demolitions, by arresting over 100 people who opposed turning the land
where they lived into a garbage dumping ground, in Rafiq Nagar, Gowandi
around 11 in the morning. Most of them under arrest are women and
children.
Medha Patkar, Vijaya Chauhan, Kalpana and Leena Joshi of Apnalaya are also
among the arrested.
As per the latest information we received, a section of the people are
taken to Shivaji Nagar Police station. The whereabouts of others are not
yet known. The sections under which they are booked are not known either.
People have made this living space, reclaiming marshy land in 1996. There
were about 800 houses before demolition. The police, aided with
bulldozers, demolished the houses in last December.
There were around 80 police, including 10-15 police-women, under Police
Sub Inspector, Mr. Budguzer.
We appeal you to write to the Chief Minister and Dy Chief Minister of
Maharashtra, deploring this action and urging them to respect the people?s
right to life and housing.
Vilasrao Desmukh, Chief Minister:
Tel: 022-23634950 / 0408 / 3051
Fax: 022-23631446
Email:
chiefminister@maharashtra.gov.in R. R. Patil, Dy Chief Minister
Telefax: 022-23631505
Email:
deputychiefminister@maharashtra.gov.in Sincerely,
Pervin Jehangir
Maju Varghese
Joe Athialy
Contact:
Pervin Jehangir: 022-22184779
Maju Varghese: 98923-85182
Joe Athialy: 98692-63407
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Number of homes damaged by the tsunami in Nagapattinam: 30,300. Number of
homes destroyed by the Congress-NCP Government in Mumbai: 84,000. How
agonised we are about how people die. How untroubled we are by how they
live.
P.Sainath, The Hindu