In Photos: Life Behind the Curtain, or How Delhi's Poor See G20 City
New Delhi: India's capital is all set for the G20 Summit. The main event will be held at Pragati Maidan, Delhi. The government has made comprehensive preparations for this event, with many areas of Delhi getting a makeover.
The roads in Delhi have undergone a transformation; every circle has been decorated with water fountains, posters of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and various artistic carvings.
This makeover, however, includes hiding the city's slums and the poor behind large green curtains. The Coolie Camp near Vasant Vihar in Delhi has been covered with a green cloth so that the impoverished residents there remain hidden from the view of foreign delegates attending the conference.
Ashadevi, a resident of the camp, remarked, "We have been living here for the past 13 years. For the next four days, this green curtain will shroud us because foreign guests of Prime Minister Modi have arrived in India. We are concealed so that these outsiders cannot witness the poverty in our Coolie Camp."
Similarly, the government has demolished roadside huts in the RK Puram area. The sudden removal of these huts presents a challenge for the disadvantaged individuals who lived there, as they now face the task of finding new homes.
Even animals are affected by the G20 summit. Numerous questions have arisen regarding the manner in which stray dogs roaming the streets are being captured. Animal rights activist Ambika Shukla points out, "Given the G20 slogan of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam', we should be celebrating and showcasing our peaceful coexistence with all living beings. Instead, the MCD has been cruelly removing monkeys, dogs, and even birds from the city. Old, sterilised, friendly, and harmless dogs have been captured using wire tongs, placed into vehicles, and confined in units without adequate provisions for food, medical care, or exercise."
For the G20 Summit, huts in some parts of Delhi have been covered with green cloth. Photo: Atul Ashok Howale
The coolie camp area near Vasant Vihar is covered. Photo: Atul Ashok Howale
G20 Council posters have been put up in the places where the green curtain has been used. Photo: Atul Ashok Howale
The Coolie Camp area is covered with a green curtain, concealing the houses within. Photo: Atul Ashok Howale
Scattered garbage behind the curtain. Photo: Atul Ashok Howale
Garbage scattered around Coolie Camp. Photo: Atul Ashok Howale
There is a small path running through Coolie Camp, but it is covered in garbage. Photo: Atul Ashok Howale
Roadside shops in the Coolie Camp have been covered with curtains. Photo: Atul Ashok Howale
G20 posters near Doordarshan Bhavan. Photo: Atul Ashok Howale
Flags from different areas at Mandi House. Photo: Atul Ashok Howale
During the G20 summit, traffic disruptions are expected in certain parts of Delhi, impacting rickshaw drivers. Photo: Atul Ashok Howale
While some parts of Delhi have been covered up, others have been beautified with wall paintings. Photo: Atul Ashok Howale
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