Marching Against Imposed Death
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Marching against Imposed Death Anita Dhole Women in Resistance The Research Collective February 2020 The Research Collective, of the Programme for Social Action (PSA), facilitates research around the theoretical framework and practical aspects of development, sustainable alternatives, equitable growth, natural resources, community and people’s rights. Cutting across subjects of economics, law, politics, environment and social sciences, the work bases itself on people’s experiences and community perspectives. Our work aims to reflect ground realities, challenge conventional growth paradigms and generate informed discussions on social, economic, political, environmental and cultural problems. Women in Resistance: Anita Dhole Put together by: Savita Vijayakumar and Kaveri Choudhury Cover Design and Layout: Media Collective (Nikhil Koshy) Published by The Research Collective- PSA February 2020 For private circulation only Suggested Contribution: Rs. 10/- For copies: Programme for Social Action G-46 (First Floor), Green Park (Main) New Delhi-110016 Phone Number: +91-11-26561556 Email: [email protected] Stories, Reflections and Dreams of Women in Resistance Women have always been part of movements and resistance struggles, and historically been instrumental in shaping and strengthening them. In spite of this, often they are seen as mass cadre or witnesses in the struggles, and not as leaders, in most cases. Understanding the why and the how of this scenario is crucial in today’s socio-political context, with the rise of conservative forces across India, trying to assert their power over women who stand up against authority. Within struggles, often a systematic practice can be observed, in which separate women’s groups/wings have been formed with women leading them, be it within trade unions or political parties. However, the fact of the matter is that this makes the participation and leadership of women confined or restricted to a separate wing of the group, rather than the head of its core movements, thereby diluting the role of women in strategising and decision making. This can be a convenient arrangement for the men in leadership positions, as several important issues of gender discrimination such as domestic labour, sexual exploitation, and unequal wages can thus be easily avoided in the core leadership discussions and spaces, mostly benefitting the larger capitalist and patriarchal forces. However women have always resisted these practices, exposing these hypocrisies and shredding them into pieces. Every woman who has stepped out of her traditional confines to join the struggle in the ‘public sphere’ had to first struggle in the private domain to manage housework, convince or defy the husband or father and speak up on many such issues. It is quite common to see that, for women, the struggle of the private domain travels through to the public domain as well; once the struggle in the public domain is over, the woman is expected to revert to her roles of mother, wife and daughter. Hence, there is a three-phased struggle that almost every woman in public life goes through – the struggle alongside men against the oppressive and exploitative system, the struggle within their organisation or union against male domination, and the struggle in the private domain: of the family, of domestic labour, of reproduction and sexuality. Over the past several years, we have witnessed an overwhelming and reassuring uprising of the marginalised and suppressed communities, be it women, Dalits, Adivasis or people in conflict zones. One of the key strengths of these movements and struggles has been that they are led by collectives of people instead of having individual leaders, and women have played significant roles, promoting strong collective leadership models. ‘Women Leadership in Resistance’ was the theme of Jashn-e-Sangharsh, a celebration of resistance, of Programme for Social Action held at Chaibasa, 3 Jharkhand in April 2017. The event deliberated on the role of women as witness, participants and leaders of struggles across India, and reiterated the need to acknowledge, celebrate and strengthen the importance of women in leadership positions. The Research Collective (TRC) brought out a pre-publication copy of Women in Resistance in 2017 for the gathering in Chaibasa. The publication was a collection of conversations on the journey of nine inspiring women who have been part of struggles and movements. It highlighted the way in which these women resisted the patriarchal forces and maintained and developed the question of women’s leadership through their action. This series, ‘Women in Resistance’, aims to continue to nourish and draw out those conversations, to understand the subtle and blatant ways through which patriarchy operates in the minds of the women, and of those around them, and how they have learned to unlearn those patterns of thought. We hope that these stories can also reach readers in vernacular languages and would be open to any collaboration in translation. We hope that these lives inspire, educate and reassure readers to rethink and rekindle our own life struggles and to support and encourage the women leaders we know in our own lives. In this issue, we bring to you, Anita Dhole and the struggles of residents of the Mahul rehabilitation colony, Mumbai. Resettled on the grounds of beautification and threat to security from the slums along the Tansa pipeline in Mumbai, the people who live in Mahul have been victims of fatal health issues ranging from respiratory, skin and gynecological conditions. Anita’s narration applies for all the urban poor working class who suffers extreme conditions to keep the cities alive and thriving but are always denied fundamental rights and human rights. Aashima Subberwal Aswathy Senan General Secretary, PSA Coordinator, TRC 4 In 2009, the Bombay High Court ordered the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation1 to demolish all “illegal hutments”, within 10 metres of both sides of the Tansa pipeline2 in Vidyavihar, Mumbai. This was in response to the Public Interest Litigation (PIL 140/2006) filed by an NGO called Janhit Manch that raised concerns of ‘leakage and theft’ and ‘safety and security of the pipeline against possible terror activities’3 to the chief water supply channel of Mumbai. The 6-page expert committee report that came out after three years of survey and research under the directive of the Bombay HC recommended that 15,789 houses be demolished that fall within 10 m of the pipeline on either side. In three phases, the authorities demolished around 8000 houses along the pipelines by 2017, in spite of heavy protests from the residents. The families displaced from Vidyanagar in this process were relocated to Mahul, under the Slum Rehabilitation Authority’s – Project Affected Persons (PAP) though they resisted this move for the longest. Mahul is a small fishing town almost 15 kms away from Vidyavihar despite the provisions within the National Rehabilitation and Resettlement Policy 20074 which states that people rehabilitated should be given accommodation within 3 km radius of their original homes. Mahul is considered as a ‘Critically Polluted Area’ by the National Green Tribunal as the village is surrounded by three refineries and 16 chemical factories. For the last three years, people living here have reported several health issues: short-breathlessness, tuberculosis, high blood pressure, cancer and skin diseases. This is being attributed to the massive pollution that is emitted from the factories area, including dangerous levels of Toluene Diisocynate (TDI) in the air, which is considered a human carcinogen. The people rehabilitated in Mahul have been fighting for fair compensation and right to healthy life evoking Article 21 of the Indian Constitution which enshrines them the Right to Life and Liberty. Based on these ideals the Jivan Bachao Andolan was formed in October 2018. The movement is a part of a larger people’s movement named Ghar Bachao Ghar Banao Andolan. On 9 January 2020, around 500 residents from Mahul staged a dharna at Azad Maidan demanding the implementation of the High Court order to rehabilitate them to a safer place fit for human habitation and withdrawal of the Supreme Court stay order. The housing minister Jitendra Ahwad called them for a meeting and assured in 1 The Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai also known as the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation is the governing civic body of Mumbai. It is India’s richest municipal corporation. 2 Tansa Pipeline is a 160 km water pipeline which is a major supply for water in Mumbai. In the last fifty years, many settlements have come up near the pipeline. 3 The petitioners claimed that the possible contamination of water in the Tansa pipeline could pose grave danger to millions of people living in Mumbai. 4 The National Rehabilitation and Resettlement Policy 2007 is a national policy that lays down the process by which people can be compensated while displaced by land acquisition or any other involuntary displacement. 5 the positive. But no action has been taken till now. In this interview taken in November 2019, Anita Dhole, a 42-year-old specially- abled5 activist associated with Jivan Bachao Andolan and one of those rehabilitated to Mahul details the stages of displacement and how insignificant the poor and vulnerable are to those in power. Anita while speaking about the plight of the residents of Mahul highlights how in the name of beautification of the city, sports and religious events, infrastructure and development projects, smart city projects and security reasons, the government uproots people at the cost of their lives and livelihoods. 5 She survived poliomyelitis, an infectious viral disease that affects the nervous system which could cause temporary or permanent paralysis. 6 In any organized society, right to live as a human being is not ensured by meeting only the animal needs of man. It is secured only when he is assured of all facilities to develop himself and is freed from restriction which inhabit his growth.