On Sunday 30 January 2005 scores of bulldozers
levelled encroachments standing since 1952 on both
sides of Ring Road at Naraina in what a younger DCP
described as
biggest-demolition-drive-to-clear-biggest-bottleneck.
The drive spared one block (by court stay in a matter
in which final order is expected on Feb 3) and places
of worship (about which DCP has spoken to their
religious committees to work out a solution) was
welcomed by citizens comprising The Traffic, hopeful
of the ride down Naraina flyover becoming smoooooth.
There was No-Resistance.
<http://www.hindu.com/2005/01/31/stories/2005013115860300.htm>.
Every one I spoke with about this said things to the
effect BUT-the-road-did-need-widening-there, the BUT
at times embarrassed, even apologetic. BUT why was
this day picked to widen a road by demolishing
enterprises in an area where those dislocated during
the Partition abound (recall Republic Day address of
President, recall the Mahatama)? BUT why was so much
force deployed if there was No-Resistance (recall the
war-like Voluntary-Evictions from riverbed in
February-May 2004 and ridge in July 2004)? BUT why did
a court stay postpone the fate of one block and not
all (recall the crafty court-craft for Pushta
clearance)? BUT why were the religious structures
spared (recall the demolition on 29 December 2004 of
two dozen temples and mosques in Shantivan Pushta,
part of no Bottleneck)?
These BUTs butt nothing. Pan to Bottleneck at Masudpur
on Mehrauli-Mahipalpur Road, caused by some 400-500
shops on either side. Ever since the silly one-lane
flyover that now descends into this was forced on us
here, traders and residents from flats, villages and
bastis have been asking for these to be shifted to our
Community-Centre site, nodal planned commercial
facility for local community (duly defined simply as
100,000 residential population) meant to have 475
shops including 180 informal / small shops. This point
has been made in responses to Public Notices (not
disposed off), memoranda to Standing Parliamentary
Committee (to be heard), in two court matters
(awaiting replies), representations leading to CVC
reference (awaiting action). The site has now been
given to one Sun-City-MALL, illegal.
We have written today to ask for, besides basis of
allotment of our Community-Centre site for Mall,
assurance that for any Bottle-neck clearing at
Masudpur the illegal Mall and not old enterprises
conveniently called profiteering-encroachers, etc,
will be demolished.
(The site is the same, and site-office selling Mall
space is exactly where, our genuine bhagidaari
(between flat residents and small / informal shops)
for lawful solution for problem of vegetable market on
main road outside by shifting it inside (after having
made detailed proposals in a report and been assured
action on them, only as interim arrangement, mainly in
panic about the NGO driven policy that has survived
the change in government) was summarily and violently
demolished in October 2001)
__________________________________________________
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levelled encroachments standing since 1952 on both
sides of Ring Road at Naraina in what a younger DCP
described as
biggest-demolition-drive-to-clear-biggest-bottleneck.
The drive spared one block (by court stay in a matter
in which final order is expected on Feb 3) and places
of worship (about which DCP has spoken to their
religious committees to work out a solution) was
welcomed by citizens comprising The Traffic, hopeful
of the ride down Naraina flyover becoming smoooooth.
There was No-Resistance.
<http://www.hindu.com/2005/01/31/stories/2005013115860300.htm>.
Every one I spoke with about this said things to the
effect BUT-the-road-did-need-widening-there, the BUT
at times embarrassed, even apologetic. BUT why was
this day picked to widen a road by demolishing
enterprises in an area where those dislocated during
the Partition abound (recall Republic Day address of
President, recall the Mahatama)? BUT why was so much
force deployed if there was No-Resistance (recall the
war-like Voluntary-Evictions from riverbed in
February-May 2004 and ridge in July 2004)? BUT why did
a court stay postpone the fate of one block and not
all (recall the crafty court-craft for Pushta
clearance)? BUT why were the religious structures
spared (recall the demolition on 29 December 2004 of
two dozen temples and mosques in Shantivan Pushta,
part of no Bottleneck)?
These BUTs butt nothing. Pan to Bottleneck at Masudpur
on Mehrauli-Mahipalpur Road, caused by some 400-500
shops on either side. Ever since the silly one-lane
flyover that now descends into this was forced on us
here, traders and residents from flats, villages and
bastis have been asking for these to be shifted to our
Community-Centre site, nodal planned commercial
facility for local community (duly defined simply as
100,000 residential population) meant to have 475
shops including 180 informal / small shops. This point
has been made in responses to Public Notices (not
disposed off), memoranda to Standing Parliamentary
Committee (to be heard), in two court matters
(awaiting replies), representations leading to CVC
reference (awaiting action). The site has now been
given to one Sun-City-MALL, illegal.
We have written today to ask for, besides basis of
allotment of our Community-Centre site for Mall,
assurance that for any Bottle-neck clearing at
Masudpur the illegal Mall and not old enterprises
conveniently called profiteering-encroachers, etc,
will be demolished.
(The site is the same, and site-office selling Mall
space is exactly where, our genuine bhagidaari
(between flat residents and small / informal shops)
for lawful solution for problem of vegetable market on
main road outside by shifting it inside (after having
made detailed proposals in a report and been assured
action on them, only as interim arrangement, mainly in
panic about the NGO driven policy that has survived
the change in government) was summarily and violently
demolished in October 2001)
__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
http://mail.yahoo.com