhowmikM15Rag picker
149Mr. Babai BhowmikM13 Rag picker
150Mr. Bablu BhowmikM11Rag picker
151Mr. Bablu MondalM50Watchman
152 Mr. Panchu Mondal M22Rikshaw puller
153Mr. Nimai Mondal M60Labour
154Ms. Laxmi Mondal F 45 Domestic Help
155Mr. Badal BiswasM50Labour
156Ms. Sandha BiswasF45Domestic Help
157Mr. Nimai BiswasM25Labour
158Mr. Samar BiswasM22Labour
159 Mr. Samir BiswasM 20Labour
160Mr. Nanda BagM40Rikshaw puller
161Mr. Chandi Bag M30Domestic Help
162Mr. Khokan Bag M20Rag picker
163Mr. Paban BagM18Rag picker
164Mr. Tapas BagM16Rag picker
165Mr. Bappa BagM15Rag picker
166Mr. Purna MondalM55Rikshaw puller
167Ms. Netrabala MondalF50House wife
168Mr. Bachhu MondalM30Water carrier
169Mr. Khokan MollaM32Business
170Ms. Adija Bibi F22 House wife
171Mr MasidurM7Child Labor
172 Mr. HamidurM5Minor
173Mr. Ashok Mondal M25Labour
174Ms. Shampa MondalF20House wife
175Mr. Rahul MondalM4Minor
176Mr. Bankim ChandaM50 Crippled
177 Ms. Debjani ChandaF40Domestic Help
178Mr. Gunadhar ChandaM27Labour
179 Mr. Tapas Chanda M 22Labour
180Ms. Jaba ThanderF1 Minor
181Ms. Chandana Dolui F11 month Lactating child
182Mr. Hasan MollaM2.5 monthLactating child
183Mr. Sosen Molla M2.5 monthLactating child
184Mr. Debjoy Mallik M3 monthLactating child
185Mr. Mominur MondalM1 monthLactating child
186Ms. Rupa SarderF11 monthLactating child
187Ms. Rehena MondalF10 monthLactating child
188Mr. Sahinur MondalM10 monthLactating child
189 Mr. Jit Dolui M8 month Lactating child
190Mr. Guni MollaM1Minor
191Mr. Roni BiswasM1 Minor
192Mr. Roni MondalM1Minor
193Ms. Sabina Biswas F1Minor
194Mr. Saipur SarderM9 monthLactating child
195Mr. Guni PradhanM7 monthLactating child
196Mr. Akash ProdhanM8 monthsLactating child
197Ms. Sarathi KhatoonF5 monthsLactating child
198Mr. Debashish HalderM1Minor
199Mr. Ajay Sarkar M10 monthLactating child
200Mr. Panchu PaswanM1 Minor
201Mr. Siraj MondalM26 Physically Challenged
202Mr. Tuhin Shubhra PandaM10Physically Challenged
203Ms. Nurjahan SeikhF35Physically Challenged
204Mr. Nitai ProdhanM55Physically Challenged
205Mr. Iqbal MondalM21Physically Challenged
206Mr. Kanai Nath Mondal M70Physically Challenged
207Mr. Siraj SeikhM45Physically Challenged
208Ms. Tuni ThanderF20Physically Challenged
209Ms. Sahanara BibiF 40Physically Challenged
210Mr. Bishal BarikM9 Physically Challenged
211Ms. Angurbala DasF65 Physically Challenged
212Mr. Toton DasM9Physically Challenged
213Mr. Sachin AriM6Physically Challenged
214 Ms. Nirmala DasF80Physically Challenged
215Mr. Ajay MondalM9Physically Challenged
216Ms. Dipali Sarkar Fnot knownPhysically Challenged
217Mr. Alamgir SeikhM11School going
218Mr. Jahangir SeikhM12 School going
219 Mr. Pinaki Mondal M12School going
220Ms. Balika SarderF12 School going
221Ms. Fatema KhatoonF11 School going
222Ms. Shila Sarder F 6School going
223Ms. Halima KhatoonF8School going
224 Ms. Puja Mondal F8School going
225Ms. Parbati MondalF8School going
226Ms. Laxmi Mondal F10School going
227 Ms. Puja SarderF8School going
228Ms. Riya SarderF 8School going
229Ms. Jayshree MondalF7School going
230Mr. Biswanath MondalM8School going
231Mr. Rahul MondalM5 School going
232Mr. Nitai Sarder M11School going
233Ms. Pratima Mondal F 5 School going
234Mr. Sariful KhanM7 School going
235Mr. Abhijit BiswasM13School going
236Mr. Sushanta SarderM8School going
237Ms. Debi Gaini F8School going
238 Ms. Pinki Gaini F7 School going
239Mr. Babai Gaini M6School going
240Mr. Subrata Mondal M7School going
241Mr. Krtik Mondal M7School going
242Ms. Tinka PandeyF15School going
243Ms. Rinku PandeyF9School going
244Mr. Suny HazraM 5 School going
245Ms. Swadeshswari F8 School going
246Mr. Kailash Dolui M7 School going
247Mr. Jit Dolui M 6 School going
248Mr. Robiul SeikhM6School going
249Ms. Nasima KhatoonF 14School going
250Ms. Sumita Dolui F 8School going
251Ms. Susmita Dolui F7School going
252 Ms. Dipika DasF 10School going
253Mr. Somnath DasM14School going
254Ms. Menoka Sarder F8 School going
255 Mr. Paltu Sarder M8School going
256Ms. Rozina Bibi F19Pregnant
257Ms. Ambia Bibi F20Pregnant
258Ms. Paru Dolui F19 Pregnant
259Ms. Mira SarderF20Pregnant
260Ms. Ratna Sarder Fnot knownPregnant
261Ms. Jhuma Sarder F18Pregnant
262Ms. Sahanara Bibi F 25 Pregnant
263Ms. Minu Mondal F25Pregnant
264Ms. Brihaspati Samanta F20Pregnant
265Ms. Gita MondalF22Pregnant
266Ms. Mamoni Mondal F 25 Pregnant
267Ms. Padma Paswan F25Pregnant
268Ms. Hamida Bibi F 30Pregnant
269Ms. Tapasi BagF19Pregnant
270Ms. Shrabanti MondalF19Pregnant
271Ms. Sabita Chanda F18Pregnant
272Ms. Minu MondalF25Pregnant
273Ms. Rozina BibiF 19Pregnant
274Ms. Sanju BibiF25 Pregnant
275Ms. Sahanara BibiF22Pregnant

For further information please contact:

Mr. Kirity Roy
Secretary
Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha
Tele Fax : +91-33-2640 4118
Phone: +91-33-2640 4520
e. mail : kirityroy@gmail.com  
Web: www.masum.org.in

Document Type :
Forwarded Open Letter
Document ID :
AHRC-FOL-013-2009
Countries :
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