Haldwani demolitions: The State blurs the distinction between legal and illegal – and punishes the poor
IndianexpressJan 05, 2023
On Thursday, India's Supreme Court stayed the decision of the Uttarakhand High Court to demolish over 4K homes located along the railway line in the Banbhulpura district of the town of Haldwani, which would have rendered over 50k people, primarily Muslims, homeless.
The Supreme Court ruled that the residents, reportedly 25K voters and 15K children living in a 78-acre tract, could not be evicted by force without a thorough review of their rights to the property, deeming this case a "human issue."
This is but the latest in a series of eviction and demolition schemes happening across India. These actions target so-called "illegal" sites that have been around for decades, operating legally and within the full view of the government until it no longer benefits leaders. Human beings who have lives and attachments to the locations are uprooted simply because they're seen as poor and disposable.
This case went on for six years in the Uttarakhand High Court, which ordered the illegal encroachments into government lands belonging to the utility to be removed peacefully. Yet, the Islamist-Leftist-Liberal faction keeps trying to depict the administration as the villain by turning a legitimate eviction drive into a human rights issue. As long as the law applies to all in India — Hindus and Muslims — squatters will never be the victims.