Halt Rampant Forced Evictions in Chandigarh Immediately: NFHR
15052014
In a major demolition drive on 10 May in Chandigarh, around 1500 families were forcefully
evicted from four slums — Kuldeep Colony, Pandit Colony, Majdoor Colony and Nehru Colony
— spread across Kajheri village, and Sectors 52 and 53. The Union Territory of Chandigarh
authorities pulled down around 3700 structures in these slums with the help of 2000 plus
policemen.
indu prakash singh, National Convenor, National Forum for Housing Rights (NFHR), has said
that the demolitions and evictions are in gross violation of the various orders of the Supreme
Court of India like the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation vs. Nawab Khan Gulab Khan &Ors.
(1997 (11) SCC 121); Francis Coralie vs. Union Territory of Delhi (1981); UP Evam Vikas Paroshad
vs. Friends Coop. Housing Society Ltd. (1996); and Chameli Singh & Ors vs. State of Uttar Pradesh
(1996). Singh said that no colony in Chandigarh should be demolished and all evictions planned
by the administration should be stopped with immediate effect. He added that these
demolitions are against the Rajiv Awas Yojana (RAY) norms laying emphasis on in situ
upgradation and added all settlements should be developed in an in situ manner with all
amenities for a dignified living of the residents.
Shivani Chaudhry, co-convenor, NFHR, and Executive Director, Housing and Land Rights
Network (HLRN) said that housing is a basic human right enshrined in the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and
Cultural Rights (ICESCR) that India has ratified. She said the Chandigarh Administration should
regularise all informal settlements and provide security of tenure and basic services. The
forced evictions of these communities violate a range of human rights, and contravene not only
international law but also the Constitution of India and international guidelines such as the UN
Basic Principles and Guidelines on Development-based Evictions and Displacement.
Manmohan Sharma, Shehri Beghar Awaas Adhikar Manch, Chandigarh, said that city
administration has issued eviction notices to four more colonies. He said, the forum is working
with the community and other organisations to develop an action plan to provide all support to
the people who received notices.
NFHR strongly condemns the forced evictions, demolition of homes, and discrimination against
the urban poor (CityMakers) in Chandigarh. NFHR seeks to challenge the denial of the human
rights of the CityMakers and the orchestrated efforts of the Chandigarh Administration to deny
the urban poor their ‘Right to the City,’ which includes the human rights to adequate housing,
livelihood/work, education, health, equality, participation and information. NFHR calls on the
Union Territory of Chandigarh Administration to immediately provide relief and rehabilitation
to the evicted families and to take measures to halt further evictions and to protect the human
rights of the state’s poor
evicted from four slums — Kuldeep Colony, Pandit Colony, Majdoor Colony and Nehru Colony
— spread across Kajheri village, and Sectors 52 and 53. The Union Territory of Chandigarh
authorities pulled down around 3700 structures in these slums with the help of 2000 plus
policemen.
indu prakash singh, National Convenor, National Forum for Housing Rights (NFHR), has said
that the demolitions and evictions are in gross violation of the various orders of the Supreme
Court of India like the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation vs. Nawab Khan Gulab Khan &Ors.
(1997 (11) SCC 121); Francis Coralie vs. Union Territory of Delhi (1981); UP Evam Vikas Paroshad
vs. Friends Coop. Housing Society Ltd. (1996); and Chameli Singh & Ors vs. State of Uttar Pradesh
(1996). Singh said that no colony in Chandigarh should be demolished and all evictions planned
by the administration should be stopped with immediate effect. He added that these
demolitions are against the Rajiv Awas Yojana (RAY) norms laying emphasis on in situ
upgradation and added all settlements should be developed in an in situ manner with all
amenities for a dignified living of the residents.
Shivani Chaudhry, co-convenor, NFHR, and Executive Director, Housing and Land Rights
Network (HLRN) said that housing is a basic human right enshrined in the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and
Cultural Rights (ICESCR) that India has ratified. She said the Chandigarh Administration should
regularise all informal settlements and provide security of tenure and basic services. The
forced evictions of these communities violate a range of human rights, and contravene not only
international law but also the Constitution of India and international guidelines such as the UN
Basic Principles and Guidelines on Development-based Evictions and Displacement.
Manmohan Sharma, Shehri Beghar Awaas Adhikar Manch, Chandigarh, said that city
administration has issued eviction notices to four more colonies. He said, the forum is working
with the community and other organisations to develop an action plan to provide all support to
the people who received notices.
NFHR strongly condemns the forced evictions, demolition of homes, and discrimination against
the urban poor (CityMakers) in Chandigarh. NFHR seeks to challenge the denial of the human
rights of the CityMakers and the orchestrated efforts of the Chandigarh Administration to deny
the urban poor their ‘Right to the City,’ which includes the human rights to adequate housing,
livelihood/work, education, health, equality, participation and information. NFHR calls on the
Union Territory of Chandigarh Administration to immediately provide relief and rehabilitation
to the evicted families and to take measures to halt further evictions and to protect the human
rights of the state’s poor
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