Urban Struggles Meet – Mumbai
NAPM, has been active for near to 30 years, being associated with them for near to 18 years, it has been a strong alliance of bringing people’s struggles together. Being on the National Working group and raising issues of the unprotected citizens of every city, I had always a desire that we get focus on the issues.
At last the dream came true when over almost a year or more we have been having online meetings, connecting groups together with diverse thinking. All these processes made us realize the need to have a physical meet and get all those engaged in urban issues under one umbrella.
06 & 07, January were the two days when almost 80 people gathered at Goregaon, Mumbai from about 15 states to look at the different sectors. People working on housing, construction workers, domestic helpers, vendors, transport, waste pickers etc. shared about their work, their struggles, their way forward.
Medhaji, was present encouraging all to move ahead despite many obstacles. A manifesto is being drawn up to implement what needs to be done during the coming year. Of great importance is decision of ’zero tolerance on eviction’, ‘opposing the 4 labour codes’ ‘demand to put the ‘Street Vendors Act 2014 ‘ in place.
A very satisfied and interactive meeting in a very simple way which was organized by collective contribution to meet the expenses of organizing such a meet. The beauty of the meet was that there was no resource person, each was resourceful sharing from the vast experience of being at the grass roots.
Such meetings are life-giving focusing directly on people’s issues