Skip to main content

Ahmedabad tribal workers site demolished for metro project: Whither rehab policy?

By Mina Jadhav* 

The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has demolished 69 settlements of tribal construction workers in front of Srushti Arcade, Motera, Ahmedabad. The settlement had come into news last year at the time of the visit of US President Trump to the Motera stadium.
The AMC had tried to undertake the demolition at that time as the settlement was very near the Motera stadium to be visited the US President. However, facing adverse media publicity, the AMC had stopped its eviction proceedings. The then AMC commissioner gave an interview in a national newspaper saying that there will be no eviction without rehabilitation.
Now, all of a sudden, the AMC demolition squad undertook the eviction when the workers had gone to their homes for Holi. Very few workers were present when the demolition happened. All the belongings of the workers were also destroyed in the process.
Since then, there have been two major developments. The Covid induced lockdown brought the issue of housing for seasonal migrant workers into public limelight. It was acknowledged by the state that the exodus of workers was directly related to the poor quality of housing migrant workers had access to.
It is to be noted that all the residents of the Motera basti are the tribal migrant construction workers from Dahod and surrounding districts who migrate with their family. The low wage rates means that they can not afford rental housing and are forced to live in the open. Realising this, the Central government has come out with policy for public rental housing. The Government of Gujarat has also launched schemes to make public rental housing available for migrant workers. However, all this did not stop the AMC from undertaking the demolition.
Another major development has been that the plot of land occupied by the settlement has come under the second phase of the Metro-Link Express for Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad (MEGA) project that is funded by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and has robust rehabilitation guidelines.
The agency responsible for under the Social Impact Assessment of the project Gujarat Institute of Development Research undertook a social assessment of 69 families resident on the plot on 25th February 2021. Under the guidelines of the project, the residents are entitled to the following compensation:
a) Valuation of the structure
b) Right to salvage the affected materials.
c) One time subsistence allowance of Rs.3,000 per month for one year from the date of award.
d) One time shifting assistance of Rs.50,000
e) PAPs losing residential units shall be offered tenements of 36.5sq.m at residential buildings by AMC.
Every single one of these conditions has been flouted by the AMC. The workers' union, Majur Adhikar Manch, has lodged a formal complaint with JICA demanding
  • Full compensation under the provisions of the Social Impact Assessment of the project
  • Compensation for the trauma suffered by the families
  • A full inquiry into the episode, fixation of responsibility, and punishment for the guilty personnel
  • Adoption of suitable measures by JICA so that similar violations do not take place in this project and other project funded by JICA
  • Stopping of all work on the project until the resettlement is complete
---
*Secretary, Majur Adhikar Manch, Ahmedabad

Comments

Anonymous said…
what a stealthy covid sir jee kal strike by bjp bhai

TRENDING

Loktantra Bachao Abhiyan raises concerns over Jharkhand Adivasis' plight in Assam, BJP policies

By Our Representative  The Loktantra Bachao Abhiyan (Save Democracy Campaign) has issued a pressing call to protect Adivasi rights in Jharkhand, highlighting serious concerns over the treatment of Jharkhandi Adivasis in Assam. During a press conference in Ranchi on November 9, representatives from Assam, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh criticized the current approach of BJP-led governments in these states, arguing it has exacerbated Adivasi struggles for rights, land, and cultural preservation.

Promoting love or instilling hate and fear: Why is RSS seeking a meeting with Rahul Gandhi?

By Ram Puniyani*  India's anti-colonial struggle was marked by a diverse range of social movements, one of the most significant being Hindu-Muslim unity and the emergence of a unified Indian identity among people of all religions. The nationalist, anti-colonial movement championed this unity, best embodied by Mahatma Gandhi, who ultimately gave his life for this cause. Gandhi once wrote, “The union that we want is not a patched-up thing but a union of hearts... Swaraj (self-rule) for India must be an impossible dream without an indissoluble union between the Hindus and Muslims of India. It must not be a mere truce... It must be a partnership between equals, each respecting the religion of the other.”

Right-arm fast bowler who helped West Indies shape arguably greatest Test team in cricket history

By Harsh Thakor*  Malcolm Marshall redefined what it meant to be a right-arm fast bowler, challenging the traditional laws of biomechanics with his unique skill. As we remember his 25th death anniversary on November 4th, we reflect on the legacy he left behind after his untimely death from colon cancer. For a significant part of his career, Marshall was considered one of the fastest and most formidable bowlers in the world, helping to shape the West Indies into arguably the greatest Test team in cricket history.

Andhra team joins Gandhians to protest against 'bulldozer action' in Varanasi

By Rosamma Thomas*  November 1 marked the 52nd day of the 100-day relay fast at the satyagraha site of Rajghat in Varanasi, seeking the restoration of the 12 acres of land to the Sarva Seva Sangh, the Gandhian organization that was evicted from the banks of the river. Twelve buildings were demolished as the site was abruptly taken over by the government after “bulldozer” action in August 2023, even as the matter was pending in court.  

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

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. 

Will Left victory in Sri Lanka deliver economic sovereignty plan, go beyond 'tired' IMF agenda?

By Atul Chandra, Vijay Prashad*  On September 22, 2024, the Sri Lankan election authority announced that Anura Kumara Dissanayake of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP)-led National People’s Power (NPP) alliance won the presidential election. Dissanayake, who has been the leader of the left-wing JVP since 2014, defeated 37 other candidates, including the incumbent president Ranil Wickremesinghe of the United National Party (UNP) and his closest challenger Sajith Premadasa of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya. 

Will Bangladesh go Egypt way, where military ruler is in power for a decade?

By Vijay Prashad*  The day after former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina left Dhaka, I was on the phone with a friend who had spent some time on the streets that day. He told me about the atmosphere in Dhaka, how people with little previous political experience had joined in the large protests alongside the students—who seemed to be leading the agitation. I asked him about the political infrastructure of the students and about their political orientation. He said that the protests seemed well-organized and that the students had escalated their demands from an end to certain quotas for government jobs to an end to the government of Sheikh Hasina. Even hours before she left the country, it did not seem that this would be the outcome.

A Marxist intellectual who dwelt into complex areas of the Indian socio-political landscape

By Harsh Thakor*  Professor Manoranjan Mohanty has been a dedicated advocate for human rights over five decades. His work as a scholar and activist has supported revolutionary democratic movements, navigating complex areas of the Indian socio-political landscape. His balanced, non-partisan approach to human rights and social justice has made his books essential resources for advocates of democracy.

Tributes paid to pioneer of Naxalism in Punjab, who 'dodged' police for 60 yrs

By Harsh Thakor*  Jagjit Singh Sohal, known as Comrade Sharma, a pioneer of Naxalism in Punjab, passed away on October 20 at the age of 96. Committed to the Naxalite cause and a prominent Maoist leader, Sohal, who succeeded Charu Majumdar, played hide and seek with the police for almost six decades. He was cremated in Patiala.