Savita a caregiver and a vendor who makes her living by selling bread, eggs and tea was asked to vacate the place by the Municipal Corporation on a complaint made by temple authorities. For details kindly read the previous post.
It's very sad that majority of Indians hate dogs and are ready to do anything to get rid of them even if it means making false charges against the caregivers.
As reported by local caregivers Meenakshi (M -917011436679) and Shanti (918929307936) for past two weeks Savita and her furry friends have suffered a lot. Savita has been jobless and her dogs foodless. Anyhow with the help of few local caregivers and animal rights activists her dogs have been fed. They have stood by her supporting her all along.
The matters for Savita got worse when on 10th night Savita"s table, utensils and stove were all stolen. When she came in the morning she found most of her belongings gone. But in spite of that she didn't make any police complaint. This is nothing new in India. Poor, illiterate people are often hesitant to make police complaint because of lack of trust and confidence in the system..
Theft of Savita's belongings was just a coincidence or was it a well thought of plan of the people who want her and her dogs to disappear from the area. This only God knows or the thief knows......
Anyhow the good news is that the 15 day ordeal of Savita has ended. And the credit goes to the member of parliament and founder of People for Animals Maneka Gandhi. She not only spoke to Savita today but also assured her that no harm will come to her and her dogs. It seems Mrs Gandhi has already spoken to the Municipal commissioner and the councilor of the area about Savita and her ordeal. Later in the day the area councillor Bhawna Malik came in person and told Savita that she may continue selling bread and tea. She has assured her that no harm will come to her.
As far as temple people are concerned it seems they want to put a gate on a narrow passage which is Govt land where Savita and few more vendors used to keep their belongings. Their belongings are no longer there and the temple people are all ready to put a gate there.
Isn't that encroachment?
Will the MCD take action against temple authority for encroaching the land?
Will the temple people not keep any of their belongings in the encroached area?
Anyway why are they putting gates and why the govt authorities are not objecting to it only they know.
While people like Savita are using Govt land for their livelihood as they have no other alternative but what about people who are doing it for no reason at all.
The big question is that why should any public space be encroached?
The well educated and well to do encroachers often give two reasons for encroachment: Security and Cleanliness. But are these valid reasons?
The truth is that it's become our habit. Indians love to encroach public spaces.
Neither Savita nor the temple authorities have any right to encroach public land.
It's time the govt devised policies for such local vendors by giving them license or some authority by which they may sell their products without any fear of the police, MCD or people of authority like in this case.
After the councilor's verbal assurance Savita has started selling her bread, eggs etc (pic in the post) but she needs to buy stove, utensils and table to start selling tea again.
Hopefully she should start seliing tea very soon.