[Imc-india] solidarity appeal vs evictions in Calcutta
sayandeb chowdhury
imc-india at lists.indymedia.org
Sun, 24 Nov 2002 03:32:26 +0000 (GMT)
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i am sorry anana i cannot agree with you. i am living in the city of calcutta from my birth . so i can claim a better access to knowledge than many who would express concern at the spectre of 7ooo homeless families!any occupation of any land cannot be without history. you cannot wipe out history with sympathy. the current sympathy with the impending homeles is fine as long as you do not want to acknowledge an entire history of degradation , anathema and disregard that these people have shown either for public health , sanity or safety. a casual visit to any of the sites would reveal a picture that is hardly keeping with the facde of poverty that is put up carefully.
the tolly nallah is behind my house and i have grown up with it. barring a few , most families have bought land (yes overnight they shifted to their new homes ) nearby and moved on. all this after a huge hue and cry regarding their settlerment. these things happen dear anana . the sympathy with the downtrodden is not a ritual!i am sorry. rehabilitate the dogs of calcutta please. that is a job that requires graet sympathy and care. they are in abysmal condition. for the people who would lose their homes(and along with that their long hold on innumerable hazardous and illegal factories , spurious liquior shops and the like ) can get you place to stay in this city .
sayandeb chowdhury
calcutta
Anana Ted <ewatch21@yahoo.com> wrote: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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<P>i am sorry anana i cannot agree with you. i am living in the city of calcutta from my birth . so i can claim a better access to knowledge than many who would express concern at the spectre of 7ooo homeless families!any occupation of any land cannot be without history. you cannot wipe out history with sympathy. the current sympathy with the impending homeles is fine as long as you do not want to acknowledge an entire history of degradation , anathema and disregard that these people have shown either for public health , sanity or safety. a casual visit to any of the sites would reveal a picture that is hardly keeping with the facde of poverty that is put up carefully.
<P>the tolly nallah is behind my house and i have grown up with it. barring a few , most families have bought land (yes overnight they shifted to their new homes ) nearby and moved on. all this after a huge hue and cry regarding their settlerment. these things happen dear anana . the sympathy with the downtrodden is not a ritual!i am sorry. rehabilitate the dogs of calcutta please. that is a job that requires graet sympathy and care. they are in abysmal condition. for the people who would lose their homes(and along with that their long hold on innumerable hazardous and illegal factories , spurious liquior shops and the like ) can get you place to stay in this city .
<P>sayandeb chowdhury
<P>calcutta
<P> <B><I>Anana Ted <ewatch21@yahoo.com></I></B> wrote:
<BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #1010ff 2px solid">18 November 2002 <BR><BR><BR>Dear Friends,<BR><BR>I received last week two emails from Calcutta: one<BR>from Subrata Sankar Bagchi, an anthropologist at<BR>Calcutta University and from Rabial Mallick, head of<BR>Christian Institute for the Study of Religion and<BR>Society, an NGO working among urban poor communities<BR>in Calcutta and other Indian cities. Both of them<BR>expressed grave concern on impending evictions in<BR>the city of Calcutta and are appealing for expressions<BR>of international solidarity for the affected<BR>communities. <BR><BR>Around the third quarter in 2001 the government of<BR>West Bengal and the Kolkata Municipal Corporation<BR>(KMC) evicted some 4,000 families along the banks of<BR>the canal Tolly Nullah. This year the government<BR>plans to evict 7,000 more families from the middle and<BR>northern part of the city along the said canal.<BR><BR>The people do not oppose improving the Tolly Nullah to<BR>help solve the problems of flooding and sanitation of<BR>the city. They, however, want the government of<BR>India and West Bengal and KMC to provide them with<BR>resettlement, a principle that most countries in the<BR>world have come to accept, including such institutions<BR>as the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank.<BR><BR>The affected communities held meetings, <BR>rallies and demonstrations to protest the planned<BR>evictions and in the process won a temporary respite:<BR>the government has decided to postpone the evictions<BR>until 10 December 2002. The affected people want,<BR>however, that the evictions be postponed indefinitely<BR>until their demands are met, namely, the following:<BR><BR>· That no eviction be carried out without<BR>resettlement;<BR>· That those evicted last year should first be<BR>resettled;<BR>· That a dialogue be held between the government and<BR>the affected families and their civil society friends<BR>to find solutions acceptable to the affected families<BR>and the<BR>city.<BR><BR>The poor people along Tolly Nullah would appreciate<BR>very much if you send faxes or emails to their<BR>government to express concern for and solidarity with<BR>them.<BR><BR>Enclosed is a sample letter you may find useful.<BR><BR>Sincerely yours,<BR><BR>Ted Anana<BR>Program Coordinator<BR>Eviction Watch and Housing Rights Program<BR><BR>-------------------------<BR><BR>SAMPLE LETTER<BR><BR><BR>18 November 2002 <BR><BR>Sri Subrata Mukherjee<BR>Honorable Mayor<BR>Kolkata Municipal Corporation<BR>Ph: 91-33-244 7519<BR>Fax: 91-33-2442578<BR>e-mail: cmcmayor@vsnl.net <BR><BR><BR>Re: Evictions of Canal Side Communities in Kolkata<BR><BR><BR>Dear Mayor,<BR><BR>Our organization wishes to express its concern on the<BR>planned evictions of 7,000 poor families living <BR>along the canal side in the middle and northern part<BR>of Kolkata. Last year your government and the<BR>provincial government jointly evicted some 4,000<BR>families from Tolly Nullah. Civil society<BR>organizations have informed us that up to the present<BR>the evicted families have not been resettled despite<BR>the fact that in December last year the city hosted <BR>a forum entitled Cities Alliance Public Policy Forum<BR>on Sustainable Partnerships for City Development <BR>organized by the World Bank, which among others<BR>discussed security of tenure and evictions. <BR><BR>The affected families say they do not oppose<BR>improving the canal to help solve the problems of<BR>flooding and sanitation of the city. They, however,<BR>want your government and that of West Bengal to<BR>respect and fulfill their right to be resettled as<BR>indicated in United Nations International Covenant on<BR>Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the Habitat<BR>II Istanbul Declaration and even in the guidelines<BR>of the World Bank on involuntary displacement. Since<BR>1993 the United Nations Commission on Human Rights has<BR>unambiguously declared forced evictions as prima facie<BR>violations of human rights. On the other hand, the<BR>right of evicted people to be resettled is a settled<BR>and agreed principle among nations, especially among<BR>those who are UN members. <BR><BR>Our organization therefore earnestly urges the KMC and<BR>the government of West Bengal to grant the people’s <BR>requests:<BR><BR>· no eviction to be carried out without<BR>resettlement;<BR>· those evicted last year should first be resettled;<BR>· to hold a dialogue between the government and the<BR>threatened and evicted families and their civil<BR>society friends to find solutions acceptable to the<BR>affected families and the government.<BR><BR>While we hail the Kolkata government for its efforts<BR>to improve the physical condition of the city, we<BR>sincerely look forward for it to do so with<BR>consideration for the rights and welfare of its poor<BR>citizens.<BR><BR>Respectfully yours, <BR><BR>Name<BR>Organization<BR><BR><BR>CC:<BR>Sri Ashoke Bhattacharya<BR>Minister In-charge of Urban Affairs & Urban<BR>Development<BR>Ph: 91-33-214 5497<BR>Fax: 91-33-214 3853<BR>E-mail: cpimwb@cal3.vsnl.net.in<BR><BR>Sri Amalendu Roy<BR>Minister In-charge of Irrigation & Water Ways<BR>Ph: 91-33-214 3612<BR>Fax: 91-33-321 5210<BR><BR>Sri Budhadev Bhattacharya<BR>Hon'ble Chief Minister<BR>Govt. of West Bengal<BR>Ph: 91-33-214 5555<BR>Fax: 91-33-214 5480<BR>E-mail: cpimwb@cal3.vsnl.net.in and <BR>prsecycm@wb.nic.in<BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR>__________________________________________________<BR>Do you Yahoo!?<BR>Yahoo! Web Hosting - Let the expert host your site<BR>http://webhosting.yahoo.com<BR><BR>_______________________________________________<BR>Imc-india mailing list<BR>Imc-india@lists.indymedia.org<BR>http://lists.indymedia.org/mailman/listinfo/imc-india</BLOCKQUOTE><p><img src="http://sg.yimg.com/i/aa/icons/28/cricket.gif" height=28 width=28>
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