Mumbai slum dwellers gherao MPCC President: Struggle continues

As the indefinite Satyagraha of thousands of Mumbai’s anguished, albeit resilient poor completed one whole week today, a group of slum dwellers from Anna Bhau Sathe Nagar gheraoed Shri. Kripa Shankar Singh, President of the Mumbai Congress Committee at Kurla, where he had come to inspect the progress of Mithi River cleaning. The slum dwellers challenged the indefensible silence of the Congress Party over the gross violation of their legal and human rights. Read more

When Mr. Singh was questioned as to why, till date, none of the representatives of the Congress Party had visited the slum area, he assured that he would personally visit the demolition site tomorrow. Tougher questions await Mr. Singh tomorrow from all the people.

Expressing solidarity with the struggle, Ulka Mahajan from Anti-SEZ Movement, Raigad visited the dharna site today and lamented the fact that farmers and labourers from villages are being displaced and forced to migrate to urban areas, where they are being further bulldozed and evicted. It is in this context a moot question arises as to “Where should these lakhs of working class people, who contribute to the nation’s progress go?”

It is notable that Member of Parliament, Shri. Sanjay Dina Patil, again visited the dharna site today and reiterated his support to the demand and struggle of slum dwellers. The Andolan has also received support from Major General (Retd.) Shri S.G. Vombatkere (NAPM-Karnataka) who wrote strong letters to the Prime Minister, Sonia Gandhi and the Chief Minister asserting that human rights and social justice must always be a non-negotiable part of the political processes of governance. Vombatkereji’s statement that that ‘the timing is especially cruel and devilish because it is the height of the summer and these people, especially children and the aged, are out in the open, while we watch cricket matches on TV in our comfortable homes”, should make ‘Urban India’ think and re-think on how much it contributes to the plight of the toiling masses and how honestly it stands by the poor when in such times of distress.

Branding the ruthless demolition and burning of the hutments in Sathenagar as “assault on the Constitution and human life”, veteran lawyer and human rights activist from Dhule Shri Nirmalkumar Suryavanshi assert that ‘every citizen has right to stay on 'Indian Soil’ and no government or political party can date violate this right. Senior labour and women’s rights activist D. Gabriele from Tamil Nadu also conveyed the message of solidarity from the thousands of slum-dwellers in Chennai whose are facing the brunt of evictions as their Mumbai counter-parts in the name of ‘urban renewal’, but are also
posing a major challenge to the State through their organized strength. News has also come that a solidarity dharna, morcha and public meeting was organized in the cities of Pune and Aurangabad today, support of the slum dwellers.

Shramdaan began at Sathenagar today with all the people coming together in a spirit of camaraderie to re-build their ravaged houses. For the last 3 days, medical services are being provided by the medical staff of Apnalaya and Tath organisations. Further, the issue to loss of educational material of the school
going children is also being taken up by the Andolan.

Siraj Ahmed, Sumit Wajale, Sushila Patel, Medha Patkar

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Shabana Azmi joins Sathenagar slum-dwellers' demand for justice

MUMBAI'S POOR MARCH TO HIRANANDANI GARDENS: EXPOSE REAL ENCROACHERS
As the indefatigable Satyagraha of thousands of Mumbai’s slum-dwellers, including dalits, labourers and urban poor women & men entered its eighth day, their Andolan for justice received immense support from acclaimed Parliamentarian, social activist and actress Shabana Azmi. Read more



It is know that the residents of Anna Bhau Sathe Nagar have been on an indefinite peaceful mass action for past 8 days now, protesting the illegal and inhuman demolition and burning down of more than 500 hutments by the Government of Maharashtra and have been joined in solidarity by their fellow brethren from Rafiqnagar, Jai Ambe Nagar, Mandala and other bastis, challenging the amplifying corporate-builder-politician nexus in the state.

Congratulating the people on their resilience in the face of state-sponsored adversity, Shabana Azmi emphasized that is due to the sweat more than 60 lakh people who stay in slums, that a 'happening city' like Mumbai functions and without their labour it cannot work and 'grow' even for a day. It is utter nonsense and the height of insensitivity to allege that people who slog day and night can burn their own houses, she said. Ms Azmi added that the land on which Anna Bahu Sathe Nagar stands is the Collector's land which means it is Public land and thus the people, who have no other alternative, have every right to stay on it. Connecting with the women and children from the numerous bastis, assembled and staying put despite the hostility of the State and the summer heat, Shabaniji said "all you women and children who keep the struggle for justice alive and take it ahead are my real source of inspiration and now this struggle is not only yours but also mine."

Senior architect Shri PK Dass also visited the dharnasthal and expressed gave out his heartfelt support to the slum dwellers. He felt that it is incomprehensible for the State not to make positive attempts to redress the grievances of the people on whose human-resource the city and state functions.

The slum-dwellers, though keen on the meeting that is to be held tomorrow with concerned Ministers and officials of the Maharashtra Government, are also proactively using all form of peaceful sataygraha to highlight the innumerable injustices in today's urban set-up and everything that passes off in the garb of 'development and renewal.' This pro-activeness forced the local Member of Parliament to submit a public apology and the people to challenge corporate builders like Hiranandani, once again.

Mumbai's slum-dwellers embark on Visthapan Virodhi Yatra

The agitation for Right to housing and land for the poor, continues with increased support from various organisations, at Anna Bhau Sathe Nagar, Mankhurd. Here thousands of people – men, women, children and aged are camping, with slogans asserting their Right to shelter, as a part of Right to Life. Read more


After arrests, lathi charge, demolition of about 400 houses, with almost 100 houses burnt to ashes, and death of Shivaji Bhutekar, people have gained courage and commitment to take over the land to rebuild houses. Black flags of protest are on the houses while belongings are being put back. Small shops selling immediate needs have brought a bit of live amidst despair.

Today, condemning the statement by the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Ashok Chavanji, and questioning the role of the Collector, Deputy Collector and Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM); Ghar Bachao Ghar Banao Andolan has challenged the government to prove whether it is with or against Aam Aadmi and whether it is in favour of providing houses to the Ministers and land to the builders but not the poor or even the middle class. The threat is looming over the communities, not only over 2800 houses in Sathe Nagar which are not yet demolished but also over Rafi Nagar, Sanjay Nagar (slums on the BMC land), Indira Nagar (on collector’s land) and other slums. There is no declaration of ‘slums’, under Section 4 of Slum Act, 1971, which the government is to take up in the case of communities living below subsistence level but it has not been done till date, in spite of our application for declaring not one but 19 slums.

The issue is who owns the land? If it is for development that the Government of Maharashtra is committed to, the land should not and cannot be unjustly distributed. Today 60% of slum dwellers are living on 6% of Mumbai’s land and more and more of slum land is being re-distributed to the builders,
fictitiously called, “developers”, benefiting the rich and political elite.

This is unacceptable. While the Government of Maharashtra has cheated the middle class and lower class organised under the banner of Nagari Niwara, slum dwellers are exposing the land grab.

Anna Bahu Sathe Nagar is now taking the lead and their Visthapan Virodhi Yatra, beginning today, awakening and organising of slum dwellers, SRA affected and others has begun today. After 2004, there will be another challenge to the government and MCGM, if they proceed with demolition and destitution instead of initiating development with land rights, under housing schemes like Rajiv Gandhi Awas Yojana or BSUP. Mandala and Anna Bahu Sathe Nagar have already applied under these Central Government schemes.

No response by the state government officials or the ministers, except Narayan Rane’s assurance to take a report from the officials and the Mumbai Commissioner and visit the place. Local Corportor has extended support and written to the Chief Minister against demolition but MLA, Shri Abbu Azmi and
MP, Sanjay Patil have not yet made any expressive move in this regard.

A fact finding team, constituting of Varsha Gupte, Bino Paul, Satyen and Monica Wahi have conducted their exploration and listened to the voices of slum dwellers and would be preparing a report highlighting the consequences of demolition on the lives of slum dwellers, especially the children, women and aged persons.

The Satyagraha with legal action under SC& ST Atrocities (Prevention) Act, 1989, under Slum Act, 1971 and all human and legal rights instruments is on! Justice (Redt.) Suresh of Mumbai High Court has condemned the action of State Government and said that the demolition of housing of slum dwellers is illegal and unconstitutional because it violates the Right to Life and further his experience shows that today this is happening across the length and breadth of this country. In such a context, the only option left before the people is to be committed for struggle if they have to attain justice.

Ms. Medha Patkar and Justice H. Suresh (Bombay High Court) addressed the press conference today afternoon.

Organisations that have expressed Support & Solidarity to Struggle of Anna Bhau Sathe Nagar Slum Dwellers:1. Socialist Front, Subhash Ware, Pune
2. Janta Dal (Secular) Pratap Aoghade
3. Samajwadi Jan Parishad, Sanjiv Sane
4. Lik Rajniti Manch, MR Khan
5. Samajwadi Jan Parishad, Ram Sharmol
6. Rashtriya Sewa Dal, Bharat Latkar
7. Girni Kamgar Sangharsh Samiti, Datta Iswalkar
8. Samajwadi Mahaila Sabha, Varsha Gupte, Pune
9. Stree Mukti Sampark Samiti
10. Massom
11. SM Joshi Foundation, Pune
12. Shehar Vikas Manch
13. Apnalaya
14. YUVA
15. ICHRL
16. Nirbhay Bano Andolan
17. Railway Small Caterers Union
18. Bootpolish Worker Union
19. Chemical Mazdoor Sabha
20. AVEHI
21. Phule Shahu Ambedkar Vikas Manch
22. Janjagruti Vidyarthi Sanghatan
23. Kachra Kamgar Sanghathana
24. CORO
25. Republican Panther
26. NAPM (West Bengal)
27. Akhil Bhartiya Railway Khan Pan Railway Licensees Federation
28. Narmada Bachao Andolan
29. Parivartan

Whom are the houses for under the Kanshiram Urban Poor Housing Scheme?

To read this post in (हिंदी) Hindi language, click here

In the list of those who were alloted houses under the Kanshiram Urban Poor Housing Scheme last month, not a single urban poor figures from the two slum dwellings that were bulldozed last year in state capital Lucknow of Uttar Pradesh (UP). Read more

The urban-poor people, who were living on the banks of river Gomti beneath the Daliganj bridge, close to Mankameshwar temple, were forcibly removed and their dwellings bulldozed on 19 February 2009. Since the district administration said that these urban-poor people will get houses allotted under the Central government’s scheme to provide basic amenities for urban-poor people, these homeless people went to Dubagga where houses were being constructed under the aforesaid scheme. The construction work of these houses is lying incomplete because of the demand from the farmers who are getting displaced for a higher compensation. These people who were displaced from Daliganj, began to live in the houses constructed under the Homeless Housing Scheme of Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) in Peer Nagar, Vasant Kunj, that were lying vacant. The quality of construction of these houses is so bad that the people who were allotted these houses earlier don’t want to live in them. From this community, 180 people have submitted their applications for allotment of houses under the Kanshiram Urban Poor Housing Scheme.

Those urban-poor people who were living on the land of Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) in new Gandhi Nagar ward, behind Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, Vibhuti Khand Gomti Nagar, had to face the bulldozer on 29 September 2009. We were told that the reason for bulldozing these dwellings was that the UP state Governor was to pass through the road alongside which these people were living, to inaugurate the building of State Human Rights Commission (SHRC). However, these people are still residing at the same place, and the Vice Chairman of Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) Mukesh Meshram had written a letter to the District Magistrate of Lucknow requesting him to consider these people for allotment of houses under the urban poor housing scheme. 150 people from this dwelling in Gomti Nagar have submitted their applications for allotment of houses under the Kanshiram Urban Poor Housing Scheme.

Last month when the list of those who were allotted houses under the Kanshiram Urban Poor Housing Scheme was released then it was found that not a single person from both these groups of urban poor in Lucknow figured in the list. People of both these communities are extremely poor. Most people living in Dubagga are stone cutters or do other daily wage labour, and in Gomti Nagar area, most people are either ‘dholak’ makers or do other daily wage labour to sustain themselves and their families.

The question that arises is that if poor families like in these two communities will not get the houses under the Kanshiram Urban Poor Housing Scheme, then who will get the houses? Also we want to know the background of the people who were allotted the houses under this scheme.

Urban poor people from both these communities will stage an indefinite demonstration from 4th May 2010 onwards at the Shaheed Smarak, Lucknow.

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In Remembrance Of The Mahatma And Of Mary Ward

30th January happens to be the death anniversary of two great personalities, who were very different from each other and yet had so much in common – Mahatma Gandhi and Mary Ward. One was a devout Hindu who spread the doctrines of truth and ahimsa and helped India to gain freedom from British subjugation. The other was Mary Ward, a Catholic ‘woman beyond compare’ of England, who worked for the rights of women. 300 years of tumultuous history separated them. One rightly earned the title of ‘The Mahatma’ and laid the foundations of a free India; while the other was the foundress of the Loreto Order, who had proclaimed 400 years ago that ‘women in time to come will do much’. Both gave up their lives fighting for integrity, justice, peace and freedom. Read more

This year the Loreto Family at Lucknow commemorated this special day in a very special manner. The bright sunny Saturday morning of 30th January saw the gates of Loreto Convent thrown open to its ‘not so privileged’ special guests, from the slums of Haidar Canal, Pipraghat and Sadar. More than 100 women, and as many children, accepted the school’s invitation and thronged the Assembly Hall for a meaningful interaction.

The programme began with a short prayer service wherein the students sang a beautiful bhajan (hymn) exhorting everyone not to divide human beings on the basis of caste and social status. This was followed by an interesting power point presentation on ‘General Hygiene and Sanitation’ by Dr Jyotsna Agarwal of CSM Medical University. She stressed the importance of ‘head to toe’ cleanliness, with special emphasis on washing hands, keeping finger/toe nails small and clean, not spitting in public places and keeping the surroundings unlittered. The audience (which included the school children also) were asked to prefer ‘roti’ (chapaati) over ‘dabal roti’ ( bread) and home cooked food over potato chips and chocolates, and to shun tobacco.

A free dental and general medical check up was done by a team of doctors. Most of the women folk were found to be anaemic and suffering from calcium deficiency related diseases, mainly due to poor nutrition and frequent child bearing. A majority of them consumed tobacco and gutkha. Dr Mohit Seth advised them to chew tulsi leaves instead of tobacco. He also asked them to use neem sticks (daatun) to clean their teeth in place of the expensive tooth pastes. Vitamin/calcium tablets and other medicines were also distributed.

The guests were then treated to a simple feast of ‘aloo poori’ with the kids enjoying an additional treat of a bottle each of ‘flavoured milk’. Each head of the family was also gifted some food grains and clothes in paper bags.

Many of these underprivileged women showed a keen desire to get their children admitted in ‘Jagriti’, a parallel school being run in the college premises. They were either not happy with the schools where their wards were studying, or were unable to educate them due to abject poverty. Most of the womenfolk had the same pathetic story to narrate --- a drunkard husband, many mouths to feed and no wherewithal to supplement the family income. Some of them wanted to join the Tailoring and Embroidery classes being run in the college premises with a view to empower the economically disabled women. They have now been asked to visit Loreto once again next week; to get the admission formalities completed for their children, and for themselves, in order to look forward to a brighter future.

This is but a small step in the direction of cherishing the most deprived of God’s people and to enable them to take their place in society with dignity among others. This was the vision of Mary Ward and also of Mahatma Gandhi who rightly believed that ‘Happiness consists not in what you can get, but in what you can give’.

Shobha Shukla
(The author is the Editor of Citizen News Service (CNS), has worked earlier with State Planning Institute, UP, and teaches Physics at India's prestigious Loreto Convent. Email: shobha@citizen-news.org, website: www.citizen-news.org)

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Orphanages are viable options for some children: Study

Orphanages are viable options for some children: Study

A Duke University study of more than 3,000 orphaned and abandoned children in five Asian and African countries has found that children in institutional orphanages fare as well or better than those who live in the community.

The findings contrast sharply with research that associates institutions with poorer health and well-being, and the policies adopted by many international agencies/governments.

"Our research is not saying that institutions are better. What we found is that institutions may be a viable option for some kids," said study leader Kathryn Whetten, director of the Center for Health Policy at the Duke Global Health Institute. "As the number of orphans continues to rise worldwide, it is vital not to discount orphanages before assessing whether they are harmful to the millions of children for whom they care."

Whetten’s research team compared the physical health, cognitive functioning, emotion, behaviour and growth of orphaned or abandoned children ages 6-12, half of them living in institutions and the other half dwelling in the community. The study found that children in institutions in five countries reported significantly better health scores, lower prevalence of recent sickness and fewer emotional difficulties than community dwelling children. These findings suggest the overall health of children in orphanages is no worse than that of children in communities.

The research team has been following the 3,000 orphans involved in the study for three years, and they plan to continue tracking them into their late teens and early 20s to determine how their childhood affects their life course.

Published in the interactive open-access journal PLoS ONE, this is one of the most comprehensive studies of orphans ever conducted. Data were collected between May 2006 and February 2008 from children and their caregivers in 83 institutional care settings and 311 community clusters. The study assessed five culturally, politically and religiously-distinct countries that face rising orphan populations. Sites included Cambodia, Ethiopia, Hyderabad and Nagaland in India, Kenya, and Tanzania.

"Very few studies cross a span of countries like ours does," said Whetten. "The design flaw of past studies is that they compared a small number of orphanages against community houses. Those limited results can’t be generalized to other places."

Some of the most influential studies on child institutions were conducted in eastern bloc countries. But the greatest burden of orphans and abandoned children is in sub-Saharan Africa and Southern and Southeastern Asia.

Of the estimated 143 million orphans and abandoned children worldwide, roughly half reside in South and East Asia, according to UNICEF. An estimated 12 percent of all children in Africa will be orphaned by next year as a result of malaria, tuberculosis, pregnancy complications, HIV/AIDS and natural disasters, according to the World Health Organization.

The Duke study included less formal institutions in Asia and Africa that were not studied before, and not easily recognized. Researchers spent the first six months meeting with members of each community to identify and map orphanage locations. In Moshi, Tanzania, the research team found 23 orphanages, after initially learning of just three from local government officials.

"What people don't understand is that, in many cases, the institutions are the community’s response to caring for orphaned and abandoned children," said Whetten. "These communities love kids and as parents die, children are left behind. So, the individuals who love children most and want to care for them build a building and that becomes an institution. These institutions do not look or feel like the images that many in this country have of eastern bloc orphanages, they are mostly places where kids are being loved and cared for and have stable environments."

The research findings run contrary to global policies held by childrens rights organizations such as UNICEF and UNAIDS, which recommend institutions for orphaned and abandoned children only as a last resort, and urge that such children be moved as quickly as possible to a residential family setting.

"This is not the time to be creating policies that shut down good options for kids. We need to have as many options as possible," said Whetten. "Our research just says ‘slow down and let’s look at the facts.' It’s assumed that the quality of care-giving is a function of being institutionalized, but you can change the care-giving without changing the physical building."

Whetten said more studies are needed to understand which kinds of care promote child well-being. She believes successful approaches may transcend the structural definitions of institutions or family homes.

"Let's get beyond labeling an institution as good or bad," she said. "What is the quality of care inside that building, and how can we help the community identify cost-feasible solutions that can be delivered in small group homes, large group homes and family homes?”

The study was supported by grants from the National Institute of Child Health and Development. Other Duke researchers involved in the study include Rachel Whetten, Jan Ostermann, Nathan Thielman, Karen O’Donnell, Brian Pence and Lynne Messer.

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Orphanages are viable options for some children: Study

Orphanages are viable options for some children: Study

A Duke University study of more than 3,000 orphaned and abandoned children in five Asian and African countries has found that children in institutional orphanages fare as well or better than those who live in the community.

The findings contrast sharply with research that associates institutions with poorer health and well-being, and the policies adopted by many international agencies/governments.

"Our research is not saying that institutions are better. What we found is that institutions may be a viable option for some kids," said study leader Kathryn Whetten, director of the Center for Health Policy at the Duke Global Health Institute. "As the number of orphans continues to rise worldwide, it is vital not to discount orphanages before assessing whether they are harmful to the millions of children for whom they care."

Whetten’s research team compared the physical health, cognitive functioning, emotion, behaviour and growth of orphaned or abandoned children ages 6-12, half of them living in institutions and the other half dwelling in the community. The study found that children in institutions in five countries reported significantly better health scores, lower prevalence of recent sickness and fewer emotional difficulties than community dwelling children. These findings suggest the overall health of children in orphanages is no worse than that of children in communities.

The research team has been following the 3,000 orphans involved in the study for three years, and they plan to continue tracking them into their late teens and early 20s to determine how their childhood affects their life course.

Published in the interactive open-access journal PLoS ONE, this is one of the most comprehensive studies of orphans ever conducted. Data were collected between May 2006 and February 2008 from children and their caregivers in 83 institutional care settings and 311 community clusters. The study assessed five culturally, politically and religiously-distinct countries that face rising orphan populations. Sites included Cambodia, Ethiopia, Hyderabad and Nagaland in India, Kenya, and Tanzania.

"Very few studies cross a span of countries like ours does," said Whetten. "The design flaw of past studies is that they compared a small number of orphanages against community houses. Those limited results can’t be generalized to other places."

Some of the most influential studies on child institutions were conducted in eastern bloc countries. But the greatest burden of orphans and abandoned children is in sub-Saharan Africa and Southern and Southeastern Asia.

Of the estimated 143 million orphans and abandoned children worldwide, roughly half reside in South and East Asia, according to UNICEF. An estimated 12 percent of all children in Africa will be orphaned by next year as a result of malaria, tuberculosis, pregnancy complications, HIV/AIDS and natural disasters, according to the World Health Organization.

The Duke study included less formal institutions in Asia and Africa that were not studied before, and not easily recognized. Researchers spent the first six months meeting with members of each community to identify and map orphanage locations. In Moshi, Tanzania, the research team found 23 orphanages, after initially learning of just three from local government officials.

"What people don't understand is that, in many cases, the institutions are the community’s response to caring for orphaned and abandoned children," said Whetten. "These communities love kids and as parents die, children are left behind. So, the individuals who love children most and want to care for them build a building and that becomes an institution. These institutions do not look or feel like the images that many in this country have of eastern bloc orphanages, they are mostly places where kids are being loved and cared for and have stable environments."

The research findings run contrary to global policies held by childrens rights organizations such as UNICEF and UNAIDS, which recommend institutions for orphaned and abandoned children only as a last resort, and urge that such children be moved as quickly as possible to a residential family setting.

"This is not the time to be creating policies that shut down good options for kids. We need to have as many options as possible," said Whetten. "Our research just says ‘slow down and let’s look at the facts.' It’s assumed that the quality of care-giving is a function of being institutionalized, but you can change the care-giving without changing the physical building."

Whetten said more studies are needed to understand which kinds of care promote child well-being. She believes successful approaches may transcend the structural definitions of institutions or family homes.

"Let's get beyond labeling an institution as good or bad," she said. "What is the quality of care inside that building, and how can we help the community identify cost-feasible solutions that can be delivered in small group homes, large group homes and family homes?”

The study was supported by grants from the National Institute of Child Health and Development. Other Duke researchers involved in the study include Rachel Whetten, Jan Ostermann, Nathan Thielman, Karen O’Donnell, Brian Pence and Lynne Messer.

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Local Welfare in a Global Context: Slums and Urban Welfare in Karnataka’s Development

Local Welfare in a Global Context: Slums and Urban Welfare in Karnataka's Development

In September 2009, CIVIC organized the above public meeting in Bangalore with Dr. Supriya Roy Chowdhuri, Professor ISEC, Bangalore and Mr. Narayanswamy, Joint Director, Karnataka Slum Clearance Board (KSCB).

The former shared findings from ISEC's National Foundation of India supported 2007 project on the Impact of Globalization on Slums and Urban Poor in Karnataka. It highlights globalization's impact and NGO's/CSO's role in reducing disparity especially in Bangalore which expanded rapidly since the 1990's through the Information Technology and Biotechnology industries.

Although Bangalore's economy grew with the knowledge sectors, semi-skilled/unskilled people find minimal jobs. From the mid 1980's, in urban Karnataka: · Small scale industries' manufacturing jobs reduced · Public Sector Undertakings (PSU's) started closing since the 1990's or began hiring contractors ·

The voluntary retirement scheme (VRS) and similar policies increased unemployed and semi-skilled numbers. In 21 class I cities, population decreased but poor increased ISEC's 1973 poverty and employment ratios survey in 11 Bangalore slums and 1990 repetition in 8 found child and coolie labour increasing from 30% to 36% and 26% to 30% respectively and clerical jobs decreasing from 13% to 11%. Studying housing, livelihood, education, health, etc. in 380 households across 6 settlements (including 5 'legalized' ones) in J.C. Nagar, Bangalore through direct questions and focus group discussions in 2007 revealed: · Education, development levels vary widely with no specific job or economic clusters in a ward · Some residents are partly integrated into Bangalore's economy · Occupations: garbage pickers, 26.1 % coolies, 26.5% self-employed (plumbers, mobile/stationary vendors, etc.).

Women - housemaids, cooks, nannies, etc. · 52.6 % of the poorest/unskilled earned between Rs. 1386-3372 · Poverty Ratio: Ramanna Garden - 80%, Papanna Garden - 58%, Average: Bangalore - 56% Karnataka - 26%. Some facts about 2 of the settlements surveyed K.S. Garden · Least Below Poverty Line (BPL) cases · Employment: some in NGO/government/private sector getting Rs. 6000-12000/month and benefits (receptionists, drivers, etc.); other and skilled labour - 33.6%, low income - 52.3% · 'Push factor' - a male relative was a government employee or individuals acquired technical/English skills privately · Fringe population - unskilled, aged, alcohol/drug addicts, infirm Cement Huts · High poverty ratio · Jobs: rag pickers for 70-80 years earning Rs. 3000-4000 monthly through wholesalers or individuals getting Rs. 1500. · Women - 80% aged 40-70 married within the slum and rag pickers nearby or in Chikpete earning Rs. 1800/month. (Ironically, this is the heart of the city beside the Labour Commissioners's erstwhile office).

A street side florist

Around 20 households revealed that their lives remained unchanged for 2 decades. · NGO's Mythri and Waste-Wise's education and vocational training to about 100 families increased their monthly income from Rs.1000 to Rs. 1600. 28% of Bangalore's slum dwellers especially young unmarried women toil long hours in the garment and electronics/electrical factories in hazardous conditions earning below Rs. 2300/month (minimum wage). Such unregulated, capital intensive and mainly export oriented industries exploit the urban poor. Urban Karnataka has less access to credit through Self Help Groups than rural areas or other Indian states although this does not deter them from self-employment as they cannot afford joblessness. Further, government schemes focus on education, sanitation rather than employment generation while most poor people prefer jobs over handouts. Housing campaigns have only provided a "roof over poverty."

Mr. Narayanaswamy with merely 9-10 months in his present role stated that:

- Before 2006, National Slum Development Programme (NSDP) and Housing and Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO) were the only slum development schemes unlike the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JnNURM) which has Basic Services to Urban Poor (BSUP) and Swarna Jayanti Sahari Rozgar Yojna (SJSRY) for training and employment.
- Residents of Bangalore's areas like Sanyasikunte or Sanitorium may struggle for jobs but NGO's could help such cases
- Only notified slums qualify for welfare schemes - those located on 'illegal' land are unrecognized
- Among Bangalore's 540 settlements with 2 lakh households, 200 are notified. Ragigudda in southern Bangalore, the largest, is still under dispute.

KSCB's staff shortage (only 5 AE's city wide) is slowing attempts to legalize the rest - it requests NGO's to assist its efforts. Many slum dwellers use private healthcare as Primary Health Centres (PHC's), anganwaadis, etc. are ineffective or unavailable.

Also, government hospitals often demand money for 'free/discounted' services. Most government schools' poor standard denies them basic education. Only settlements like K.S. Garden where NGO's like Mythri run an anganwaadi or others, having free tutoring centres benefit. Minimal access to education, livelihood, healthcare and critical developmental schemes precipitates problems in slums. Despite lessening starvation, small jobs don't improve the socio-economic condition. Residents are disillusioned as politicians have rarely helped - some boycotted the 2004 parliamentary elections. While most slum residents know the various government schemes/benefits available to them like Bhagyalakshmi, BPL card, etc. they can rarely access them without NGO/CBO intervention.

Pushpa Achanta
(The author is a freelance writer, a Fellow of Citizen News Service (CNS) Writers' Bureau, and a community volunteer based in Bangalore, India)

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Local Welfare in a Global Context: Slums and Urban Welfare in Karnataka’s Development

Local Welfare in a Global Context: Slums and Urban Welfare in Karnataka's Development

In September 2009, CIVIC organized the above public meeting in Bangalore with Dr. Supriya Roy Chowdhuri, Professor ISEC, Bangalore and Mr. Narayanswamy, Joint Director, Karnataka Slum Clearance Board (KSCB).

The former shared findings from ISEC's National Foundation of India supported 2007 project on the Impact of Globalization on Slums and Urban Poor in Karnataka. It highlights globalization's impact and NGO's/CSO's role in reducing disparity especially in Bangalore which expanded rapidly since the 1990's through the Information Technology and Biotechnology industries.

Although Bangalore's economy grew with the knowledge sectors, semi-skilled/unskilled people find minimal jobs. From the mid 1980's, in urban Karnataka: · Small scale industries' manufacturing jobs reduced · Public Sector Undertakings (PSU's) started closing since the 1990's or began hiring contractors ·

The voluntary retirement scheme (VRS) and similar policies increased unemployed and semi-skilled numbers. In 21 class I cities, population decreased but poor increased ISEC's 1973 poverty and employment ratios survey in 11 Bangalore slums and 1990 repetition in 8 found child and coolie labour increasing from 30% to 36% and 26% to 30% respectively and clerical jobs decreasing from 13% to 11%. Studying housing, livelihood, education, health, etc. in 380 households across 6 settlements (including 5 'legalized' ones) in J.C. Nagar, Bangalore through direct questions and focus group discussions in 2007 revealed: · Education, development levels vary widely with no specific job or economic clusters in a ward · Some residents are partly integrated into Bangalore's economy · Occupations: garbage pickers, 26.1 % coolies, 26.5% self-employed (plumbers, mobile/stationary vendors, etc.).

Women - housemaids, cooks, nannies, etc. · 52.6 % of the poorest/unskilled earned between Rs. 1386-3372 · Poverty Ratio: Ramanna Garden - 80%, Papanna Garden - 58%, Average: Bangalore - 56% Karnataka - 26%. Some facts about 2 of the settlements surveyed K.S. Garden · Least Below Poverty Line (BPL) cases · Employment: some in NGO/government/private sector getting Rs. 6000-12000/month and benefits (receptionists, drivers, etc.); other and skilled labour - 33.6%, low income - 52.3% · 'Push factor' - a male relative was a government employee or individuals acquired technical/English skills privately · Fringe population - unskilled, aged, alcohol/drug addicts, infirm Cement Huts · High poverty ratio · Jobs: rag pickers for 70-80 years earning Rs. 3000-4000 monthly through wholesalers or individuals getting Rs. 1500. · Women - 80% aged 40-70 married within the slum and rag pickers nearby or in Chikpete earning Rs. 1800/month. (Ironically, this is the heart of the city beside the Labour Commissioners's erstwhile office).

A street side florist

Around 20 households revealed that their lives remained unchanged for 2 decades. · NGO's Mythri and Waste-Wise's education and vocational training to about 100 families increased their monthly income from Rs.1000 to Rs. 1600. 28% of Bangalore's slum dwellers especially young unmarried women toil long hours in the garment and electronics/electrical factories in hazardous conditions earning below Rs. 2300/month (minimum wage). Such unregulated, capital intensive and mainly export oriented industries exploit the urban poor. Urban Karnataka has less access to credit through Self Help Groups than rural areas or other Indian states although this does not deter them from self-employment as they cannot afford joblessness. Further, government schemes focus on education, sanitation rather than employment generation while most poor people prefer jobs over handouts. Housing campaigns have only provided a "roof over poverty."

Mr. Narayanaswamy with merely 9-10 months in his present role stated that:

- Before 2006, National Slum Development Programme (NSDP) and Housing and Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO) were the only slum development schemes unlike the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JnNURM) which has Basic Services to Urban Poor (BSUP) and Swarna Jayanti Sahari Rozgar Yojna (SJSRY) for training and employment.
- Residents of Bangalore's areas like Sanyasikunte or Sanitorium may struggle for jobs but NGO's could help such cases
- Only notified slums qualify for welfare schemes - those located on 'illegal' land are unrecognized
- Among Bangalore's 540 settlements with 2 lakh households, 200 are notified. Ragigudda in southern Bangalore, the largest, is still under dispute.

KSCB's staff shortage (only 5 AE's city wide) is slowing attempts to legalize the rest - it requests NGO's to assist its efforts. Many slum dwellers use private healthcare as Primary Health Centres (PHC's), anganwaadis, etc. are ineffective or unavailable.

Also, government hospitals often demand money for 'free/discounted' services. Most government schools' poor standard denies them basic education. Only settlements like K.S. Garden where NGO's like Mythri run an anganwaadi or others, having free tutoring centres benefit. Minimal access to education, livelihood, healthcare and critical developmental schemes precipitates problems in slums. Despite lessening starvation, small jobs don't improve the socio-economic condition. Residents are disillusioned as politicians have rarely helped - some boycotted the 2004 parliamentary elections. While most slum residents know the various government schemes/benefits available to them like Bhagyalakshmi, BPL card, etc. they can rarely access them without NGO/CBO intervention.

Pushpa Achanta
(The author is a freelance writer, a Fellow of Citizen News Service (CNS) Writers' Bureau, and a community volunteer based in Bangalore, India)

Published in:
Thai-Indian News, Bangkok, Thailand
Elites TV News, USA
Modern Ghana News, Accra, Ghana
Media For Freedom, Nepal
Citizen News Service (CNS), India/Thailand
World News Network, USA
Bihar and Jharkhand News Service (BJNS)
Banderas News, Mexico
Little About News
Twitter.com
Inbox Robot.com
Connect.in.com