Invite for National Urban Struggle Strategy Meeting on 3rd May at Delhi
Ghar Bachao Ghar Banao Andolan
National Urban Development Struggle Committee
C/o National Alliance of People' Movements, 29-30, Haji Habib Building,
Naigaon Cross Road Dadar, Mumbai
INVITATION FOR NATIONAL URBAN STRATEGY MEETING:
3rd May 2011
It has been more than three years, when we all met at the National Consultation on Housing and Urban Poor held in Mumbai which was followed by a Mass action programme at Delhi and other such smaller yet effective consultations and meetings by all of us in our areas and more particularly the Urban Yatra that went through 19 cities and linked the struggles. Since then much more has happened at the struggle front as well as the attack on the rights of urban poor.
The National Housing & Habitat Policy has also been declared with no immediate relief to the Urban Poor. One is yet to see the implementation of the Un-organised Workers Social Security bill.
The renewed onslaught either in the name of urban renewal or development, in the name of making cities global, the rights of the working class in urban areas are being bull dozed and violated.
The scenario has changed into the most inhuman and accelerated State attack with bulldozers to arsons as the weapons, which has been given legitimacy by every organ of the State. The SEZ has added insult to the injury
The large percentage of city dwellers, in slums and chawls, in hawking and trade are not only facing forced eviction, but also countering it by raising voices, struggling against all odds. Even with a shrunken space, when we question our own government, the vested interests and exploitative economics, the foreign and Indian capital invested in the name of urban renewal, infrastructure or development facilitated by international financing institutions, the World Bank, ADB are playing a foul game. The policy changes be it Repeal of Land Ceiling Act to the National Urban Renewal Mission indicate distorted priorities and hence need serious and strong questioning with propagating pro-poor, sustainable and equitable alternatives.
With in this context we all need to come together and plan collective action not once but several times during our struggle.
Taking our struggle and process forward collectively at the national level we have planned a strategy Meeting at Delhi on 3rd May 2010.
We invite you to join the meeting. The meeting will start by 10.a.m. on 3rd, therefore kindly arrange for your arrival on 2nd itself.
Please book your ticket accordingly.
The tentative programme:
- Overview and Introduction 10 am
- Chalking out a Strategy on Issues of Housing Rights & Policy, Urban Poor's Access to Basic Services & Transport, Rights of Hawkers & Un-Organised Sector Workers.
Looking forward to your active participation and immediate confirmation …
Sincerely Yours,
Madhuresh Kumar, Simpreet Singh, Saktiman Ghose, Raju Bhise, Rajendra Ravi, Ashfaquulla, Geetha Ramakrishanan, Medha Patkar
(On Behalf of Core committee)