Hundreds of people rendered homeless after bulldozers were used in Karnataka to demolish houses in the name of ‘encroachment’ in Uttar Pradesh style; BJP questions citizenship amid rehabilitation assurance from state government
On the arrival of New Year, the open sky of Bengaluru city lit up with the light of firecrackers. There was a glow of hope on the faces of people in hotels, pubs and homes in an atmosphere full of joy. Under this sky full of lights, amid the excitement, there was also a bitter truth. Just a day before the arrival of the New Year, the state government bulldozed the houses of many people and rendered them homeless in the name of ‘encroachment’. Hundreds of people of Kogilu village entered the New Year without a roof on a shivering cold night. These people entered the New Year not with celebration, but with unbearable pain, fear and deep despair. The matter gained momentum when Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan cornered the Karnataka government and accused the Congress government of copying Yogi Adityanath’s ‘bulldozer model’. After that the issue of removal of encroachment turned into a political dispute. The Karnataka government had to make a hasty announcement that the state government would provide 350 square feet flats in Byappanahalli to all the evicted families. The government said that a housing scheme was announced in the last budget itself, the objective of which is to provide houses to the urban poor.
On the promise of providing houses, BJP says that ‘facilities’ were given to the encroachers here. Opposition leader R. Ashok visited the area and met some of the affected families. Rejecting the claims of residents that they have been living there for more than 25 years, Ashok said that “until a year ago, there were no houses there on Google Maps.” He described the rehabilitation plan as appeasement.
However, the state government says that the Revenue Department and the Greater Bengaluru Authority have completed verification of the documents of all the people whose houses were demolished. The government had assured that eligible families would be given alternative accommodation. On the investigation process, BJP says that the state will become like Bengal in future. BJP has started raising questions on the background of the people living here. When this demolition, carried out without prior notice, attracted national attention and sharp criticism, the Siddaramaiah government took swift action and announced giving flats to the affected families. But after this, BJP took charge saying that the people living here are infiltrators and even demanded an NIA investigation to gather information about them. R of Swaraj Abhiyan. Kalimullah says, “The government has said that the keys of the flats will be handed over in a day or two. But the BJP wants to derail this process, which is why the fear of ‘Bangladeshis’ is being spread.”
During the survey conducted by the Revenue Department, most of the people whose houses were demolished had shown voter ID cards and Aadhar cards, which proved that these people had been living here for a long time. Activists working with the affected families say that many residents have produced 10 to 12 years old electricity bills and other documents to prove that they have been living here for a long time. But as the conflict takes a communal turn, these people, forced to live in makeshift huts in the cold weather, are worried about their uncertain future. Banupriya, a resident of Wasim Layout, says, “We have all the documents and have handed them over to the authorities. They had assured us of alternative arrangements, but now some people and groups are making false allegations against us so that we do not get a roof. We don’t know what will happen next. We have nowhere else to go.”
Contrary to BJP’s claims, state government officials say the residents here have come from areas like Anantapur in Andhra Pradesh and some families have also come from Uttar Pradesh. Apart from this, some people have come from different parts of Karnataka. Social workers say that as soon as the government announced the rehabilitation package, such allegations started being made. Many of these people belong to the Fakir Muslim community, who earn their living as Qawwals. They sing on religious occasions associated with birth, marriage and death. Some people sell small items like toys, while others survive by begging. People from other communities have been supporting their families by working as daily wage labourers.
Amidst allegations and counter-allegations, the lives of homeless people are nothing more than a tool of political rhetoric. Efforts are being made to take political advantage by branding them as ‘infiltrators’. They don’t have much left to dream anymore. All they want is to have a roof over their heads and not have their citizenship questioned. Angel, a final year LLB student, could not appear for the exam due to the vandalism as her books and admit card got buried under the debris.
Nandini, who is associated with a civic organization called Dudiyuva Janara Vedike, describes the campaign as “cruel and inhumane”. She says, “This is a systematic attempt to communalise the issue. No one living here is from Bangladesh or an infiltrator. These people are forced to live in temporary huts in the extreme cold. Many people are afraid of going to the rehabilitation camps. Their fear is justified, because they feel that once they leave this place, they will get nothing from the government.” Civil organizations say that out of 151 Muslim families living in the three settlements, 31 Hindu houses have also been demolished. A Christian family has also been affected.
For these families confined to temporary shelters, it is a daily battle against the cold, the pain of losing their homes and the fear that political tussle might deprive them of even the assurances that they were given. are given.
Congress government in Bengaluru is copying the bulldozer model of Yogi government.
Pinarayi Vijayan, Chief Minister, Kerala
