Social activist Medha Patkar of the National Alliance of People's Movements (NAPM) on Friday announced an indefinite fast calling for an “immediate halt to slum demolitions” at Mumbai's Golibar colony. The slum colony in suburban Khar has been waging a long battle against the developer Shivalik Ventures Private Limited.
Slum dwellers have been agitating against the builder for having “fraudulently” obtained consents for the redevelopment project. They have sought legal recourse.
“Given the constant neglect, government inaction and continuing demolitions of the houses Medha Patkar has decided to go on an indefinite hunger strike till the time justice is done to the millions of slum dwellers in Mumbai,” a NAPM press release stated. On Friday, Ms. Patkar was detained at a police station when on her way to Golibar with 60 other people.
“The development is to be done by Shivalik Ventures, where Unitech [whose managing director is indicted in the 2G spectrum scam] has a fifty percent stake… Shivalik Ventures is charged with illegal encroachment of 62 acres of Air force land, Ministry of Railways and of forgery and cheating, to wrongfully disclose 70 per cent consent of slum dwellers in Ganesh Krupa Housing Society. An FIR filed by the Society in this regard has led to Bombay High Court ordering the filing of criminal charges against the directors of Shivalik,” the statement said.
Golibar has suffered periodic demolitions. Of 7,350 families, 5,360 have been considered eligible for rehabilitation by the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority, with January 1, 1995, as the cut-off line under the Slum Rehabilitation Act.
