[Reader-list] Nangla Maachi: Court Proceedings.Note.9th May 2006

[CM@Nangla]

Dear All,

Today, on May 09, 2006, Hon'ble Justice Ruma Pal and Justice Markhande
Katju of the Supreme Court, set a time of three weeks for the demolition of
the remainder of Nangla Maanchi. The half an hour hearing was held in Court
Number 02 (as item number 16) of the Supreme Court, Barakhamba Road, Delhi,
from 11:00 AM to 11:30 AM.

The hon'ble bench stated that relocation of all the [remaining] inhabitants
of Nangla was "not possible" before the demolition. It stated that all it
could grant Nangla Maanchi was a time of three weeks, before demolition,
"full stop".

The hon'ble bench stated that the power house, whose land had been
'encroached' by the inhabitants of Nangla had given "some date for
construction", and that there has to be "balance" - that the land has "uses
that cannot be denied", and that the more settlements are removed, the
"more they come". On the question of the timeline for this construction,
the hon'ble bench stated that whatever the case may be, "occupation of land
without legal authority cannot be allowed. Even people whose lands have
legal rights have been relocated" for projects.

In response to a request on deliberation on the question of cut-off dates
for eligibility for relocation, the hon'ble bench stated, "from what was a
few tenemants" it has grown to "thousands", and "each tenemant had a
family". They have been "growing and growing", that it was becoming
difficult to "deal with the problem". It also stated, during the court
proceedings, that if public land is occupied, it will "have to be vacated",
that the right to shelter did not mean that "everyone be given shelter".

On the question of Ghewda being without any infrastructure or facilities
(where the inhabitants of Nangla Maanchi will be temporarily relocated),
the hon'ble bench stated that in Bawana, a resettlement colony, people had
sold off their plots of land. On the question of the difficulty of being on
the streets in this intense heat, the hon'ble bench stated that it is
"never comfortable to live out", that there will always be intense heat, or
cold, or rainfall in the city. The hon'ble bench suggested that people need
not come to Delhi, unless they can afford to live in the city.

Present at the hearing from Ankur/Cybermohalla:
Sharmila Bhagat (Ankur)
Shabana (Ankur)
Avantika (Ankur)
Shveta Sarda (Sarai/Cybermohalla)

Note-taking by Shveta Sarda