NEW DELHI: “This has been our home for sixty years now. How can we just pack up and leave all of a sudden?” said 67-year-old Lakshmi Sunil, who moved to Jangpura’s Madrasi camp as a young child.
In an order on May 9, the Delhi High Court directed the Delhi government’s Public Works Department to begin demolishing the camp, inhabited mostly by migrants from Tamil Nadu, starting from June 1.
“The rehabilitation of the Madrasi Camp dwellers is essential for the de-clogging of the Barahpullah drain. None of the dwellers can claim any rights beyond the right of rehabilitation, as the land is public land which is encroached upon,” the court said in its order. Of the 370 families residing in the area, only 189 have been found eligible for rehabilitation under the Delhi Slum and Jhuggi Jhopri Rehabilitation and Relocation Policy, 2015.
The remaining families will be rendered homeless.
A solemn mood prevailed in the camp on Tuesday as residents pondered their uncertain future.
A group of elderly women, most of whose families did not make the cut for rehabilitation, had gathered near the entrance to the camp to discuss the matter. “We have built this community from scratch over the decades. We do not know any other way of life,” said a distraught Rani.
Most of the women in the camp work as domestic help in the more affluent localities nearby. “We have no choice but to remain in this area. But how are we to pay 10,000 rupees as rent if we earn less than that?” she asks. Even those who are eligible for rehabilitation are reluctant to move as the flats they have been offered are located 40 kilometres away in outer Delhi’s Narela. 48-year-old Muthu, who works as a fruit vendor, is filled with doubts. “I have been working here for so long, I don’t know how I’ll be able to buy supplies there or whether there will be enough customers. Moreover, how will I be able to store my cart in an apartment complex?”
Another resident, Ganesan, is more concerned about his children’s schooling. “My two girls go to the local government school, which is almost free of cost. I am not sure whether there will be any such schools nearby in Narela.” Many residents directed their anger towards BJP MLA from Jangpura, Tarvinder Singh Marwah, who had campaigned aggressively in the area during the last assembly polls, promising ‘Jahan Jhuggi, Wahan Makan’ in-situ slum rehabilitation programme. Ever since he has been elected, he has completely disappeared,” said one resident.
In its order, the High Court bench also directed the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB), and PWD to organise two camps between May 10 and 12 to distribute possession letters and sanction loans of Rs 1.12 lakh to eligible beneficiaries under the Delhi Slum & JJ Rehabilitation and Relocation Policy, 2015.
The camps were meant to facilitate the relocation of residents from Madrasi Camp to flats allotted in Narela. In its 13-page order issued Saturday, the court also asked DDA and DUSIB to ensure that all necessary amenities are available at the Narela flats by May 20.
Allottees must shift their belongings between May 20 and May 31, the court said.
However, many of those who are eligible for rehabilitation remain unsure of how to obtain the possession letters. “We are not very well educated, and it is quite difficult for us to gather all the documents that need to be submitted. There is no one to help us,” said Janaki.
Many of the more recent migrants also accused authorities of disregarding their concerns. “My family moved here 12 years ago, but apparently that is not long enough. We are not being considered for rehabilitation,” said 29-year-old Saroj. Political parties across the spectrum have long been engaged in a blame game over the matter. In September 2024, both the BJP, then in the Opposition, and the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) staged protests after the Public Works Department issued eviction notices to residents of Madrasi Camp.
Last month, the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), which functions under the Centre, served fresh eviction notices to the slum dwellers. This prompted AAP, now the main Opposition in Delhi, to criticise the BJP-led “double engine” government, accusing it of betraying the residents.
On April 17, Congress MP Karti P. Chidambaram wrote to CM Rekha Gupta urging a halt to the eviction drive, warning it threatened the community’s livelihood, education, and cultural fabric, especially that of children. The CPI (M) echoed similar concerns in a statement released on May 7.
“We have been left here to die,” says Lakshmi.
