5 months after the demolitions that displaced over 6000 people, widespread protests, and after 13,465 people signed our petition to ask for the deal between Maverick Holdings and Investments Private Limited (MHIPL) and the BBMP to be cancelled, Maverick finally … Continue reading
NA Haris is the Congress candidate from Shanthinagar and MLA while EWS quarters at Ejipura were demolished, leaving over 5000 people homeless. The financial and property details disclosed in this affidavit only goes to show the disproportionate assets of public … Continue reading
Over 9700 people have signed the petition demanding that Garuda Mall/Maverick Holdings cancels its agreeement with the BBMP to build a mall on land meant for housing the poor. Sign and share the petition with your circles now: http://change.org/ejipura Below … Continue reading
Picture by Hari Adivarekar (www.adivarekar.in)
RESIDENTS OF EJIPURA COMMEMORATE AMBEDKAR JAYANTI WITH FILM SCREENINGS, SUPPORT POURS IN GLOBALLY
Bangalore, April 14th: Displaced residents of the erstwhile EWS Quarters in Ejipura, Bangalore, gathered to commemorate Ambedkar Jayanthi today and express their solidarity with Dalit and marginalized communities across the country through discussions, a photo-exhibition and film screenings.
A portrait of Dr. Ambedkar was garlanded by residents, community leaders, along with relief volunteers and activists, to the chants of ‘Jai Bhim’. Photographs of the demolitions and their falllout were put up across the area, including bus-stops and the empty sewage pipes where many residents sought shelter when their homes were destroyed. The petition that sought the cancellation of the agreement between BBMP and Maverick was released and shared with the community.
The screenings took place amidst the temporary tarpaulin shelters residents are now living in, in the shadow of the fence erected by the BBMP and Maverick. The films screened included ‘Bombay: Our City’ by veteran filmmaker Anand Patwardhan, and Jai Bhim Comrade. In the light of the recent demolitions in Golibar, a short film from the people’s resistance shot by Faiza Khan (director of Supermen of Malegaon) was also screened. In addition, Amudham’s film ‘Shit’ that deals with caste atrocities received an enthusiastic response. Finally, the short films that were taken at the time of the demolitions by Karthik Ranganathan received the loudest cheers.
“Hum gareeb logon ko koi bhi dekhna nahi chahte. Isiliye achcha lagta jab hum dekh skate hai ki desh bhar mazdoor log, Dalit log, adivasi aur anya logon ki ladai chalu hai” said Farzana, a resident. (Nobody even wants to look at us poor people, which is why it is good to see that the fight is by workers, Dalits, adivasis and others across the country).
Citizens’ ire against the forced evictions and demolitions is growing, evinced by around 10,000 signatures from people across the world asking Maverick Holdings (owners of Garuda Mall) and the BBMP to cancel the agreement for building a commercial complex on land meant for EWS housing.
“The process of displacement that is done through slum evictions and forced rehabilitation in the outskirts is an enactment of the segregation along caste lines that has been historically practiced and continues in the name of ‘development'”,” said Kaveri, a volunteer.
“Ambedkar has fought so much for our emancipation but the situation has still not changed” said Rose, who has lived here for over two decades. “Injustice has only continued- we have no place to go, we’ve lost our jobs, our children have dropped out of school, our health has worsened, but we are invisible in the eyes of the government.”
ejipuraevictions.wordpress.com | change.org/ejipura | facebook.com/ewsejipura | twitter.com/EWSEjipura
Picture by Hari Adivarekar.
via @napmindia:
Picture by Faiza Khan.
NATIONAL ALLIANCE OF PEOPLE’S MOVEMENTS
National Office : A Wing First Floor, Haji Habib Building, Naigaon Cross Road, Dadar (E), Mumbai – 400 014.
Delhi Office : 6/6 jangpura B, New Delhi – 110 014
E-mail: napmindia@napm-india.org | Web : www.napm-india.org
—————————————————————————————————————————–
SRA admits that the land of Ganesh Krupa Society belongs to the Residents of Golibar
April 11, 2013, Mumbai: 8th day of the indefinite fast by Medha Patkar and Madhuri Shivkar. Early in the day Slum dwellers and supporters in Mumbai reached to the houses of their respective MLAs and MPs and demonstrated outside of their houses.Hundreds of Slum Dwellers from Mandala, Mankhurd barged to the house of Sanjay Dina Patil, MP and started fast there itself until he talks to the Chief Minister to intervene in the matter. Medha ji’s is growing weaker every day but her health remained stable during the day. Signs of weakness can be seen in her health but spirit and strength is still high.
Supporters kept coming from different parts of Maharashtra and other states to the fast site extending their solidarity to the fast and to the people. Manav Kamble, Pimpri-Chinchwad, Prasad Bagwe, Karla, Ibrahim Bhai, Pimpri – Chinchwad, Anjali Damania, Pune, P. K. Das and Gurvir Singh, Niwara Haq Samiti, Kumar Prashant, Mumbai Sarvodaya Mandal, Tanushree, Gujrat, Dr. Sanjay Nagral, Kailash Furari, Jalna, Swapnil and Priyadarshan from Nashik, Adv. Haider and Adv. Khayam, Prof. Om Damania, IIT, Mumbai, Urmila Pawar, Dalit Mahila Sangathan, Santosh Surve, Jan Jagruti Vidyarthi Sangh and others extended their solidarity by visiting the fast site.Tarun Mandal, MP, LokSabha Extended his Solidarity with the Struggle. Arvind Kejriwal, Leader, Aam Admi Party and Mahashweta Devi, Writer extended their support too.
Aruna Roy, Social Activist and Member, National Advisory Council wrote to Mrs. Sonia Gandhi, Ajay Maken, Minister of Housing and Poverty Alleviation and Sh. Pritviraj Chauhan, Chief Minister, Maharashtra asking for urgent intervention in the matter. And she asked Mrs. Gandhi to resolve the issue in a democratic manner and to take up the matter within the United Progressive Alliance to evolve consensus and ensure that state government actions are in conformity with the stated policy of the Central government.
Late in the evening yesterday on the 7th day of the Indefinite fast i.e. on 10th April, 2013, Sh. Nirmal Deshmukh, CEO, SRA called for a meeting with delegation from the fast site to discuss on the demands. Addl. Collector (Encroachment), Mr. Thackrey, Secretary, SRA, Mr. Milind Bohrikar, Sub-Registrar, SRA and other concerned officers from SRA (Slum Redevelopment Authority) were present during the discussion with the delegation by CEO, SRA.
1. Discussion started from Ganesh krupa Society Redevelopment Plan. The society has already paid amount of Rs. 5 lakh 4 Thousand towards the cost of land to the Collector in 2003. As per records the land belongs to the society. The Society now demands for self development. CEO, SRA agreed in principle on this and has agreed to talk to the Chief Minister and Principal Secretary, Housing on this.
2. CEO, SRA has agreed to the demand to stop demolition till the enquiry of the 6 societies are going on under the Principal Secretary, Housing.
3. He has even agreed to talk to the Chief Minister and Principal Secretary, Housing on the issue of Slum Declaration and Providing civic amenities to the bastis and implementation of Rajiv Awas Yojana for 21 bastis.
The delegation has demanded to take Mandala in Mumbai as the Pilot project for Rajiv Awas Yojana.
Corruption from the side of SRA can be clearly seen from the SRA side regarding the land transaction of GaneshKrupa Society of Golibar. In 2003, the Society paid the money to the govt. and the land now belongs to the residents of the society. This was clearly admitted by the SRA when they met the delegation yesterday. “When the land belongs to the residents of the Society, how the Shivalik ventures can demolish the houses built over it” said by the residents of the Society. In 1997, this matter has been published in the gazetteer of Maharashtra which supports the claim.
Unless and until the Chief Minister, Principal Secretary(Housing), and CEO, SRA talks to the protesters, fast will Continue at Golibar, Mumbai.
Prerna Gaikwad, Aba Tandel, Ajit Gavkhedkar, Alex, Atik, Sumit Wajale, Sandeep Yeole, Rajkumar, Seela Manaswinee
Contact : 09892727063 | 09212587159 | napmindia@gmail.com
—
National Alliance of People’s Movements
National Office : 6/6, Jangpura B, Mathura Road, New Delhi 110014
Phone : 011 26241167 / 24354737 Mobile : 09818905316
Web : www.napm-india.org
Reblogged from: http://sanhati.com/excerpted/6074/ February 23, 2013 by Partho Sarathi Ray [The following article by Partho Sarathi Ray connects the dots between the urban eviction and displacement struggles raging across India. Photographs are from the Ejipura neighborhood of Bangalore where houses of … Continue reading
Download full report -> Ejipura Eviction Fact Finding Report
Mirno Pasquali is a photographer who has been documenting the EWS evictions in Ejipura Bangalore. Gautam Bhan has written about the evictions here
I spent the past few days photographing in the Ejipura slum which has been the focus of many activists working here in Bangalore. This has been my first attempt at documenting these types of issues, and being a foreigner has made it particularly interesting. I hope to have done so in a way that is fair, unbiased and ultimately insightful.
A number of activist have referred me to this forum as an intellectual space to post stories, issues and ultimately begin a dialogue about a number of different topics. I am happy to have found a place to place these photographs, and I hope doing so will aid to this goal.
Please feel free to use them for any publication, write up or other purposes. I only…
View original post 19 more words
This gallery contains 9 photos.
Pictures by Ekta Mittal. Taken on 19th and 20th January, 2013. Full album here.
The recent eviction of over 1500 Economically Weaker Section (EWS) households from Ejipura in Bangalore (see here, here and here) to make way for a high-end mixed-use development (with some EWS housing for “original residents”) is just one a series of millennial evictions that have scarred the landscape of Indian cities and yet another instigated by an order of a High Court. Below are seven quick propositions on how to understand these evictions, how to respond in the immediate and near-term.
View original post 1,243 more words
EWS Ejipura 