Eviction of residents among urban poor of Patna
In the wake of creating Patna into a “Smart City”, the government and the administration have acted mercilessly on the urban poor of Patna. These communities have been residing in Patna for the past three and more decades and have all their entitlements to prove their citizenship. Yet they are hounded after like criminals. The magistrate that came to undertake the operation, behaved in a very unruly manner. False allegations on people calling them encroachers and demanding that they vacate the place and go away, as the government needs the land. Go away where??
When we entered into a conversation with the Magistrate asking him if the community was served any notice, he said announcement over the mike was made, I said not announcement has there been a written notice to the community, which is one of the requirements by the Hon’ble Supreme Court. I was asked who I was, whether a politician or from the administration, as a simple citizen we cannot intervene. I was threatened to be arrested and an FIR to be filed. The community gathered around and began to raise slogans and oppose the bull dozer which was destroying their homes…
When peaceful democratic processes are practiced the administration takes recourse of the police and ordered more force and tear gas to dispel the communities. Such gross violation of the digit of human beings.