NEW DELHI: Residents of a slum cluster in New Delhi’s Janta Camp area had high hopes when they learned that the G20 Summit would be held just 500 meters from their homes, anticipating potential benefits. However, these hopes turned into despair as they were forcibly displaced from their homes.
Dharmender Kumar, Khushboo Devi, and their three children were among many people in India’s capital whose houses were demolished in recent months, actions residents and activists attribute to preparations for the G20 summit.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s federal government officials are responsible for the demolitions.
Most residents of the slum houses have been living here for decades. The demolitions, initiated four months ago, have left residents heartbroken as bulldozers razed their tin-sheeted homes to the ground.
Janta Camp, located near the Pragati Maidan, the summit’s main venue, mirrors a substantial part of Delhi’s urban landscape. A significant portion of the city’s 20 million residents resides in these unplanned districts.
In 2021, Hardeep Singh Puri, the minister for housing and urban affairs, reported in parliament that 13.5 million people are living in these colonies across Delhi.
G20 Summit Preparations Leave Displaced Residents Voiceless
Critics argue that the government is displacing vulnerable populations in the name of beautification without giving due consideration to their welfare.
Nevertheless, government authorities vehemently deny that any houses were demolished with the sole intent of beautifying the city for the G20 summit.
For the affected residents, like Mohammed Shameem, these demolitions have shattered their expectations of receiving assistance from summit attendees, leaving them feeling disregarded and voiceless.
For Dharmender Kumar and his family, the forced eviction and demolition have had far-reaching consequences, including disrupting their children’s education. The family, who had called their shanty home for 13 years, was abruptly asked to vacate the land, ostensibly for “cleaning purposes.”
Kumar’s determination to provide a better future for his children reflects the resilience of those who have found themselves caught up in the turmoil brought on by the preparations for the G20 Summit.
