Delhi CPI(M) protests 'forcible' eviction of Kathputli Colony

The Delhi unit of CPI(M), led by Politburo member Brinda Karat, today held a protest against the "forcible" eviction of residents of Kathputli Colony in West Delhi and said the party will raise the issue with Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal.
The Left party alleged the eviction policy of the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) lacks transparency and insisted no action should be taken without the consent of the dwellers.
"Nothing should be done without their consent. It is cruel what (the eviction) they are doing especially in this weather, Karat said at the protest rally.
Meanwhile, in its statement, CPI(M)'s Delhi unit accused DDA officials and agents of a private developer of trying to "disturb" the public meeting, for which police allegedly refused the Left party permission to use loudspeakers.

CPI(M) activists, local pradhan Dilip and NGOs working in the area foiled the bid to disrupt the meeting which could have led to a serious clash giving the police an excuse to use force against the residents and terrorise them, the statement by the party claimed.
"According to CPI(M), the roots of the crisis in the colony lie in the gross neglect of the interests of its residents.

"As per the DDA agreement with the private developer concerned, 40 per cent of the land now occupied by around 4,000 families will be given away to the builder for commercial purposes," the CPI(M) claimed.

"The remaining 60 per cent will be used to build tenements, for families. This PPP agreement was arrived at without any consultation or consent of the residents who have been living there for decades," it alleged
"The list of those eligible for rehabilitation as prepared by the DDA is also faulty," the statement reads.
The colony, as its name suggests, is home to several puppeteers, besides cultural activists and street performers.