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Indian Express
6 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
DDA again plans demolition drive at Majnu Ka Tilla
The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) is working on a plan to undertake a demolition drive at Majnu Ka Tilla on the Yamuna floodplains, home to hundreds of Pakistani Hindu refugees. This was after a similar drive – slated for July 15 and 16 – was deferred due to the police citing inability to depute personnel as the Kanwar Yatra was in progress. In a status report submitted to the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Wednesday, the DDA said the demolition drive is being planned again. 'The concerned officials and competent authority are in the process of re-planning and rescheduling the demolition programme, in coordination with Delhi Police and/or any other stakeholders, so as to ensure compliance with the orders of this hon'ble Tribunal and to facilitate ecological restoration of the Yamuna floodplains,' the report noted. The drive was delayed after the Deputy Commissioner of Police (North) wrote to the DDA on July 14 stating that due to the ongoing Kanwar Yatra, 'adequate police protection for the demolition drive could not be provided on the scheduled dates'. The letter recommended a joint survey and a meeting with stakeholders to assess the situation before proceeding with the drive. After the conclusion of the Kanwar Yatra on July 23, the DDA had asked the police to propose a suitable date and time for a joint site inspection. '…the DDA proposes to organise a joint site inspection… to assess the ground situation and plan the demolition operation in a structured, coordinated, and secure manner,' it wrote. The demolition drive comes on the heels of multiple court orders directing the removal of encroachments from the Yamuna floodplains. On May 30, the Delhi High Court had dismissed a plea seeking protection for the refugee camp. It had ruled that the Pakistani Hindu refugees living there 'have no legal right to continue to occupy the area in question – the Yamuna floodplains at Majnu Ka Tilla'. It had added that safeguarding the floodplains was essential, 'not only from an environmental standpoint but also in compliance with the categorical and consistent directions of the Supreme Court, the NGT, as well as the hon'ble High Court.' Following this, the DDA had issued a public notice on July 14 asking residents to vacate the area the same day, warning that 'they will be self-responsible for any loss due to demolition drive' scheduled for July 15 and 16. In a recent order, the HC had observed, 'Even Indian citizens cannot claim alternate allotment as an absolute right, particularly in cases where the land they occupy falls under specially prohibited areas like Zone 'O' of Delhi.' Zone O primarily refers to the floodplain of the Yamuna.
Indian Express
17-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Neither Pak nor India to be blamed, our fault is we were born: Hindu refugees in Majnu Ka Tila
On a table in a room that has walls made up of corrugated metal sheet lies a notice issued by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), the contents of which are powerful enough to shake up the future of 800 Pakistani Hindu refugees staying in a camp in Delhi's Majnu ka Tila. 'Bhai, notice aagaya hai… ab hum kahan jaayenge,' said a camp resident while referring to the public notice issued on July 14. 'How can they evict us without giving us any alternate living space… Some imaginary lines were drawn by foreigners to divide India and Pakistan. They didn't care about the toll it would take on us… We hoped at least the government of India would care about us,' he added, refusing to share his name. The refugee camp is located on the Yamuna floodplains, which, according to the Delhi Master Plan, fall in Zone 'O', where construction and housing are prohibited due to environmental concerns. The DDA notice issued on July 14 has stated: '…the Hon'ble High Court has given judgment in favour of DDA… In compliance… it is proposed to conduct demolition drive against encroachment in Yamuna River flood plain DDA land south of Gurdwara in Majnoo ka Tila on 15/07/2025 and 16/07/2025.' Requesting that the residents vacate the area by July 14, it added that if not done, 'they (residents) will be responsible for any damage caused due to demolition drive against encroachment' on July 15, 16, and thereafter. The eviction, however, is yet to begin, said residents. On May 30, the HC had dismissed a petition filed by one Ravi Ranjan Singh seeking the court's direction to the DDA not to demolish the camp, till some alternative piece of land is allotted to the residents under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). Pointing out the need to secure the fundamental human right to a clean and healthy environment for the residents and future generations of Delhi, Justice Dharmesh Sharma had said in his May order: 'Given the critical condition of Yamuna river, this court unhesitatingly finds that no interference with the ongoing restoration and rejuvenation efforts of the river can be countenanced at the petitioner's instance.' Dharamvir Solanki, who has been living in the camp since 2013, said, 'Around 1,000 people live in this camp…700 of them don't have Indian citizenship. None of them has a ration card. Some have come after the CAA cut-off date of December 2014… Why even have a cut-off date like this?' While the walls of houses in the camp are made of bamboo slats, corrugated metal sheets, or even mud bricks, the roofs are an amalgamation of tarpaulin and straw. Some houses bear the marks of recent destruction or ongoing construction, and the ceilings are a rustic lattice of wooden beams and bamboo. 'It is neither the fault of India, nor of Pakistan… our fault is we were born,' said Maina (25), who has been living in the camp for the last 12 years. 'They called us 'Hindustani' there, and they call us 'Pakistani' here,' said Shruti (40), who has recently shifted to the camp. As her child asks for Rs 10 to purchase finger chips being made by a group of women inside the camp, Maina said, 'It breaks my heart when he asks for money… I earn just Rs 100 a day. I spend more than I earn. Earlier, we would sell mobile phone covers… but a single flood in the camp takes us 10 years back. Our savings, our inventory… everything gets destroyed.' 'We didn't even have power for the last 10 years. This used to be a cemetery… finding corpses in the ground was common a decade ago,' said Mohini, another resident. 'A snake is spotted here every single day… I am scared for my children,' she added.
Time of India
01-07-2025
- Time of India
Apple iOS 26: Top 5 iOS 26 Features You NEED to See!
Denied Visa, Hindu Couple From Pakistan Dies of Thirst in Thar Desert After Illegal Border Crossing A tragic story has emerged from Rajasthan's Jaisalmer, where a Pakistani Hindu teen couple Ravi Kumar (17) and Shanti Bai (15) died of dehydration while attempting to cross the India-Pakistan border through the Thar Desert. Denied visas by Indian authorities, the newlyweds chose to risk everything for a new life in India. Their journey ended in silence and sand with only a jerry can by their side, empty and dry. This heartbreaking case has triggered a cross-border emotional stir and raised questions on humanitarian protocols, Indo-Pak visa policy, and the treatment of persecuted minorities.#RajasthanNews #PakHinduCouple #TharDesertTragedy #IndiaPakistanBorder #Jaisalmer #toi #toibharat #bharat #breakingnews #indianews 4.8K views | 20 hours ago
Time of India
01-07-2025
- Time of India
Actor and singer Gippy Grewal spotted in Kolkata
Denied Visa, Hindu Couple From Pakistan Dies of Thirst in Thar Desert After Illegal Border Crossing A tragic story has emerged from Rajasthan's Jaisalmer, where a Pakistani Hindu teen couple Ravi Kumar (17) and Shanti Bai (15) died of dehydration while attempting to cross the India-Pakistan border through the Thar Desert. Denied visas by Indian authorities, the newlyweds chose to risk everything for a new life in India. Their journey ended in silence and sand with only a jerry can by their side, empty and dry. This heartbreaking case has triggered a cross-border emotional stir and raised questions on humanitarian protocols, Indo-Pak visa policy, and the treatment of persecuted minorities.#RajasthanNews #PakHinduCouple #TharDesertTragedy #IndiaPakistanBorder #Jaisalmer #toi #toibharat #bharat #breakingnews #indianews 4.8K views | 20 hours ago
New Indian Express
20-06-2025
- General
- New Indian Express
World Refugee Day: A decade on, Pakistani Hindu refugees in Delhi still await citizenship
NEW DELHI: As World Refugee Day is observed across the globe on Friday, hundreds of Pakistani Hindu families who crossed the border over the past decade with the hope of a better life in India continue to live in limbo. Narrow stretches of kutcha lanes in Delhi's Majnu Ka Tila quietly reflect a long wait filled with uncertainty, a wait for identity, dignity, and a place to finally call home. While a section of Pakistani Hindu refugees received their Indian citizenship last year ahead of the general elections, many allege that only about 10 per cent of the camp's population has been granted citizenship so far. Meena Kumari (55), who came from Sindh with five of her children 10 years ago, claimed that her entire family is still waiting to be registered as Indian citizens. 'I've been living here for 10 years. We were told we would be given citizenship. But till now, there's been no clarity,' she said, adding that she left four of her children behind in Pakistan. 'There is no sanitation here. We've repeatedly approached authorities, but the situation remains the same. We are also told, from time to time, that we could be removed from this camp,' she said. The refugee settlement, located near the Yamuna, is marked by kutcha houses, broken public toilets and overflowing garbage. Toilets built for the residents of the camp have turned into dumping sites and several lanes are in a state of disrepair. Most households in the camp still rely on mud stoves and biomass fuel for cooking. June 20 is observed as World Refugee Day to highlight the plight of displaced communities and their right to safety and dignity. Forty-five-year-old Udish Narayan, who arrived from Sindh two years ago with his extended family, said the lack of citizenship has also affected their employment opportunities. 'We are not allowed to sell fruits or park our carts on the roadside. There is no work. We were promised citizenship but are still waiting,' he claimed. Due to the absence of formal documents, many residents are unable to access government welfare schemes. Despite the challenges of displacement and the uncertainty their families face, children in the refugee camp hold on to big ambitions. Many speak of becoming officers and doctors one day, as they continue their education with determination in the face of hardship. Muskaan and Sangeeta, both aged 12 and students of Class 6, said they wish to become doctors when they grow up. Whereas 5-year-old Gayatri, another child in the camp, expressed her ambition to become an officer someday. The residents said some families were granted citizenship and voting rights ahead of the recent Lok Sabha elections, but the majority are still waiting.
