Skip to main content

One lakh displaced; Haryana govt 'ignores' SC order to rehabilitate Khori Gaon people

By Ishita Chatterjee, Neelesh Kumar, Manju Menon, Vimal Bhai*

In Khori Gaon, hundreds of families have been displaced and thousands of houses are being brutally demolished each day. After the completion of the demolition drive, the destitute working-class residents are being forced to live without any shelter. They are also being immediately and forcibly removed from the area and being threatened with police action.
Despite the order of the Supreme Court on August 3, the Municipal Corporation of Faridabad has not provided any e-mail to the thousands of displaced residents to lodge complaints. No back office has been set up at Radha Swami Satsang Centre either.
Most of those uprooted from Khori Gaon in the recent demolition exercise were working class citizens. These people had built their small houses with their hard-earned money or by taking loans or by selling the land and property in their ancestral villages. The residents have witnessed very stressful times starting from July 14, 2021. They have suffered physical injuries and mental torture.
They have also been treated inhumanly and disrespectfully. After the lockdown enforced unemployment they were subjected to the brutal demolition exercise which has taken their homes away. Most residents are lying on the road or beside the remains of their demolished houses, some are living on rent while few are living with their relatives.
The Supreme Court in its order dated August 3 on page 4 had ordered that the Haryana government should finalize the rehabilitation policy framed by the Municipal Corporation of Faridabad for the desolate residents of Khori Gaon till the next date of hearing. Now since it is the Haryana government itself looking after the entire policy, it is necessary that the historical injustice is recognized and corrected.
Rekha, Pinki, Pushpa and other residents have repeatedly sent letters to the Haryana government, the litigants have appealed to the government that the government should simplify the process of rehabilitation and it should be made more inclusive. Their consent should also be taken.
After demolition of more than 10,000 houses, Supreme Court should also keep similar strict orders regarding rehabilitation
Mainly, the scope of eligibility should be increased whereby any voter ID card registered on any address, any documents of residence of Khori Gaon like family identity card, birth certificate, death certificate, marriage certificate, children's school admission papers, property papers, any of the land purchase documents, ration card, banking account, etc. should be considered as the basis of rehabilitation.
Everyone's house was demolished. Therefore, until there is proper rehabilitation for the people, there should be proper arrangements for food and shelter.
Due to the immediate eviction of thousands of families from Khori village, the rents of houses in the surrounding areas have increased rapidly. Therefore, rental allowance of houses should be made at least Rs 5,000 per family till proper rehabilitation is done.
It has also been repeatedly told to the government that the flats of Dabua Colony of Faridabad being given for rehabilitation are in very bad condition. There is no security of any kind. No electricity and water too. Most of the flats do not even have any windows or doors.
The Supreme Court, in its order dated June 7, 2021, had ordered the removal of possession from the forest land. The court had left the rehabilitation to the state government. After demolition of more than 10,000 houses and displacing more than lakh people in Khori Gaon, the Supreme Court should also keep similar strict orders regarding rehabilitation.
The Haryana government should issue an email to register complaints and set up a backup office on Radha Swami Satsang urgently. It should prepare a rehabilitation policy which takes into consideration the historical injustices faced by the residents of Khori Gaon and caters to the needs of the suffering citizens.
---
On behalf of Concerned Citizens for Khori Gaon and National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM)

Comments

TRENDING

When democracy becomes a performance: The Tibetan exile experience

By Tseten Lhundup*  I was born in Bylakuppe, one of the largest Tibetan settlements in southern India. From childhood, I grew up in simple barracks, along muddy roads, and in fields with limited resources. Over the years, I have watched our democratic system slowly erode. Observing the recent budget session of the 17th Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile, these “democratic procedures” appear grand and orderly on the surface, yet in reality they amount to little more than empty formalities. The parliamentarians seem largely disconnected from the everyday struggles faced by ordinary exiled Tibetans like us.

Civil society flags widespread violations of land acquisition Act before Parliamentary panel

By Jag Jivan   Civil society organisations and stakeholders from across India have presented stark evidence before the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Rural Development and Panchayati Raj , alleging systemic violations of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (RFCTLARR) Act, 2013 , particularly in Scheduled Areas and tribal regions.

Beyond the island: Top mythologist reorients the geography of the Ramayana

By Jag Jivan   In a compelling new analysis that challenges conventional geographical assumptions about the ancient epic, writer and mythologist Devdutt Pattanaik has traced the roots of the Ramayana to the forests and river systems of Central and Eastern India, rather than the peninsular south or the modern island nation of Sri Lanka.

Dr. Ram Bux Singh: Biogas pioneer’s legacy gains urgency amid energy crisis

By A Representative   In an era defined by a global energy crisis and a desperate search for sustainable solutions, the visionary work of an Indian scientist from the mid-20th century is finding renewed, urgent relevance. Dr. Ram Bux Singh , a pioneering figure in biogas and renewable energy , is being posthumously honored by the Government of India, even as his decades-old innovations provide a blueprint for today’s challenges.

Alarming decline in India's repair culture threatens circular economy goals: Study

By Jag Jivan  A comprehensive new study by environmental research and advocacy organisation Toxics Link has painted a worrying picture of India's fading repair culture, warning that the trend towards replacement over repair is accelerating the country's already critical e-waste crisis.

The soundtrack of resistance: How 'Sada Sada Ya Nabi' is fueling the Iran war

​ By Syed Ali Mujtaba*  ​The Persian track “ Sada Sada Ya Nabi ye ” by Hossein Sotoodeh has taken the world by storm. This viral media has cut across linguistic barriers to achieve cult status, reaching over 10 million views. The electrifying music and passionate rendition by the Iranian singer have resonated across the globe, particularly as the high-intensity military conflict involving Iran entered its second month in March 2026.

Protesters in UK cities voice concerns over alleged developments in Bastar region

By A Representative   Demonstrations were held across several cities in the United Kingdom on March 28, as groups and activists gathered to protest what they described as state actions in India under the reported “Operation Kagar.”

Manufacturing, services: India's low-skill, middle-skill labour remains underemployed

By Francis Kuriakose* The Indian economy was in a state of deceleration well before Covid-19 made its impact in early 2020. This can be inferred from the declining trends of four important macroeconomic variables that indicate the health of the economy in the last quarter of 2019.

Food security? Gujarat govt puts more than 5 lakh ration cards in the 'silent' category

By Pankti Jog* A new statistical report uploaded by the Gujarat government on the national food security portal shows that ensuring food security for the marginalized community is still not a priority of the state. The statistical report, uploaded on December 24, highlights many weaknesses in implementing the National Food Security Act (NFSA) in state.