Ahmedabad's high-profile metro rail project evicts tribal workers "settled" for 15 years, no compensation paid

By A Representative
The Majur Adhikar Manch (MAM), an organization catering to the informal sector workers' rights in Ahmedabad, has taken strong exception to the Gujarat government “evicting” 56 tribal families – most of them construction workers – as part of its preparations of the high-profile metro rail project.
The MAM has alleged, the eviction was in “gross violation of Metro Project Resettlement Guidelines”, pointing out, the guidelines specified under the Social Impact Assessment (SIA) report of the project specifically requires that there should be no forcible eviction, even as talking of adequate compensation.
The MAM statement came immediately after a demolition squad, cosisting of about 200 workers, all belonging to the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC), landing up at the site and demolishing the huts, even as encircling the land, and throwing out the families.
“The families were not given a single rupee. This is in gross violation of the resettlement guidelines listed above. We have given notice to the AMC authorities and demanded action against guilty officials”, MAM said.
“The families are all tribal from Dahod and Jhabua districts of Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh”, MAM said, adding, “They are construction workers who have been living on the site near the sewage treatment plant in Juhapura area of Ahmedabad for the last 15 years. The land is now needed for construction of Gyaspur depot of the metro rail project.”

MAM claimed, citing the report, “The metro project resettlement guidelines provide for compensating even squatters, who are living on the land to be acquired. The compensation to be given to squatters is specified on page 52 of the report that is available on the net” (click HERE to download).
The benefits that should be given to the squatters, according to the report, include valuation of the structure in which they live, right to salvage the affected materials, one-time subsistence allowance of Rs 3,000 per month for a year from the date of the award, and one time shifting assistance of Rs 50,000.”
Over and above all this, the report states, the project affected persons (PAPs), losing residential units, would “be offered tenements of 36.5square metres at residential buildings by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC).”
MAM insisted, the metro survey had “listed these families as living on the land”, and “this record is given in the report on page No 21.” It adds, “The families were suddenly given notices asking them to prove their residence status and their names in the earlier counts of the AMC.”
“However, as a policy, the AMC does not count migrant tribal workers residents in many settlements around the city”, the MAM statement, signed by Ramesh Srivastava, secretary, MAM, said, adding, the MAM has been drawing attention about the need to consider them as residents “for the last five years on the issue”, yet nothing has happened.

Comments

Sudhir Katiyar said…

In spite of clear resettlement guidelines adopted by MEGA project, guidelines that are available on web site, the tribal families were evicted without any compensation. This shows that AMC does not count tribals as human beings entitled to human rights. They are to be thrown out whenever deemed fit.

October 22, 2015

Kani said…

they should get compensation

October 23, 2015

Countrywide protest by gig workers puts spotlight on algorithmic exploitation

By A Representative A nationwide protest led largely by women gig and platform workers was held across several states on February 3, with the Gig & Platform Service Workers Union (GIPSWU) claiming the mobilisation as a success and a strong assertion of workers’ rights against what it described as widespread exploitation by digital platform companies. Demonstrations took place in Delhi, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Maharashtra and other states, covering major cities including New Delhi, Jaipur, Bengaluru and Mumbai, along with multiple districts across the country.

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

Budget 2026 focuses on pharma and medical tourism, overlooks public health needs: JSAI

By A Representative Jan Swasthya Abhiyan India (JSAI) has criticised the Union Budget 2026, stating that it overlooks core public health needs while prioritising the pharmaceutical industry, private healthcare, medical tourism, public-private partnerships, and exports related to AYUSH systems. In a press note issued from New Delhi, the public health network said that primary healthcare services and public health infrastructure continue to remain underfunded despite repeated policy assurances.

'Gandhi Talks': Cinema that dares to be quiet, where music, image and silence speak

By Vikas Meshram In today’s digital age, where reels and short videos dominate attention spans, watching a silent film for over two hours feels almost like an act of resistance. Directed by Kishor Pandurang Belekar, “Gandhi Talks” is a bold cinematic experiment that turns silence into language and wordlessness into a powerful storytelling device. The film is not mere entertainment; it is an experience that pushes the viewer inward, compelling reflection on life, values, and society.

Penpa Tsering’s leadership and record under scrutiny amidst Tibetan exile elections

By Tseten Lhundup* Within the Tibetan exile community, Penpa Tsering is often described as having risen through grassroots engagement. Born in 1967, he comes from an ordinary Tibetan family, pursued higher education at Delhi University in India, and went on to serve as Speaker of the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile from 2008 to 2016. In 2021, he was elected Sikyong of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), becoming the second democratically elected political leader of the administration after Lobsang Sangay.

When compassion turns lethal: Euthanasia and the fear of becoming a burden

By Deepika A 55-year-old acquaintance passed away recently after a long battle with cancer. Why so many people are dying relatively young is a question being raised in several forums, and that debate is best reserved for another day. This individual was kept on a ventilator for nearly five months, after which the doctors and the family finally decided to let go. The cost of keeping a person on life support for such extended periods is enormous. Yet families continue to spend vast sums even when the chances of survival are minimal. Life, we are told, is precious, and nature itself strives to protect and sustain it.

Report exposes human rights gaps in India's $36 billion garment export industry

By Jag Jivan A new report sheds light on the urgent human rights challenges within India’s vast textile and garment industry, as global regulations increasingly demand corporate accountability in supply chains. Titled “Beneath the Seams,” the study reveals that despite the sector employing over 45 million people, systemic issues of poverty wages, unfair purchasing practices, and the exclusion of workers from decision-making persist, leaving millions vulnerable.

When resistance became administrative: How I learned to stop romanticising the labour movement

By Rohit Chauhan* On my first day at a labour rights NGO, I was given a monthly sales target: sixty memberships. Not sixty workers to organise, not sixty conversations about exploitation, not sixty political discussions. Sixty conversions. I remember staring at the whiteboard, wondering whether I had mistakenly walked into a multi-level marketing office instead of a trade union. The language was corporate, the urgency managerial, and the tone unmistakably transactional. It was my formal introduction to a strange truth I would slowly learn: in contemporary India, even rebellion runs on performance metrics.

Silencing the university: How fear is replacing debate in academic India

By Sunil Kyumar* “Republic Day is a powerful symbol of our freedom, Constitution, and democratic values. This festival gives us renewed energy and inspiration to move forward together with the resolve of nation-building”, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 26, 2026. On this occasion, the Prime Minister also shared a Sanskrit subhashita— “Paratantryābhibhūtasya deśasyābhyudayaḥ kutaḥ. Ataḥ svātantryamāptavyaṁ aikyaṁ svātantryasādhanam.”

Search This Blog