The day the people won

The people didn’t let the police touch a single brick, and didn’t leave their neighbours, who stood before their doors. And while the police and residents continued to argue, thousands of agitated residents across Golibar gathered upon the rubble of what used to be Shivaji Nagar Society and Hanuman Society of Golibar, where police vans and demolition teams stood.

Arguments started in every cluster where there was an official. Kiran Jadhav, one of the main representatives from Shivalik Ventures, spoke about the ‘good’ the developers had done. He was jeered immediately by people who called him a liar. People repeatedly asked police why they hadn’t arrested the developer for fraud, and forgery.

“I’m neutral in this matter, we’re just here to maintain law and order,” replied Inspector Mane.

“And what about the laws that the builder broke?” The Inspector, like most of the policemen asked that question, had nothing to say. In fact, the First Information Report was lodged against the builders for forgery only when the court ordered the police to do so. They ignored the people initially, and claimed “investigations” were on.

Two of the residents, Sudesh Paware and Prerna Gaekwad stood in the

police van and discussed matters with MHADA officials and police.

“They (officials) were asking us, ‘at least let us break two homes’,” says Prerna Gaekwad, one of the ‘leaders’ of an almost leaderless movement against the builder, “If two go now, all of them will go.”

“Here see, these are the MHADA people,” said one resident angrily, taking a film crew to around seven officials sitting quietly. “When I go to see them, they never see me, but when it comes to the builder’s work, they have all day for him.”

By 5:30pm, police and MHADA officials left without breaking down any home. But they promised to come back the next day.

Meanwhile, a few residents of Golibar, along with Simpreet Singh of Ghar Bachao Ghar Banao Andolan managed to meet chief minister Prithviraj Chauhan, and got a verbal order to stop the demolitions.

The day after, newspaper clippings of the delegation meeting the chief minister were posted everywhere in the slum. There was even a notice that Simpreet Singh and Medha Patker would arrive in the evening for a meeting.

Eventually, it turned into an impromptu public meeting of over 3,000 people of Golibar. Ganesh Krupa Society’s ‘victory’ the previous day, inspired the rest of Golibar.

Four days later, four people alleged to be working for the builders assaulted resident Dutta Mane of Ganesh Krupa Society as he was collecting signatures for a letter to be delivered to everyone from the chief minister, to the Slum Rehabilitation Authority to the Income Tax Department.

They hurled a stone at him, leaving him with a bruised eyebrow and a cut on his head that required stitches.

Furious residents of the area marched to Nirmal Nagar police station to register their complaint.

“They even threatened Sudesh’s (Paware) wife,” said one of the Golibar residents. “They told her, ‘just wait and see what we will do to your husband’.”

Meanwhile, Sudesh’s older brother Rajan was outside the police station. By a strange twist of fate, he is one of the brokers of Shivalik Ventures. Rajan was attacked by the residents who called him a traitor. Another broker also arrived and was also surrounded by the mob. The police managed to save him and took him inside.

Police started to tell the people to calm down. “You will dilute your own case this way.”

Police eventually filed the FIR against the attackers of Dutta Mane, and arrested one of them. In the evening, Rajan threatened his brother Sudesh again.

Again, Golibar braces itself and waits for the bulldozers.

— JI