[Reader-list] Police Lathi Charge Slum People

[Joe Athialy]

National Alliance of People’s Movements
Haji Habib Building, Naigaon Cross Road
Dadar (E), Mumbai – 400014
Email: napm at riseup.net
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Press Statement

Mumbai | February 12, 2005


Police Lathi Charge Slum People

In a daylong sequence of events, police lathi charged (cane beating) a 
gathering of over 1200 people near the Deonar police station today 
afternoon. The people were protesting the demolition of their houses in 
Rafiq nagar slum area and were demanding the release of over 300 people who 
were arrested earlier the day. Most of them were released in the afternoon, 
but nearly 30 people, mainly senior activists, were re-arrested.

The people who are under arrest include, Medha Patkar, Prakash Reddy of 
Communist Party of India, Raju Bhise of NAPM, Vijaya Chauhan, Kalpana Gowda 
of Asha Ankur, Leena Joshi of Apnalaya, Nitin More of Apli Mumbai, Shakil 
Ahmed of Nirbay Bano Andolan and others from Rafiq nagar. They are lodged 
in Shivaji nagar as well as Chirag nagar police stations.

They are booked under sections 147, 143, 447 which are relate to rioting, 
illegal gathering etc.

The police mercilessly beat the people, who were trapped in the gullies, 
near Deonar police station. The number of people injured in the lathi 
charge in not known at the release of this statement.

Rafiq nagar slum was reclaimed from a marshy land in 1996. There were about 
800 houses before demolition. The police, aided with bulldozers, demolished 
the houses in last December. Since then, the people were living in open and 
make shift locations.

Rafiq nagar is only one of the many slums, which was demolished by the 
government in the past 2 months. Over 80,000 houses were demolished so far.

National Alliance of People’s Movements condemn this undemocratic action of 
the government and demand that all further demolitions must stop 
immediately and all arrested persons should be released immediately. 
Further, if the government is serious about checking the growth of slums, 
stop displacing people and provide facilities in the villages, including 
employment in the hinterlands.

Pervin Jehangir | Maju Varghese | Joe Athialy

___________________________
Contact:
Pervin Jehangir: 022-22184779
Maju Varghese: 98923-85182
Joe Athialy: 98692-63407

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