Action Alert:: Golibar Slum Dwellers face illegal demolition, Kindly call Maharashtar CM Office to protest.

[Ghar Bachao Ghar Banao Andolan]

Action Alert                                                                                                                                                                                                        19 April 2011

The bulldozers at Golibar a 50 year old slum are once again out to demolish and evict the slum dwellers who have been fighting the corruption and land grab by Shivalik Ventures in which the 2G Spectrum scam ridden Unitech has a stake. In the past the slum dwellers have repeatedly opposed and exposed the illegal acts of the private developers who are all out to grab the land. It was only after the expose that the Chief Minister of Maharashtra scrapped the two 3K projects. This has been welcomed by us but we also await the scrapping of the Golibar Project. Yesterday when the slum dwellers opposed the eviction drive 12 slum dwellers including 6 women were arrested and today will be produced before the Magistrate.

Yesterday it was a familiar scene. A hundred policemen crowded the narrow corridor that is the entry to our homes. The Collector’s men raised their mobile loudspeakers and read out a ‘33/38’ eviction notice, asking us to co-operate in their efforts to break their houses. It’s besides the point that in no language, legal or otherwise, does ‘eviction’ mean ‘demolition’. It’s also besides the point that the so-called notice was dated from more 90 days earlier, making it redundant as a legal order. Nor does it matter, perhaps, that the High Court has ruled in our favour in a (criminal) case of fraud and forgery against Shivalik builders – the very builders that the police and collector’s office came to serve today.

We all request you to kindly call the Chief Minister, Maharashtra-Office and request them to stop the forcible eviction of slum dwellers.

In Solidarity,

Medha Patkar,  Santosh Daonkar, Simpreet  Singh, Prerna Gaikwad, Ajit

Chief Minister, Maharashtra office-022 22025151

Fax No 022-22817068