[Reader-list] Parchee-tent/Nangla/06 May 2006

Sun May 7 09:49:17 IST 2006

Parchee-tent, 
by Jaanu
06.05.2006

http://nangla.freeflux.net/blog/archive/2006/05/06/parchee-tent-by-jaanu.html

People who live in Nangla used to spend their money and set up tents and
decorate them with flowers. This decorating had a special meaning to it –
the preparation for a wedding. Two days before the bridegroom's baraat
would come, thresholds of doors used to be decorated with glitter. A tent
was also set up on the day Nangla was broken. This lone tent, set up for
MCD officials, was outside the locality. But inside, there were far more
tents. The tent outside indicated the uprooting of thousands of homes; the
tents inside had been set up to celebrate the union of lives through
marriage.

As a guest, I had also entered a tent of celebration the day Nangla was
being broken. It had been set up along the wall of a park opposite Nangla.
It had a “main door” through which people were entering, smiling,
humming to themselves. Different things to eat had been placed, inside the
tent, on round tables. There were salads with sliced onions, long pieces of
cucumber, carrots and raddish, cabbage leaves, chopped tomatoes and pieces
of lemon. Fresh plates sat one on top of the other on one side. Spoons were
spread in a fan-like formation.

A young woman was going to be married in Nangla, and everyone waited for
the arrival of the bridegroom with his guests, in buses and Maruti cars.
Chairs covered with white cloths stood waiting in rows. Plastic cups filled
with water were kept on one side. Outside, the settlement was breaking, but
inside, there wasn't that much fear.

Several days after the first round of breaking of the dwelling, another
tent was set up outside, in the park. As soon as it was set up, a
turbulence arose in peoples' hearts, like a storm arises in an ocean,
sending ripples which turn everything upside down.

The tent was set up across the road from Nangla. There was a simple
difference this tent had from other tents – it was not for general
public, but for policemen and the Rapid Action Force. One or two people in
white clothes were setting it up. On seeing the tent, Nangla started
buzzing. One sound said, “The tent has been set up to give away parchee
(slips for land). As soon as the word “parchee” was heard, rumours
began to float.

Someone said, “Don't get a parchee cut on your name. They are fooling us.
There is a Supreme Court order staying further demolition. There will be a
hearing on 9th May. If that is the case, then what will be issued out today
will be a fake parchee.”

Someone said, “The parchee they are issuing has neither the house number,
nor the name of the place they are being issued for. Don't take these
emaciated, forged parcheez.”

Someone said, “There are no plots on the land for which they are giving
away the parchee. And that land is barren. They used to be fields to grown
lentils, and they are all dug up and rocky. The water is salty. Not even
birds drink it. You will have to spend Rs. 50 each time you want to travel
from there to the city. It will take you two hours.”

Someone said, “How will we live there? There is no one to listen to us.”

People left in small groups to go to the tent and see it from close. They
would return and say, “They are making fools of us.” Someone said, “I
have newspaper cuttings about the Court orders, which have Nangla's name in
them.” People began to look more carefully at the newspaper cutting than
they were at the tent.

All the community workers and local leaders of Nangla were listless. No one
knew what was about to happen. Everyone looked at and thought about the
tent. No one knew how to proceed.

Then a young woman went to the tent and figured out what was going on. The
DDA had asked for the tent to be set up. The Police and the RAF were given
today's date to be present. The tent had been set up, and the police and
force had come. The DDA officials had not made an appearance. There was
uncertainty among the police on how to proceed.

Residents of Nangla kept returning to the road and looking at the tent till
it was removed and the grass on which it was set up was visible again.
After some time, the tent disappeared. And with that people abandoned their
vigil and went away as well. Maybe if the tent had continued to be there,
at least some people would have forgotten their hunger and thirst and
continued to sit there, looking out at it. Many more rumours would have
spread. Someone would have said, you have to give Rs. 5000 for the parchee,
someone would have put the figure at Rs. 7000, and someone would have said
the DDA will have to be paid Rs. 2 lakhs in installments for the house they
will construct for us. Someone would have said those whose houses were made
before 1998 will get 12.5 sq. feet of land, and someone would have placed
the figure at 18 sq. feet. But when the tent disappeared, everyone shifted
their thoughts to 9th May, the day of the next hearing.

Every tent has a different form and appearance. There are
feeding-other-tents, welcoming-politician-tents, Ramlila-performace-tents,
watching-plays-tents, praying-to-gods-tents, performing-religious-ceremonies-tents, gathering-to-go-on-hunger-strike-tents, miscellaneous-occasion-tents. But happiness or joy any of these tents bring pales in comparison to the fear that can be evoked by a parchee-tent.

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New postings on Nangla's Delhi:

"Our City", 
by CM at Nangla
[ The Journey After ]
04.05.2006

We are a month into the demolition of Nangla, along with the demolition of
dwellings all over the city, the fires that have ravaged various
settlements, and the fear of both demolition and fire in many more other
settlements. What is the view to the city that we are to proceed in, for
the coming time?

>From extensive conversations in the localities (LNJP, Dakshinpuri and
Nangla Maanchi) and bus stands, with our broadsheet on the experience of
being in Nangla, a few images of the city emerged.
[Read whole post]

Tent Sighted, 
Nangla at CM
[ Eviction ] 
04.05.2006           

[See image]

On May 03, at 9:00 AM, the tentwala set up a tent for DDA officials, who
(it is believed) were to give away parchis (official receipts) allotting
land elsewhere, to residents of Nangla. The Delhi Police Force and the RAF
(Reserved Armed Force) arrived. Seeing the tent from the other side of the
road, Nangla grew restless. Neighbours were informed over phone, and called
back with their household items. Plans for the day were stalled, as
residents stayed within. The policemen took a quick round through Nangla.
Nangla spilled out to the main road, watching the tent from far. As midday
approached, it was clear the DDA officials were not coming, and had
forgotten to inform the police, and the tentwala. The police returned, save
a few policemen who stayed behind, awaiting further instructions. By 2:00
PM, the tent was removed.

Stay Order, 
>From the Newspapers
[ Legal Pronouncements ] 
03.05.2006

"Stay on the removal of jhuggis near Pragati Maidan"
Translation of report from Dainik Jagaran and Navbharat Times, two Hindi
dailies, Page 01, May 03, 2006

[Read whole post]

Stay Order: Record of Proceedings
[ Legal Pronouncements ]
03.05.2006

[See image]

The stay order passed by the Supreme Court in Nangla Maachi jhuggi case
(2nd May 06), in response to the Special leave Petition filed (on 26th
April 06) by Advocate Prashant Bhusan is enclosed. The Supreme Court has
stopped the demolition of the homes in Nangla Maachi, by MCD/Slum & JJ
department in pursuant to the direction of the Delhi High Court (5th April
06). The case is again coming for hearing on 9th May 2006.

Regards,
Sharmila Bhagat
Ankur Society for Alternatives in Education

[Read whole post]

Supreme Court Stays Demolitions, 
by Karim
[ Legal Pronouncements ]
03.05.2006

In an order granting interim relief to Nangla Maachi, the Supreme Court has
stayed the demolitions of the remaining houses in Nangla until the 9th of
May, 2006.

[Read whole post]

CM Lab, Nangla Maanchi

http://nangla.freeflux.net
http://nangla-maachi.freeflux.net

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It quenches the thirst of the thirsty, 
Such is Nangla,
It shelters those who come to the city of Delhi, 
Such is Nangla. 
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