Politics of eviction, a lesson from TN
The Supreme Court has refused to restrain the Tamil Nadu government from continuing with its eviction drive along the Buckingham Canal in Chennai. The decision comes a day after a protestor set himself ablaze to stop the eviction of 259 residents, and more than 15 years of legal battle.
The apex court’s stand and the unfortunate death have raised two issues. Courts are not going to turn a blind eye to encroachments on government land, particularly waterbodies, and will ask the states to act tough. Incidentally, Tamil Nadu’s eviction drive came after a contempt petition filed in the SC. Second, governments cannot create bare-bones structures on no-man’s land that are unfit for settlement, and ask people to move to these locations without expecting stiff resistance.
One of the primary complaints of the residents has been that they were uprooted from a place that was their home for decades to concrete jungles far away from their daily livelihood. Some of the residents who were allotted houses in distant Perumbakkam said they were given flats on the seventh floor in buildings that do not have running water, power connections or lifts.
Chief Minister MK Stalin has now promised to resettle all those evicted from the locality in TNUHDB houses being built in nearby Mandaveli and Mylapore. A new resettlement policy that covers all aspects of people’s welfare has also been promised by the chief minister.
While removing encroachments to save water bodies is vital, governments cannot absolve themselves of the responsibility of creating liveable conditions for people that address questions of safety, security, health and livelihood. TN’s policy that’s on the anvil must also address the issue of funding for creating and sustaining community resources such as running water, proper power, lift, schools and health services to ensure that people have an incentive to move to these places. A sustained financial support system through corporate social responsibility initiatives or dedicated funding through taxes or cess can ensure the upkeep of these facilities and a humane approach towards evictions.