People's Democracy

NAGPUR

CPI(M), Lok Morcha Launch Slum Dwellers’ Movement

Arun Latkar

 NAGPUR, one of the biggest cities in Maharashtra, is witnessing a movement of the slum dwellers for the last six months. The agitation started in April this year after the Nagpur bench of Mumbai High Court passed an order about clearing the enchroachment on government land. Armed with this order, the local administration demolished two slum colonies on April 24 and 25. Not only that. Next day the local newspapers published a list of 46 slums to be demolished.

It was assumed previously that the slums that were regularised before January 1995 would not be demolished. But in its order the High Court refused to accept this plea.

While the matter was sub judice in High Court, the local administration did not even bother to provide the slum dwellers any lawyer to represent on their behalf. Nor did it clarify the state government’s position on the matter of slums.

In this situation, the CPI(M) came forward to initiate a movement in order to defend the interests of all slum dwellers. The party’s agitation started with a dharna and two militant demonstrations. Then some other non-Congress, non-BJP-Sena parties also came forward and sharply reacted.

Under the pressure of these actions, the Maharashtra state government moved the Supreme Court to get the High Court order revised. It its appeal, the state government agreed with the High Court’s order but demanded three months time for rehabilitation of the affected slum dwellers. Accordingly, the Supreme Court stayed the proceedings for three months. The local Congress MP, MLAs and the mayor and also the BJP MLAs welcomed the Supreme Court’s stay order and the state government’s move. On the other hand, the CPI(M) decided to intensify the movement with the cooperation of like-minded parties.

It was thus that the CPI(M), CPI, Samajwadi Party, Janata Dal (Secular), SUCI and some organisations of slum dwellers formed the Lok Morcha Zopadpatti Bachao Sangharsh Samiti.

In the meantime, the state government issued a GR on July 10, asking the slum dwellers to fill a form for identity cards. But the conditions laid down in the said GR for the purpose were totally against the slum dwellers. As per the GR, the pre-1995 slums were to be regularised with certain conditions, as given below:

1) Slum dwellers whose names were in the voters list before 1995, have to deposit the arrears for monthly rent from January 1995. As per this condition, a slum dweller will have to deposit Rs 9,300 if she or he is living on 225 square feet of land. For 500 square feet of land, the arrear works out to be Rs 22,087.

2) Slum dwellers whose names are in the post-1995 voters list will have to deposit Rs 112.50 per square feet. For 500 square feet, this comes to Rs 56,250.

3) If the government needs to acquire a slum land for its own purposes, the slum dwellers will have to vacate the land at no cost. But the government will charge Rs 25,050 for 150 square feet of land for rehabilitation at the rate of Rs 167 per square feet.

As per reports in the local newspapers, the slum dwellers will be rehabilitated 25 km away from the Nagpur city confines. This is bound to affect their livelihood and impose additional transport and other burdens on them.

There are also other conditions which slum dwellers would not be able to fulfil. All these conditions are incorporated in the identity card form, to be signed by every slum dweller. In other words, this is a planned move to remove the slums without using bulldozers.

It was in this background that, at the CPI(M)’s initiative, the Lok Morcha decided to mobilise the slum dwellers against the said GR. While the Congress has been asking the slum dwellers to fill the identity card forms, the BJP has been keeping mum, so as to later utilise the people’s anger against the Congress. The Shiv Sena did not at all react.

Since July 10, the Lok Morcha has been campaigning in all the 46 slum colonies. While it has so far organised more than 150 public meetings on the issue, 2000 slum dwellers have enrolled their names as activists for the coming days. As many as 13 militant demonstrations were organised in different places. Slum dwellers are responding in thousands to these actions. The winter session of the Maharashtra assembly is to commence in Nagpur from December 4. The Lok Morcha has decided to organise a big convention and a big rally in the intervening period.

Ever since the Congress-NCP coalition took over power in Maharahstra, it has been continuously attacking the common people, and the attack on the slum dwellers of Nagpur is a part of that very game. In Nagpur, about two third of the city population is living in the so-called unauthorised layouts and slums. The state government first targetted 572 layouts, compelled them to get their plots and constructions authorised at the rate of Rs 16 per square feet for plots and Rs 6 per square feet for construction. Then it targetted another 1,900 layouts in the same way. Now the slums are the state government’s next target. Its LPG policies are thus directly affecting the common people.

Though dissolved at the national level, the Lok Morcha is in action in the city and has been campaigning against these policies. The slum dwellers’ movement launched by it is a part of this very campaign. The movement is going to be intensified in the coming days and the CPI(M)’s Nagpur district unit is determined to play a leading role in it.