Another wait for alternetive housing for Mumbai slumdwellers, as Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna "replaces" UPA scheme

Dharna by slumdwellers on July 16

By A Representative
Around 55 per cent of the population of Mumbai -- India's financial and business capital -- which lives in slums has been asked to make another wait: Living in slums, they will have to wait for a Government of India decision seeking a new "policy change" on how to rehabilitate them for alternative housing. This was revealed at a meeting well-known social activist Medha Patkar and her colleagues Ghar Bachao Ghar Banao Andolan with Maharashtra chief secretary Swadheen S Kshatriya.
A statement issued by the activists following the meeting quoted the chief secretary as telling them that he has sought "a fresh proposal (for the rehabilitation of families evicted thrice since 2004) under the new housing policy called Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojan, which would replace the Rajiv Awas Yojna."
Delegation had gone to meet the chief secretary a little more than a fortnight after the demolition of makeshift bastis which had cropped up in Mandala area, which is in Mumbai's outskirts. For nearly more than a month, since May-end, they were protesting for the right to affordable housing, but activists said, what they received was "violent police action."
The authorities not only demolished the makeshift structures in Mandala, but proceeded to break down their structures in Mankhurd under the pretext that they "needed to protect the mangroves that border the settlement", which is next to the sea shore. Interestingly, a day after the eviction the land reportedly was being handed over to the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority to build a Metro Rail yard.

Two years ago, the Maharashtra state, of which Mumbai is the capital, had promised the residents of Mandala affordable housing via a pilot project sponsored under the Rajiv Awas Awas Yojana, whose nameplate was changed to Pradhan Mandri Awas Yojna in June third week while making an announcement. Officials are not yet clear what this scheme offers.

Women participants at the dharna

Ever since 2004-2005, when over 80,000 homes were demolished in a city-wide campaign in Mumbai, including parts of Mandala, the residents of numerous settlements across Mumbai and a handful of middle class activists formed a movement for the right to a home in the city called the Ghar Bachao Ghar Banao Andolan (Save Housing, Build Housing Movement).
In May-end, the movement picked up, with thousands of people from Mandala and supporters from other slums of Mumbai under the banner of the Ghar Bachao Ghar Banao Andolan launching a month-long campaign, even as collectively occupying the land that has been lying vacant since the demolition nearly a decade ago.
They built temporary structures on spaces where their homes used to be and marched into every government office that dealt with their demands, but were told that their matter was under consideration.
Led by Patkar and other activists, sitting on a dharna on July 16 before a delegation was allowed to meet the chief secretary, they were joined by local politicians, who in their speeches said that the new Maharashtra government had "failed" to address the issues of the urban poor, especially of housing, and is bogged down in Chikki scam to the tune of Rs 260 crore.
“Government should add ‘smart slums’ to their agenda as well while making huge investments in the name of smart cities as living a dignified life is not entirely the business of rich”, said Medha Patkar while addressing the gathering.
“We don’t want a house for free, we want a policy (housing) which invite people’s participation in building houses as was there in Rajiv Awas Yojna”, said Shriram, a basti leader, who was also a part of the delegation which met the Chief Secretary. The dharna was withdrawn with a warning of a massive agitation if the issues of urban poor were not addressed soon.

Comments

Wave of disappearances sparks human rights fears for activists in Delhi

By Harsh Thakor* A philosophy student from Zakir Hussain College, Delhi University, and an activist associated with Nazariya magazine, Rudra, has been reported missing since the morning of July 19, 2025. This disappearance adds to a growing concern among human rights advocates regarding the escalating number of detentions and disappearances of activists in Delhi.

How community leaders overcome obstacles to protect forests and pastures in remote villages

By Bharat Dogra Dheera Ram Kapaya grew up in such poverty that, unable to attend school himself, he would carry another boy’s heavy school bag for five kilometers just to get a scoop of daliya (porridge). When he was finally able to attend school, he had to leave after class five to join other adolescent workers. However, as soon as opportunities arose, he involved himself in community efforts—promoting forest protection, adult literacy, and other constructive initiatives. His hidden talent for writing emerged during this time, and he became known for the songs and street play scripts he created to promote forest conservation, discourage child marriages, and support other social reforms.

‘Act of war on agriculture’: Aruna Rodrigues slams GM crop expansion and regulatory apathy

By Rosamma Thomas* Expressing appreciation to the Union Agriculture Minister for inviting suggestions from farmers and concerned citizens on the sharp decline in cotton crop productivity, Aruna Rodrigues—lead petitioner in the Supreme Court case ongoing since 2005 that seeks a moratorium on genetically modified (GM) crops—wrote to Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on July 14, 2025, stating that conflicts of interest have infiltrated India’s regulatory system like a spreading cancer, including within the Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR).

The GMO illusion: Three decades of hype, harm, and false hope

By Sridhar Radhakrishnan Three decades of hype, billions of dollars spent, and still no miracle crop. It's time to abandon the GMO biotech fairy tale and return to the soil, the seed, and the farmer. “Trust us,” they said. “GMOs will feed the world.” Picture a world where there is plenty of food, no hunger, fields grow without chemical pesticides, children are saved from malnutrition, and people live healthily.

Sandra Gonzalez Sanabria: An inspiring life from Colombia’s Amazonian valley

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* In the village of Héctor Ramírez, known as Agua Bonita, in La Montañita, Caquetá, Colombia, a vision of peace and renewal is unfolding. In the pre-2016 period, this would have been nearly impossible for outsiders to visit, as it was the epicenter of violent resistance against state oppression. However, after the Peace Accord was signed between the Colombian government and former revolutionaries—marking the end of a 70-year insurgency that claimed over 400,000 lives until 2025, including civilians, rebel fighters, and security personnel—things began to change. Visiting Agua Bonita during the Global Land Forum in Bogotá revealed a village of hope and resilience. Former FARC revolutionaries have settled here and transformed the village into a center of peace and aspiration.

Indigenous Karen activist calls for global solidarity amid continued struggles in Burma

By A Representative At the International Festival for People’s Rights and Struggles (IFPRS), Naw Paw Pree, an Indigenous Karen activist from the Karen Human Rights Group (KHRG), shared her experiences of oppression, resilience, and hope. Organized with the support of the International Indigenous Peoples Movement for Self-Determination and Liberation (IPMSDL), the event brought together Indigenous and marginalized communities from across the globe, offering a rare safe space for shared learning, solidarity, and expression.

Activists allege abduction and torture by Delhi Police Special Cell in missing person probe

By A Representative A press statement released today by the Campaign Against State Repression (CASR) alleges that several student and social activists have been abducted, illegally detained, and subjected to torture by the Delhi Police Special Cell. The CASR claims these actions are linked to an investigation into the disappearance of Vallika Varshri, an editorial team member of 'Nazariya' magazine.

India’s zero-emission, eco-friendly energy strategies have a long way to go, despite impressive progress

By N.S. Venkataraman* The recent report released by OPEC’s World Oil Outlook 2025 has predicted that by the year 2050, crude oil would replace coal as India’s key energy source. Clearly, OPEC expects that India’s dependence on fossil fuels for energy will continue to remain high in one form or another.

Gender violence defies stringent laws: The need for robust social capital

By Dr. Manoj Kumar Mishra* The tragic death of Miss Soumyashree Bisi, a 20-year-old student from Fakir Mohan College, Balasore, who reportedly self-immolated due to harassment, shocked the conscience of Odisha. Even before the public could process this horrifying event, another harrowing case emerged—a 15-year-old girl from Balanga, Puri, was allegedly set ablaze by miscreants. These incidents are not isolated; they highlight a disturbing pattern of rising gender-based violence across the state and the country.

Search This Blog