Protest & Mobilsation
THE REHABILITATION POLICY FOR KHORI GAON IS NOT READY, THE ORDERS OF THE HON’BLE SUPREME COURT ARE NOT BEING FOLLOWED!
*Press Note : 08-08-2021*
In Khori Gaon, hundreds of families have been displaced and thousands of houses are being brutally demolished each day. After the completion of the demolition drive, the destitute working-class residents are being forced to live without any shelter. They are also being immediately and forcibly removed from the area and being threatened with police action.
*Despite the order of the Hon’ble Supreme Court on August 3rd, the Municipal Corporation of Faridabad has not provided any e-mail to the thousands of displaced residents to lodge complaints. No back office has been set up at Radha Swami Satsang Centre either.*
Most of those uprooted from Khori Gaon in the recent demolition exercise were working class citizens. These people had built their small houses with their hard-earned money or by taking loans or by selling the land and property in their ancestral villages. The residents have witnessed very stressful times starting from 14th July 2021. They have suffered physical injuries and mental torture. They have also been treated inhumanly and disrespectfully. After the lockdown enforced unemployment they were subjected to the brutal demolition exercise which has taken their homes away. Most residents are lying on the road or beside the remains of their demolished houses, some are living on rent while few are living with their relatives.
The Hon’ble Supreme Court in its order dated August 3 on page 4 had ordered that the Haryana Government should finalize the rehabilitation policy framed by the Municipal Corporation of Faridabad for the desolate residents of Khori Gaon till the next date of hearing. Now since it is the Haryana Government itself looking after the entire policy, it is necessary that the historical injustice is recognized and corrected.
Rekha, Pinki and other residents of Pushpa have repeatedly sent letters to the Haryana government, the litigants have appealed to the government that the government should simplify the process of rehabilitation and it should be made more inclusive. Their consent should also be taken. Mainly, the scope of eligibility should be increased whereby any Voter ID card registered on any address, any documents of residence of Khori Gaon like family identity card, birth certificate, death certificate, marriage certificate, children's school admission papers, property papers, any of the land purchase Documents, ration card, banking account, etc. should be considered as the basis of rehabilitation.
Everyone's house was demolished. Therefore, until there is proper rehabilitation for the people, there should be proper arrangements for food and shelter.
Due to the immediate eviction of thousands of families from Khori village, the rents of houses in the surrounding areas have increased rapidly. Therefore, rental allowance of houses should be made at least ₹ 5000 per family till proper rehabilitation is done.
*It has also been repeatedly told to the government that the flats of Dabua Colony of Faridabad being given for rehabilitation are in very bad condition. There is no security of any kind. No electricity and water too. Most of the flats do not even have any windows or doors.*
*The Supreme Court, in its order dated 7 June 2021, had ordered the removal of possession from the forest land. The court had left the rehabilitation to the state government. After demolition of more than 10,000 houses and more than lakh people in Khori Gaon, the Supreme Court should also keep similar strict orders regarding rehabilitation.*
*The Haryana government should issue an email to register complaints and set up a backup office on Radha Swami Satsang urgently.*
*Haryana government should prepare a rehabilitation policy which takes into consideration the historical injustices faced by the residents of Khori Gaon and caters to the needs of the suffering citizens.*
In Solidarity, Ishita Chatterjee, Neelesh Kumar (9313794336), Manju Menon , Vimal Bhai, {9718479517} and saathi
Concerned Citizens for Khori Gaon: National Alliance of People’s Movements
Towards a new style of resistance. The rasputin challenge video https://youtu.be/s4Ee72surnE went viral on the internet, particularly after a lawyer with leanings to the right wing warned Janaki Omkumar's parents, citing the religion of Naveen Razak.the citing the religion of Naveen Razak.
NAPM supports the democratic demands and people’s movement for Constitutional Safeguards in Ladakh!
Government of India must decide and act promptly on the fast by Sonam Wangchuk and thousands of citizens of Ladakh!
23 rd March, 2024: Today is the 18th day of his 21 days of fasting, and along with him,hundreds of people of Ladakh are also observing relay-fast for the movement. The demand of the movement is to achieve decentralized democracy and via that actual, sustainable, environment-friendly development! From the Constitutional perspective, the demand to recognize Ladakh as a State and include it in the Sixth Schedule are very important and necessary. We, the National Alliance of
People’s Movements (NAPM), fully support this demand, rooted in justice. In addition, other demands that need attention are that of one Member of Parliament each from Leh and Kargil and formulation of Public Service Commission for the employment of local youth.
The science of protests: how to shape public opinion and swing votes https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-024-02082-5 Helen Pearson
Pdf download link: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-024-02082-5.pdf
non-violent protests are more effective at achieving goals than are violent ones.... effectiveness of non-violent revolutionary campaigns is waning over time — in part, they say, because governments are learning how to suppress uprisings.
But there is evidence that these types of protest can have an impact. Social Change Lab asked around 2,000 people — before, during and after disruptive protests in the United Kingdom by Just Stop Oil and Extinction Rebellion in April 20228. The protesters blockaded oil depots and glued themselves to government buildings and oil-company offices. Most people who were surveyed opposed the actions, but continued to support climate policies and Just Stop Oil’s goals to stop new fossil-fuel projects. This counters the view that disruptive action can sour public opinion on an issue.
it’s important.. to recognize that protesters are often expressing anger, grief and frustration as well as trying to drive change. “Sometimes, people have deep feelings that need a platform and a means of expression,”
“Non-violence is effective. But what’s especially effective is non-violence met by repression,”
Leaflet by Leaflet, a Few Aging Activists Fight India’s Tide of Bigotry https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/28/world/asia/india-activists.html
As politicians stoke religious hatred online, these veterans of social causes deliver their messages in person: “Talk to each other. Don’t let anyone divide you.”
As Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his deputies have vilified the country’s minorities in a yearslong campaign that has escalated during the current national election, the small band of aging activists has built bridges and preached harmony between religious groups... More than three dozen human rights defenders, poets, journalists and opposition politicians face charges, including under antiterrorism laws, for criticizing Mr. Modi’s divisive policies, according to rights groups..... “Despite a crackdown, they are refusing to cow down, leading them to hold placards, distributing fliers, to revive a message that once was taken for granted.”
..
The space for activism may completely vanish, Ms. Verma said, as his party becomes increasingly intolerant of any scrutiny.
For now, she said, activists “are, sadly, just giving proof of our existence: that we may be demoralized, but we are still alive. Otherwise, hatred has seeped so deep it will take decades to rebuild trust.”