Skip to main content

55,000 poor Chennai families to be evicted sans any resettlement plan, online petition floated to stop "disaster"

By Our Representative
Even as more than 400 families have already been evicted, an estimated 55,000 families are facing the danger of being evicted in the name of disaster management and restoration of water bodies in Chennai. Being resettled about 30 km away, this is being done allegedly under the shadow of the Madras High Court’s interim order, which has directed the Tamil Nadu government to take “expeditious steps for early removal of encroachments."
Calling this as violating national and international human rights laws, the National Alliance of Peoples’ Movements (NAPM), which is the apex body of tens of people's organizations across India, has said the 400 families who were evicted from the MSP Nagar in Maduravoyal, while a few were living along the banks of the Cooum River at Aminjikarai. They were on September 9 and 15.
"The government is biased towards the low-income settlements and homes of the urban poor along the Couum River, which are the only ones perceived as encroachers, and not the other commercial establishments and residential buildings of other income groups", says NAPM.
NAPM says, evictions have been taking place "without conducting Social Impact Assessment", and the uprooted families are being resettling evicted families to a site which is up to 30 km away "from their current residential site", adding, these have ben taking place "without prior legal notice and that too in mid-academic year, with no information being given to the people regarding resettlement packages."
Pointing out that a few of them have "still not received any alternative housing", NAPM says, "There have been no thoughts by the government on the impact of these evictions on the livelihood of these families", adding, "In the guise of providing ‘safe houses,’ these families are being provided houses in low-lying areas, marshland, and near water bodies that are also vulnerable to floods."
Meanwhile, two housing rights organizations -- Housing and Land Rights Network (HLRN), New Delhi, and Information and Resource Centre for the Deprived Urban Communities (IRCDUC), Chennai -- have floated an online petition to state chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami, saying that the government has "only applied the court’s order to low-income settlements and homes of the urban poor along the Couum River, not to other commercial establishments that could also be considered ‘encroachments’."
Pointing out that the evictions have come as a "surprise for residents, as they had not been given any official notice", the petition says, "They had been verbally informed to move out of their homes on Tuesday, September 13; the demolition took place on Thursday, September 15, in the morning at 7 a.m."
"The eviction drive did not touch the mall in Aminjikarai, but has rendered low-income families living along the river homeless. This reveals the arbitrary nature of implementing the court order and discriminating against the urban poor", the petition says.
"Furthermore, the residents were informed that they would be shifted to the resettlement site at Gudapakkam. However, on the day of the eviction, the officials informed the affected persons that they were being shifted to Perumbakkam. This came as a rude shock to the families", it adds.
The petition further accuses the authorities of not preparing any Resettlement Action Plan (RAP) to "mitigate identified adverse impacts", even as failing to take into account the fact that "the poor and marginalized are being pushed to the fringes of the city".
Underlining that the evictions could result in "an increased school drop-out rate and loss of employment/livelihoods of affected persons", the petition demands, the authorities should "stop all forced evictions in Chennai", even as "initiating a participatory human rights-based process to develop solutions aimed at protecting the rights of all residents, including their right to disaster protection."

Comments

TRENDING

Reducing emission? India among top nations whose coal as energy source going up

By NS Venkataraman*  The State of the Global Climate report by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) confirmed that the year 2023 was the warmest year on record, with the global temperature of 1.4 degree celsius above pre-industrial 1850-1900 base line.

Lockdown 'total failure' of science more than of politics: Open letter on 4th anniversary

Counterview Desk  In an open letter to fellow academicians, scientists and medical practitioners in India, marking the fourth anniversary of India's lockdown (25 March 2024), the Managing Committee* of the Universal Health Organisation (UHO) has insisted on the need to "repair two years of immense damage to science".

Insider plot to kill Deendayal Upadhyay? What RSS pracharak Balraj Madhok said

By Shamsul Islam*  Balraj Madhok's died on May 2, 2016 ending an era of old guards of Hindutva politics. A senior RSS pracharak till his death was paid handsome tributes by the RSS leaders including PM Modi, himself a senior pracharak, for being a "stalwart leader of Jan Sangh. Balraj Madhok ji's ideological commitment was strong and clarity of thought immense. He was selflessly devoted to the nation and society. I had the good fortune of interacting with Balraj Madhok ji on many occasions". The RSS also issued a formal condolence message signed by the Supremo Mohan Bhagwat on behalf of all swayamsevaks, referring to his contribution of commitment to nation and society. He was a leading RSS pracharak on whom his organization relied for initiating prominent Hindutva projects. But today nobody in the RSS-BJP top hierarchy remembers/talks about Madhok as he was an insider chronicler of the immense degeneration which was spreading as an epidemic in the high echelons of th

Magnetic, stunning, Protima Bedi 'exposed' malice of sexual repression in society

By Harsh Thakor*  Protima Bedi was born to a baniya businessman and a Bengali mother as Protima Gupta in Delhi in 1949. Her father was a small-time trader, who was thrown out of his family for marrying a dark Bengali women. The theme of her early life was to rebel against traditional bondage. It was extraordinary how Protima underwent a metamorphosis from a conventional convent-educated girl into a freak. On October 12th was her 75th birthday; earlier this year, on August 18th it was her 25th death anniversary.

Savarkar 'criminally betrayed' Netaji and his INA by siding with the British rulers

By Shamsul Islam* RSS-BJP rulers of India have been trying to show off as great fans of Netaji. But Indians must know what role ideological parents of today's RSS/BJP played against Netaji and Indian National Army (INA). The Hindu Mahasabha and RSS which always had prominent lawyers on their rolls made no attempt to defend the INA accused at Red Fort trials.

'Flawed' argument: Gandhi had minimal role, naval mutinies alone led to Independence

Counterview Desk Reacting to a Counterview  story , "Rewiring history? Bose, not Gandhi, was real Father of Nation: British PM Attlee 'cited'" (January 26, 2016), an avid reader has forwarded  reaction  in the form of a  link , which carries the article "Did Atlee say Gandhi had minimal role in Independence? #FactCheck", published in the site satyagrahis.in. The satyagraha.in article seeks to debunk the view, reported in the Counterview story, taken by retired army officer GD Bakshi in his book, “Bose: An Indian Samurai”, which claims that Gandhiji had a minimal role to play in India's freedom struggle, and that it was Netaji who played the crucial role. We reproduce the satyagraha.in article here. Text: Nowadays it is said by many MK Gandhi critics that Clement Atlee made a statement in which he said Gandhi has ‘minimal’ role in India's independence and gave credit to naval mutinies and with this statement, they concluded the whole freedom struggle.

A Hindu alternative to Valentine's Day? 'Shiv-Parvati was first love marriage in Universe'

By Rajiv Shah*   The other day, I was searching on Google a quote on Maha Shivratri which I wanted to send to someone, a confirmed Shiv Bhakt, quite close to me -- with an underlying message to act positively instead of being negative. On top of the search, I chanced upon an article in, imagine!, a Nashik Corporation site which offered me something very unusual. 

'Wrong direction': Paris NGO regrets MNC ArcelorMittal still using coal-based steel

By Rajiv Shah  A new report by Paris-based non-governmental research and campaigning organization, Reclaim Finance, has blamed the MNC ArcelorMittal – formed in 2006 following the takeover and merger of the western European steel maker Arcelor (Spain, France, and Luxembourg) by Indian-owned Mittal Steel – for using use “climate destructive” metallurgical coal for its projects in India.

Attack on foreign students: Gujarat varsity's reputation, ranking at stake, say academics

Counterview Desk  Expressing anguish over the attack on international students in Gujarat University hostels, a letter claimed to have been signed by 122 current and former academics has asked the Gujarat Vice Chancellor, Dr Neerja Gupta, to provide emotional support to the attacked students and to ensure their physical safety.  

Poor private sector engagement 'impacting' carbon pricing policy in Global South

Counterview Desk  The joint report by Environmental Defense Fund and Observer Research Fund, "Navigating Carbon Pricing: The G20 Experience and Global South Prospects", delves into the complex landscape of carbon pricing, examining its application within the G20 nations and the potential implications for emerging economies in the Global South.  The report claims to provide insights and recommendations for effective carbon pricing strategies in diverse economies.  A note: The Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) and Observer Research Foundation (ORF) have launched the Navigating Carbon Pricing: The G20 Experience and Global South Prospects” report. The report delves into the complex landscape of carbon pricing, examining its application within the G20 nations and the potential implications for emerging economies in the Global South. The report offers a comprehensive analysis of various carbon pricing instruments currently in existence, providing valuable i