In Uttarakhand, Haldwani in a Muslim-dominated area, 4,500 are going to go homeless as the high court orders bulldozing homes due to encroachment.
Families residing in the Haldwani area which is facing demolition have claimed that they have been living there for over 40 years and that they will be left homeless if they are forced out of their houses.
‘Railways are all set to send eviction notices to more than 4300 families living in unauthorized colonies near Haldwani Railway Station following an order issued by the Uttarakhand High Court.
The order has been challenged in the Supreme Court and the apex court will hear the plea on January 5.
According to sources, encroachments include around 20 mosques and nine temples and schools.
In the meantime, thousands of people have taken to the streets in Uttarakhand’s Haldwani in an effort to protect their homes after an eviction notice was sent to over 4,000 families living in the area which belonged to the Railway authorities.
As stated by The Indian Express, Nainital district officials have said that a total of 4,365 encroachments will be removed from the area, which was illegally built on land which belongs to the Railways. Soon after the court order, the residents of the area took to the streets to protest against the decision.
Media reports state that the demolition process for several smaller structures illegally constructed on the railway land has already begun. The occupants have been given seven days’ time to vacate the premises or action will be taken by the authorities.
While the residents of the premises claim that the land has belonged to them for nearly a decade, the Railways told the court that none of the encroachers could present documents proving that it was their property. Further, the state government also decided not to intervene in the decision of the Railways.
Rajendra Singh, Railway PRO, Izzat Nagar told Indian Express, “Around 10 days ago, the High Court judgment came to remove all encroachments on the railway land in Haldwani. There are 4,365 encroachments and we will serve a notice tomorrow (Sunday) through local newspapers. The occupants will be given seven days’ time to shift; after that, we will take action.”
Thousands of residents also took out a candlelight march against the order of the court.
Here are the Reactions
This is today’s #Haldwani where 4365 houses were ordered to be demolished in this week, not only houses were ordered to be demolished but schools were also ordered to “destroy houses and schools and make homeless” human values And sensibilities have been broken before, the hand of the order issuer didn’t even tremble?
ये आज़ का #Haldwani है जहां इसी हफ़्ते 4365 घर तोड़े जाने का आदेश जारी किया गया,आदेश घरों का ही नही बल्कि स्कूलों को तोड़ने का भी किया गया,"घर और स्कूल तोड़ बेघर करो " का आदेश जारी करने के लिए मानवीय मूल्यों और संवेदनाओं को पहले तोड़ा गया है,आदेश जारीकर्ता के हाथ तक नही कांपे? pic.twitter.com/tyqJxgyhta
— Zakir Ali Tyagi (@ZakirAliTyagi) January 2, 2023
In Haldwani, if 4365 houses were built on illegal land, then why did the government build hospital, community hall, school and anganwadi on the same illegal land? Why did the police post/municipal corporation start working? Why did the traffic system develop? Why were temples and mosques allowed to be built? On what basis were the electricity connections given to the houses?
हल्द्वानी में 4365 घर अगर अवैध ज़मीन पर बने तो सरकार ने अस्पताल, कौम्युनीटि हॉल, स्कूल व आंगनबाड़ी उसी अवैध ज़मीन पर क्यों बनाए?पुलिस चौकी/नगर निगम क्यों काम करनेलगा?यातायात व्यवस्था क्यों डेवलॉप की? मन्दिर व मस्जिद क्यों बनने दिया? मकानों को बिजली कनेक्शन किस आधार पर दिया गया?
— Ejaz KA (@EjazKA1) January 3, 2023
#Haldwani prayers and symbolic protests are ongoing against the HC order calling for the eviction of over 4,000 homes affecting over 50k+ people. Case to be heard in SC on 5th Jan. Full report out soon.
📌 GROUND REPORT.
#Haldwani prayers and symbolic protests ongoing against the HC order calling for an eviction of over 4,000 homes affecting over 50k+ people. Case to be heard in SC on 5th Jan. Full report out soon. pic.twitter.com/jwQl2kij7u— Sumedhapal (@Sumedhapal4) January 2, 2023
“Women in #Haldwani Uttarakhand gathered to peacefully protest the HC’s order to demolish 4500+ homes, mostly belonging to Muslims on the pretext of “removing encroachments on railway land”.
The move will displace more than 50 thousand population leaving them homeless!
Women in #Haldwani Uttarakhand gathered to peacefully protest the HC’s order to demolish 4500+ homes, mostly belonging to Muslims on the pretext of “removing encroachments on railway land”.
The move will will displace more than 50 thousand population leaving them homeless! pic.twitter.com/8HoX8KlwLp— Ghazala Ahmad (@ghazalaahmad5) January 2, 2023
AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi criticized the move by the government. He said, “how can it be an encroachment when there are three government inter-colleges in the area?”
AIMIM Uttarakhand President Nayyer Kazmi also visited Haldwani and met the families living there on the railway lands and offered them his full support.
People in Haldwani are on the streets to save their homes in this cold, but it will not be shown on TV, no Godi media channel will cover it because it does not fit into their agenda.
हल्द्वानी में लोग इस ठंड में अपने घर बचाने के लिए सड़कों पर है, पर इसे टीवी पर नही दिखाया जाएगा, कोई गोदी मीडिया का चैनल इसे कवर नही करेगा क्योंकि वो इनके एजेंडे में फिट नही बैठता. https://t.co/M1I3pMAt8H pic.twitter.com/wMdFVDSCn9
— Puneet Kumar Singh (@puneetsinghlive) January 3, 2023
IrAm😍
@_Queen_Iram
·
Jan 2
Stop bulldozering our homes and Mosques
Stop bulldozering our homes and Mosques#JusticeForBanbhoolpuraHaldwani#JusticeForBanBhoolpura
https://t.co/uIPIqcOY9V pic.twitter.com/Zq9wsZmYCL— IrAm😍 (@_Queen_Iram) January 2, 2023
The act is severely criticized where in Uttarakhand Banbhulpanra there is almost a 90% Muslim and 10% Hindu population. People ask if this is a New Year’s gift hashtagging heavily #JusticeForBanBhoolpura.
Citizens say that while the government has promised to provide pucca houses to all by 2024, with many homeless in India, they are now going all out to demolish more than 4,500 houses of families that have settled there for more than 100 years in the name of railway encroachment without any provisions, the families are out on the streets in the freezing winter in Uttarkhand.
The order comes across as very harsh as governments across India are working on legalizing illegal or unauthorized constructions in places where people are residing for decades, but here, the people in Haldwani are bluntly told to vacate, shattering their hopes and dreams by bulldozers, and this too after providing them electricity and all legal documents.
The question rises, if in Haldwani, over 4000 houses were built on illegal land, then why did the government construct a hospital, community hall, a school, and an Anganwadi on the same illegal land? Why did the traffic lines grow, and why were the people given electricity over decades? Why were temples and mosques allowed to be built?