[Imc-india] solidarity appeal vs evictions in Calcutta

[Anana Ted]

18  November 2002 


Dear Friends,

I received last week two emails from Calcutta: one
from  Subrata Sankar Bagchi, an anthropologist at
Calcutta University and from Rabial Mallick, head of
Christian Institute for the Study of Religion and
Society, an NGO working among urban poor communities
in Calcutta and other Indian cities.  Both of them
expressed grave concern   on impending evictions in
the city of Calcutta and are appealing for expressions
of international solidarity for the affected
communities.  

Around the third quarter in 2001  the  government of
West Bengal and the Kolkata Municipal Corporation
(KMC) evicted some 4,000 families along the banks of
the canal Tolly Nullah.  This year the government
plans to evict 7,000 more families from the middle and
northern part of the city along the said canal.

The people do not oppose improving the Tolly Nullah to
help solve the problems of flooding and sanitation of
the city.  They, however, want  the government of
India and West Bengal and  KMC  to provide them with
resettlement, a principle that most countries in the
world have come to accept, including such institutions
as the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank.

The affected communities held meetings, 
rallies and demonstrations to  protest the planned
evictions and in the process won a temporary respite:
the government has decided to postpone the evictions
until 10 December 2002.  The affected people want,
however, that the evictions be postponed indefinitely
until their demands are met, namely, the following:

·	That no eviction be carried out without
resettlement;
·	That those evicted last year should first be
resettled;
·	That a dialogue be held between the government and
the affected families and their civil society friends
to find solutions acceptable to the affected families
and the
city.

The poor people along Tolly Nullah would appreciate
very much if you send  faxes or emails to their
government to express concern for and solidarity with
them.

Enclosed is a  sample letter you may find useful.

Sincerely yours,

Ted Anana
Program Coordinator
Eviction Watch and Housing Rights Program

-------------------------

SAMPLE LETTER


18  November 2002 

Sri Subrata Mukherjee
Honorable Mayor
Kolkata Municipal Corporation
Ph: 91-33-244 7519
Fax: 91-33-2442578
 e-mail: cmcmayor@vsnl.net 


Re:   Evictions of Canal Side Communities in Kolkata


Dear  Mayor,

Our organization wishes to express its  concern on the
planned evictions of  7,000 poor families living 
along the canal side in the middle and northern part
of  Kolkata.  Last year  your government and the
provincial government jointly evicted some 4,000
families from Tolly Nullah. Civil society
organizations have informed us that up to the present
the evicted families have not been resettled despite
the fact that in  December last year the city hosted 
a forum entitled Cities Alliance Public Policy Forum
on Sustainable Partnerships for City Development 
organized by the World Bank, which among others
discussed  security of tenure and evictions.   

The affected families say they  do not oppose
improving the canal  to help solve the problems of
flooding and sanitation of the city.  They, however,
want your  government and that  of  West Bengal to
respect and fulfill their right to be resettled as
indicated in United Nations International Covenant on
Economic, Social and Cultural Rights  and  the Habitat
II Istanbul Declaration   and even in the guidelines
of  the World Bank on involuntary displacement. Since
1993 the United Nations Commission on Human Rights has
unambiguously declared forced evictions as prima facie
violations of human rights. On the other hand, the
right of  evicted people to be resettled is a settled
and  agreed principle among nations, especially among
those who are UN members.  

Our organization therefore earnestly urges the KMC and
the government of West Bengal to grant the people’s 
requests:

·	 no eviction   to be carried out without
resettlement;
·	 those evicted last year should first be resettled;
·	to hold  a dialogue  between the government and the
threatened and evicted families and their civil
society friends to find solutions acceptable to the
affected families and the government.

While we hail the Kolkata  government for its efforts
to improve the physical condition of the city, we
sincerely  look forward for it to do so with
consideration for the rights and welfare of its poor
citizens.

Respectfully yours, 

Name
Organization


CC:
Sri Ashoke Bhattacharya
Minister In-charge of Urban Affairs & Urban
Development
Ph: 91-33-214 5497
Fax: 91-33-214 3853
E-mail: cpimwb@cal3.vsnl.net.in
 
Sri Amalendu Roy
Minister In-charge of Irrigation & Water Ways
Ph: 91-33-214 3612
Fax: 91-33-321 5210
 
Sri Budhadev Bhattacharya
Hon'ble Chief Minister
Govt. of West Bengal
Ph: 91-33-214 5555
Fax: 91-33-214 5480
E-mail: cpimwb@cal3.vsnl.net.in   and 
prsecycm@wb.nic.in









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