Rubble, relocation and unkept promises
On the morning of June 1, bulldozers rolled into Madrasi Camp in South Delhi's Jangpura and began tearing through homes that had been painstakingly built over six decades.
Within hours, what had once been a tight-knit, working-class settlement of 370 Tamil-origin families was reduced to mere rubble.
The demolition was carried out by the Public Works Department, under the supervision of the Delhi Police, the Revenue Department, and the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB), following a May 9 order by the Delhi High Court.
The court had deemed the settlement an 'unauthorised encroachment' on public land, obstructing drain cleaning efforts near the Barapullah drain. The court directed that rehabilitation be provided as per the Delhi Slum and JJ Rehabilitation and Relocation Policy, 2015. The demolition, the court stated, was essential to prevent potential flooding during the monsoon season.
Yet, a week after the demolition, the reality that emerges is not one of successful relocation or resettlement but one marked by dislocation, distress and disillusionment.
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