Demolitions are in overdrive once again. At the height of the furnace-like heat wave, the ‘Madrasi Colony’—a cluster of jhuggi jhoprhi, a mini-slum near Baramulla in the Capital—was razed to rubble. Unauthorised constructions—extensions in Batala House in the vicinity of Jamia Millia House—fared no better. Operation Clean-up wasn’t confined to Delhi. Food lovers were stunned to learn that Chachi’s legendary kachori-jalebi outlet just outside the BHU’s Lanka Gate and Pahalwan’s equally famous and not-very-much-younger lassi stall, a short distance away, had met the same fate. There was no news about the iconic Keshav Tambul Bhandar that attracted Banarasi paan addicts like a strong magnet. All these, unauthorised constructions on public land had evolved over many decades as tourist traps much before the advent of social media, thanks to the words of mouth echoing across generations.
Evicting squatters has been an almost continuous process in BJP-ruled states—Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand—for quite some time. Large swathes of land have been reclaimed and the ugly blemishes on the face of beautiful cities—holy and historic—removed.
Not very long ago, on the eve of the G20 Summit hosted by India, Chandni Chowk had experienced a facelift. Squatters were removed and the lost glory restored to this jewel in Shahjahanabad’s crown. Motor vehicles were banned, hawkers who spilt over the main road were removed and pedestrians were prioritised. Electronic rickshaws made historic buildings and eateries accessible. Havelis (old mansions) were expensively restored; but the ambitious revival lost breath in a blink. Squatters are back. The garbage-free stretch of the main street is constantly shrinking and the policemen posted seem to look the other way all the time. The traffic choke points in the vicinity of Jama Masjid continue to be a nightmare and though the Metro has re-connected ‘Purani Dilli’ with ageing New Delhi, the whizzing two-wheelers, and cycle rickshaws pulled by beasts of burden, add to the atmospheric cacophony.
For months now, news trickles in at regular intervals about the mega development of Dharavi in Mumbai by Adani. One can keep multiplying examples. No metro, mini-metro or even Tier-II or -III city and sleepy town is without its slums and squatters. The uncomfortable questions that are always brushed under the carpet remain unanswered till the next round of demolitions. Why do the authorities responsible allow squatters to usurp land that belongs to the government, Railways, forests and cantonments? The sad fact is the insecurity of the wretched of the earth—daily wage earners, immigrants without protectors, hundreds of thousands forced to sleep on the footpaths, under swanky flyovers and on land earmarked for malls, schools and acquired, not always legally, by private real estate developers—renders them vulnerable to be exploited as vote banks. The carrot of ‘regularisation’ of shanty towns—euphemistically called ‘malin’ bastis keeps them on tenterhooks. Delhi has had clusters of Bengali-Bangladeshi camps nestling under the shadow of delux hotels and gated residential areas, reserved for top echelons of bureaucracy. Attempts to relocate and resettle these have failed miserably.
Unfortunately, urban planning focuses on the rich and powerful turning a blind eye to the needs of those who serve them—the cooks and housemaids, garbage collectors, plumbers and electricians, guards and drivers. Can one imagine life in upmarket condominiums without delivery boys bringing packages from Amazon, Blinkit, Swiggy or Zomato?
The underbelly of any city has countless umbilical cords connecting it with the underworld. This is where the drug trade flourishes and adolescents are caught young to be groomed as ‘juveniles in conflict with law’ to commit heinous crimes at the bidding of their godfathers, the local mafia dons. There are many fingers in this poisonous pie. The worms peep out when a celebrity life is lost and the crust cracks a little. But we digress. Recent events have turned the spotlight on fissures and fractures in our lives that threaten the unity and integrity of the nation.
The state government of Tamil Nadu rushed to the rescue and relief operation of its diasporic community rendered homeless suddenly. Ironically, the term ‘Madrasi’ embraced all peninsular Indians—Malayali, Kannadiga, Andhra—before flames of linguistic chauvinism were fanned by politicians. Formation of states on linguistic basis didn’t solve the problem but created many more.
Fabric of federalism is shredded and fundamental rights mocked when ‘outsiders’ are bullied and bashed to learn the local language, from Maharashtra to Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Imposing any one language on unwilling users can only trigger a dangerous pushback. Diversity in languages and religious beliefs is our strength. We cant let it be sacrificed at the altar of imagined artificial unity.
The Home Minister is dreaming of the day when this ancient land of ours can be rid of English and those who speak it will be ashamed of carrying this colonial baggage. Alas, he forgets that any lingua franca is shaped by the people not by government dictates.