10 Days since eviction, Charan Khad displaced urge DC to push to rehabilitate them
Independent Fact Finding team from Delhi visits to investigate the matter
Vijyender Sharma
Dharmshala----Its been ten days since the slum at Charan Khad was demolished displacing close to 200 families. While some have found rented accommodation with great difficulty, some have fled the state while many are setting up shelter on rented private lands in nearby areas. On Saturday, 25th June, the Charan khad evicted carried out a demonstration and rally at the MCD office and DC office at Dharamsala submitting a memorandum asking for rehabilitation. The affected community representatives and social activists supporting them met the DC again on 27th June, Monday. The DC said that the evicted could apply for some housing schemes if they match the eligibility criteria. "We feel the MCD and district administration should take responsibility for rehabilitation. The Pradhan Mantri Avaas Yojana which is advertised on the MCD website provides for "in-situ" redevelopment of any slum, even if it is on central or state government land. Therefore, calling these people encroachers and evicting them without rehabilitation is questionable", said Manshi Asher, part of the citizen's rights group that has been lending solidarity with Charan Khad displaced.
Meanwhile, an independent Fact finding team of four arrived on the 27th June from Delhi to investigate the matter. The fact finding team members include Kalyani Menonsen from Women against Sexual Violence and State Repression, Jawahar Singh and Arvind bhai both housing rights activists working with the Jhuggi Jhopdi Ekta Manch, Delhi and Vikas Yadav from National Alliance Group on Denotified Tribes. The team met the affected community members and took detailed testimonies of the eviction as well as their lives and livelihoods at Dharamsala. The community members informed the team that the MCD had issued instructions that they not be given rented accommodation by the local people or else action would be taken in the matter. "It is important to note that more than 115 children from the community are admitted in government schools from Kg to Class X", said Sukhdev Vishwapremi, one of the activists supporting the Charan Sangharsh Samiti.
The fact finding team also met the officials of the Municipal Corporation to get their statements in the matter. "The apathy of the district administration and MCD is very disappointing. The right to housing, sanitation, education, water... these are basic rights and the state needs to take the responsibility for the homeless, as its part of their constitutional duty. There are high court judgments on rehabilitation as mandatory before any eviction and we hope that the Apex Court will take note of this", said Kalyani Menon of the fact finding team. "We will make a detailed report and submit to the State Government, SC-ST Commission, Commission for Denotified tribes and NHRC", she added.
Akshay Jasrotia, Kisan Sabha, Baijnath who is also one of the local activists supporting the demand for rehabilitation said, "We will continue trying to dialogue with the District Administration to ensure that they take responsibility".
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