After US denial of VISA to an elected chief minister ,this report is direst interferance in internal matter of India. Indian govt should strongly react to this.
Thank you for talking about demolitions... The UN as an instituition is facing demolition of its values. Your time is better spent in making UN a instituition worthy of emulation... or is the degration so much that it needs a percentage before anything is to happen in its member countries! Do the permanent members recognise that World War II is 50 years gone and its time to change with the times! It is time to bring democracy into UN and get the permanent members replaced!
This is ridiculous! Its like asking the Govt to give shelter to poor, by a person who is living in a lavish and spacious bungalows! Seems, either the concerned person in the conference has not given a true picture or the ground reality. Hats off to the CM, who has really tried to do a grand good work. If no check is put on these things, v shudn't b surprised to find Shanties coming on Airport runways.. and human rights saying, "V will remove these when ur planes gonna take off or land"!! These are portable shanties!
Firm steps should be initiated, and CM of Mah or Delhi has done right thing, as per the laws govenrning the land. Rediff too needs to think on positive side, and give details of what was presented in the conference. Its the need of the hour.
Miloon Kothari The Untied Nations Special Rapporteur is misleading the UN Commission on Human Rights. When he states that "in Mumbai 80,000 homes were demolished between December 2004 and January 2005, rendering 300,000 people homeless. For majority of those evicted there was no advance notice, the evictions were violently carried out and their belongings damaged. Those evicted were not even offered alternative accommodation."
Please note
There were a number of businesses which operated from the so called "80000 homes".
That these individuals have encroached upon lands public and private and they had no right whatsoever to build anything on it.
If they were removed they had no one but themselves to blame for their plight.
There is ample remedies available to anyone under the law who has been removed without due process. What advance notice is he talking about?
Dosen't the Government have any obligation towards the law abiding and tax paying citizens of Mumbai?
I commend the Chief Minister for the courage to demolish these illegal structures.
Where else in the world would anyone dare to build their houses on public and private lands which did not belong to them.
The UN report is biassed and unwarranted. India has an independent legal system which is not a "committed" judiciary. India does not need to learn human rights from United Nations which has shown scant regard for the atrocities committed by Bush in various countries and the Human Rights Body has had little courage in criticising the US other countries for such inhuman actions.
I wish the UN had kept off from poking its nose on the ongoing slum demolition drive in India. In commenting on it, they have not understood the magnitude and implications of the issue. A banner at Churchgate pithilly put it thus: "grab land, put a hut and demand a flat". Even if a flat is given it is sold and then they return to create new slums.
Not to be outdone, the WB team that visited Mumbai recently ahs made a ridiculous suggestion: of doubling the FSI for construction in areas within 2 kms radius from railway stations. In making this amusing recommendation, they have shown how far removed from reality they are. Any one walking near and around suburban railway stations in Mumbai will see the great congestion. WB wants this to be intenified!!
Any one reading the views of the WB expert team will find it sounding like a wish list often produced in meetings of builders and developers.
Finally, we truly need a local view of Mumbai: develop it mustt but keeping its own needs and requirements. WB has not uttered a single word how to improve public transport.
"The chief minister (Vilasrao Deshmukh) explained these brutal demolitions as the only way to create a world-class city." Someone please explain me that???
UN sucks, human rights sucks.. If they really love these slums / encroachments then let them take all these slums to Europe or USA..(USA is anyways worlds largest refugee camp..!! ).
After long time somebody tries to do something good for the city(ies) and evacuate the illegal encroachments, this steps should have been appreciated.
Whatever is illegal must come down be it slum / bunglow or 5 star hotels.
Both the cities have reach their threashould points. they will break if more pressure is put onto them civic services / infrastructure anything and everything.
Let UN counsil travel everyday by Bombay transit (local trains / buses / further walk or more..), then they will realize the pain.
No other country / UN has ethical / moral rights to interfere India's internal affairs.
Lastly, UN lost its trust / faith after a Iraq devastation.
It is the mindset of the slum dwellers which has to be demolished. They prefer to be slum dwellers even when they are encouraged to come out of the slums. They do not want to change their habits or culture as they find peace and heaven in that atmosphere. Some slum dwellers I suspect may be richer than those who live in palaces and pansions. They cannot change their life styles. They believe they are smarter than those living normal lives who are considered foolish by them. UN will do well to make endeavours to change their psychology so that they voluntarily get out of their slums.
