Residents of around 150 makeshift houses were left homeless after an eviction drive in Bellandur and Kariyammana Agrahara on Sunday. Hundreds of people, including children, were on the streets along with their belongings. Young children were seen holding their belongings, clueless about where to go next. Those who lost their homes are working in the city as security guards, domestic help, construction workers and in the solid waste management sector.
Though all the agencies involved in the drive refused to take ownership of the same, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), in a letter to the police to seek security during the drive, alleged that Bangladeshi nationals had illegally occupied the area.
The Assistant Executive Engineer of the BBMP’s Marathahalli sub-division, on Saturday, had written to Marathahalli police station seeking police protection to carry out the drive. In the letter, the official stated that in Bellandur ward, “Bangladeshi nationals have built illegal sheds and converted the area into a slum.” The letter also states that the BBMP has received oral complaints about the illegal settlement.
‘We are Indians’
The evicted occupants, on the other hand, have dismissed the charges and maintained that they are Indians from West Bengal and Assam, among other States. Over 500 families are said to be living in the area.
“The police appeared in civil dress and accused us of being Bangladeshis without investigating our documents. I tried to convince them and not to bring down any house. Instead of listening to our pleas, they abused us,” alleged Uttam Kumar Das, who works as a security guard at a tech park. “If we are poor, it doesn’t mean we do not have any rights,” he added.
Residents in the area alleged that their houses were demolished without giving prior notice. Residents said that authorities carried out the drive on Saturday and Sunday.
Ishtiyak Ahmed, who works a security guard at a tech park, said, “We live here with our children and family. It is impossible to shift within the span of two days. The government should know that living in Bengaluru is not easy for poor people like us. We are Indians. Where else do we have to go?”
Mahima Nandni, a 34-year-old mother of two daughters, was distraught. “We neither have money nor a place to stay. The whole night, we slept under a four-wheeler rickshaw. My husband is out of town, and I do not know what to do,” she said.
The slum-dwellers also alleged that power and water supply to the area were cut off a week ago.
Some children were seen crying. Whoever was at the spot took care of those children whose parents were not present.
Afshana, a 7-year-old girl, said, “I was at home after returning from school when they demolished our house. My father is no more and my mother was away at work.”
The evicted residents said they have all the required documents.
“We are not illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. We have all the required IDs to prove we are from West Bengal and other States in the north east. We are ready to submit the documents to the authorities concerned. The police, along with the officials, have razed our houses and warned us to vacate the premises within two hours. We have been living here with our families for many years. Now the police are forcing us to vacate the houses within two hours. Where should we go? Is this not illegal?" said Abdul Jabbar, a resident.
BBMP washes hands off drive
As occupants of over 100 houses were left without shelter, both the BBMP and the police washed their hands off the drive.
Paramesh, chief engineer of Mahadevapura zone, said, “The BBMP has no role in the drive. It was carried out by the police. In the past too, such drives were carried out. We have been receiving complaints from local residents about illegal occupants. Littering and open defecation are causing a lot of problems to other residents. There are law and order issues as well.”
When asked about the letter written to the police by a local BBMP official, he said, “Before writing the letter, he should have brought the issue to the notice of higher-ups, which he has not.”
Police points to BBMP
The Whitefield police, on the other hand, said they provided security cover for the eviction process carried out by the BBMP.
According to the police, the authorities concerned had issued notices three months ago to the landlords to provide the IDs of their tenants, but failed to get a response.
“Moreover, they were occupying government land, which the BBMP is recovering,” a police officer said.
The police added that owners of the private land will be booked for not following the directives issued by the authorities concerned.
In October, the Central Crime Branch (CCB) of the police had detained 60 people alleged to be illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. The drives were carried out in Ramamurthynagar, Bellandur, and Marathahalli police station limits.
( With inputs from Krishna Kumar )
