The humanitarian crisis at Nirnay Nagar

Scorching heat, no roofs, handed out slippers with holes, dry throats, empty stomachs, destroyed homes.

Nearly 300 kutcha houses were demolished in Nirnay Nagar, Ahmedabad, on 1st June 2022 by public officials without making alternate arrangements for accommodating the displaced. Homes have been bulldozed, and the residents were beaten up and asked to leave a place they called home for 25 years on a 7-day notice. No official reasons were stated for the forceful mass eviction.

The residents have appealed to the Municipal office, the Collector of Ahmedabad, and mobilized media support, but to no avail. A set of people who barely make ends meet hired lawyers for INR 60,000 and wanted to follow due process, but the timing was rather unfortunate. With the High Court closed during Covid-19, the hearing for their petition (requesting for alternate accommodation) never happened. Mild protests were met with ill-treatment, even towards women, and residents were beaten up for questioning the officials.

With the amount of injustice these people went through, they only have one question. “What does the government even intend to do with this land, and why now, when we have been living here peacefully for over 25 years ?”

As we approach a rather erratic monsoon in the city of Ahmedabad, the people of Nirnay Nagar merely wish for a four-month extension. The tarpaulin roofs that wrap their huts will help save their children from an inevitable wave of dengue that ravages most of Ahmedabad.

We are a group of students from IIM Ahmedabad who are trying to help these people stay in their homes for a bit longer, and for that, we need your help. We request you to sign this petition so that we can make the voices of these people reach the right ears.