Public Demonstration

Save Kathputli Colony

Against the unlawful demolition drive in Kathputli Colony

Date : 16th Jan, 2017

Time : 12:00 PM

Place: Delhi Development Authority – Slum Wing Office, IP Estate

The residents of Kathputli Colony strongly condemn the highhandedness of the DDA in their demolition drive in the colony. From the manner in which demolition has been conducted it is obvious that the DDA is in a hurry to oblige the builders and promoters at the cost of the poor residents of the colony.

DDA is desperately trying to engineer ‘acceptance’ of the residents to vacate their houses in the colony and move out to makeshift camps in Anand Parvat to reach the 70% mark to eventually let the builders carry out their nefarious designs. They are intimidating the residents – entering the houses along with the police and cajoling the people to get their approval. The huge police presence is enough to instil fear among the people. The apprehension that the demolition squad might turn up any moment with cranes and bulldozers and the posse of policemen with water cannons and teargas shells has made life insecure in the area impacting on livelihood – even children more often than not have not been to attend school.

DDA and its SlumWing are expected to provide better conditions of living in the areas under their jurisdiction – provide sanitation, water, etc. But this seems a far cry – instead of living up to their name and the tasks assigned to them, they have gone all out to make the conditions worse for the residents – have even started to demolish the toilets! This, to say the least, is inhuman and not acceptable to anyone in a civilised society. It has caused immense inconvenience to the residents particularly to the women and children.

Our Demands :-

• Stop the demolition drive forthwith – bulldozers/JCBs/cranes must leave Kathputli Colony immediately and DDA must stop all the plan of demolition in Kathputli Colony.
• Remove Police force from the area along with their paraphernalia (water cannons, teargas shells).
• Stop the police from accompanying DDA authorities.
• Shift the DDA camp outside the colony and stop chasing families and individuals. 
• Take action against officials who have forcefully pushed families to leave their houses.
•        The demolition of individual households who have evicted the place and moved to transit camp must stop immediately and DDA authorities must wait for the consent of the whole community           before demolition of even a single house starts.
• Conduct a repeat survey of all the families residing in Kathputli Colony.
• Restore all the dismantled public infrastructure (roads, drainage, electricity, toilets etc) forthwith.
• Till such time as the toilets are under construction arrange mobile toilets in the colony.
• Provide for temporary shelters for all the families who are residing out in the open due to sudden demolition.
• Review the tripartite agreement of Kathputli Colony rehabilitation in accordance with the needs of communities and existing laws for the urban poor. 

कठपुतली कॉलोनी निवासी, अखिल भारतीय जनवादी महिला समिति, व दिल्ली समर्थक समूह

Kathputli Colony Residents, All India Democratic Women’s Association & Delhi Solidarity Group