CPI(ML) Liberation held a protest demonstration and burnt Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu’s effigy at Jantar Mantar on 15 December to protest against the inhuman demolition in Shakurbasti. The party condemned the anti-people move by the government and submitted a memorandum to the General Manager, Northern Railways listing its main demands. The party demanded that all the affected people be provided proper houses by the government without delay and strict action be taken against officials involved in conducting such drives in Delhi be it in Shakurbasti, Wazirpur or Mansarovar Park.
Mathura Paswan, State Committee member, CPI ML said , “The sad demise of a child happened during the demolition drive which started at 9 am. This government takes care only of the rich and not only neglects but kills the poorest.” Sucheta De, National President, AISA and CPI ML state committee member described the incident as being similar in nature to earlier demolition drives conducted by the railways in Mansarovar Park and Wazirpur. She said, “After all in whose interest is a child being killed and people rendered homeless? It is the duty of the government to ensure right to shelter for all, in which it has miserably failed”.
Earlier CPI(ML) team led by State Committee members Mathura Paswan, Amarnath Tiwari, Rooplal, VKS Gautam and Ajay had visited Shakurbasti. While talking to the affected people forced to stay outdoors in the chilling winters of Delhi team had found that the people were very angry with the state government as well as the Railways. Javed, a migrant worker from Bhagalpur, Bihar while talking to the team narrated the demolition as happening without prior information. “Humlogon ko mauka hi nahin mila, JCB lekar sab aa gaya aur bhagdad mach gaya” said Javed, which clearly describes the way the poor are being shattered by the government.
The team also found out that the stretch of dwellings which have now been razed to ground were shelters for migrant workers from mostly Bhagalpur, Araria, Khagaria districts of Bihar as well as Jhansi, UP and Bilaspur, Chattisgarh. Most of the people are engaged in loading and unloading goods trains on daily wages, many women are employed as domestic workers in nearby colonies. Md. Moinuddin, a tea shop owner who has been a resident of the area for more than two and a half decades accused the AAP government of playing with people’s emotions. “It is our home that we demand not their alms- they are distributing AAP caps, what will we do with that, just let us be in peace.” The team saw the precarious condition of relief facilities with water tankers having long queues and tussle among local people for essential commodities like blankets and ration packets.
The protest was attended by people who had been affected by demolitions in Wazirpur area as well. One of the residents of Wazirpur, narrated how the residents of Wazirpur have been forced to live in constant fear of getting displaced since the railways bulldozed their homes without notice an year ago. The protest also saw participation of students from JNU, Jamia Milia Islamia and DU.
