The team that arrived to vacate railway land in Gaughat, Prayagraj, was met with protests by Dalits living in the slum. A large crowd gathered. The team, accompanied by a large force and the Railway Protection Force (RPF), began having laborers demolish the Dalits’ mud houses. Residents of the slum protested, creating a ruckus.
The slum dwellers shouted slogans. When the demolition was stopped, a scuffle broke out. Police and RPF personnel first tried to reason with them, then began to disperse them, leading to a stampede. They forced everyone out of the slum and then began demolition.
People living in the slum for hundreds of years
Women living in the slum say, “Our families have been living here for hundreds of years. The Railway Department has always harassed us. Where will we, the nearly destitute, take our families and small children?” Our mud houses are being demolished.
Many families have been left on the streets. They have no place to live, no support. During the rains, hundreds of families will have to live on the open road.
Railway property had been occupied for a long time.
According to railway officials, Dalits had occupied both sides of this railway land in Gaughat by building a settlement. A densely populated area had been encroached under the old Yamuna Bridge in Gaughat. Notices and notices were issued several times to vacate the settlement, but the number of people living there continued to grow. The roads were also encroached upon by filling them with garbage.
Railway PRO said, “Several attempts were made to vacate the occupation.”
North Central Railway Public Relations Officer (PRO) Amit Singh said that people had been living in the settlement by occupying railway property for a long time. Several attempts were made to evict them. As per railway orders, a team and force are working to clear the settlement.
Mithilesh Tripathi | Karchana
Courtesy: Hindi News