Violation of the Rights of the people
The community behind Haj Bhawan has been residing in the same place for the past five decades. It has become a very empowered and important settlement as no child has been going to school. The women have over the years come to understand the importance of education. Our constant interaction and also meeting with the community and convincing them of the need to bear fruit have been very rewarding. The community has been granted a Primary School, a community hall, toilets and submersible water tanks. And without any notice or announcement they came with bulldozers, Additional District Magistrate to demolish the slum when people had gone to work. However, Rukmani devi the leader of the settlement called the people to come a save their homes. Aashray Abhiyan team members were present and they tried to intervene but it is sad that the Magistrate behaved in a very inhuman manner and the force used both abusive language and tried to lathi charge. The community – women and children all slept in front of the bulldozer and said, give us an alternative, until alternative arrangements are made, we will not move.
The resistance put up by the community was remarkable. Ever since, we have been advocating on behalf of this community, meeting the District Magistrate, sending letters to the Chief Minister as meeting him is impossible and have moved the Patna High Court. All our efforts have to a certain extent not given any respite, but there has been no attack on the community as of now.
Ironically, on the other side of the land which was cultivable land and the government has been constructing houses for the police, but it has never dawned on the same government to see the settlement and make arrangements according to
in-situ under the PMAY scheme (Prime Minister Housing scheme. The
‘city makers’ have a duty to serve the city, but the same city goers, never even think of the right of the city makers to live in the city.