New Delhi: At least 250 people have been homeless for more than six months in Varanasi, when their huts were bulldozed just two days before Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s inauguration of the Deen Dayal Upadhyay statue in February. Since then, they have been compelled to live on footpaths and temples around the area, the National Herald reported. Varanasi is Modi’s Lok Sabha constituency.
The 63-feet tall statue is in Padao, near the Rajghat bridge, which has been built over river Ganga.
The families, who have been living there for 60 years, complained that the local administration didn’t offer them alternative accommodation.
One of the slum dwellers who lost their homes told the Week that in order to “beautify the area” before Modi’s visit, their huts were destroyed. However, they were told that they could return and rebuild their huts in a couple of days, but now the administration is not allowing them to come back.
The authorities have reportedly not yet responded to letters and complaints filed by those affected.
Months after the demolition
Although the slum dwellers somehow managed to survive the monsoon with plastic sheets and boards, they are now worried about the fast-approaching winter season. Added to that, their earnings from selling bamboo products have also hit a pause due to lack of demand.
For women, the condition gets even worse. Women have to walk more than one kilometre only to use a public toilet. “We cannot defecate in the open like the men. We cannot take a bath as it’s not safe,” told a 27-year-old woman to the National Herald.
“We have tried to go back many times, but the authorities are now saying that we cannot stay there as it is government land. Our ration cards, Aadhaar cards have the Sujabad address. At that time, the authorities did not think that we were encroaching? We had [an] electricity connection. How is all that possible? Now, they just want us out as we are poor.”
Also read: ‘This Is Like Killing Us’: DDA Demolition Leaves Hundreds of Batla House Slum Dwellers Homeless
Just before the inauguration event, a settlement of around 50 huts, which were less than 150 metres away from the Upadhyaya memorial, were razed by the administration. The Sujabad village is located at some distance away from this site, and Domari – one of the villages adopted by the prime minister, is located 250 metres across in the block of Kashi Vidya Peeth.
People told National Herald that local traders are now using the area where their homes were located for commercial purposes. “They have deposited sand all over the area. They load and unload their vehicles there now.”
What do the authorities say?
The pradhan of the area, or village headman, Banarasi Lal (60) told National Herald that the area has become a ‘VIP area’. “…the Deen Dayal Upadhyay memorial has been built close to that area. VIPs will be visiting. There can’t be slums close by as the area is being developed,” he told National Herald.
Banarasi Lal reportedly said the administration would not allow any of the huts to be rebuilt.
He acknowledged that the families had lived in the area for as long as he could remember. He told The Week, “People from many neighbouring districts are also settled here. This is high value land because of its proximity to the city; so the administration would not want to give it away to those who have illegally occupied it.”
Saurabh Singh, chief functionary of Innervoice Foundation told National Herald that at least 250 persons were rendered homeless, and continue to sleep in the open. “Small kids frequently get drenched and catch fever. Girls and the elderly are facing inhuman living conditions. They have Aadhaar and voter cards with the Sujabad address, but they belong to nowhere.”
The Foundation had helped them get ration during the lockdown period, the report said.
“Saurabh and I sent a letter to the PM on October 6 through the portal as it is his constituency. On checking the portal on October 13, we found the status of the grievance marked as ‘Case Closed’ with an unclear remark and no communication or follow-up with us,” Athira Muralim, who works with the foundation, told National Herald.