Jai Hind camp residents protest water, power cuts; hearing today
Organised by the Sangrami Gharelu Kamgar Union (SGKU), the event saw residents share accounts of survival without basic utilities
New Delhi: Hundreds of residents from Jai Hind Camp in Masoodpur village near Vasant Kunj gathered for a citizen’s convention on Thursday to protest the abrupt termination of their electricity and water supply. The cuts, implemented Tuesday under a Patiala House Court order from last year that deemed the connections illegal, have plunged the settlement into crisis just weeks before a crucial July 18 hearing on the camp’s proposed demolition.
Organised by the Sangrami Gharelu Kamgar Union (SGKU) alongside Collective Delhi and Basti Suraksha Manch, the event saw residents share accounts of survival without basic utilities.
“Our children can’t study or sleep without fans, falling sick and missing school,” said 28-year-old Siya Bibi, who said that she was a lifelong resident of the camp, adding that her two children (8 and 10) have already missed a week of classes.
The coalition presented three key demands: immediate restoration of utilities, cancellation of the May 30 demolition order, and guaranteed on-site rehabilitation per Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board guidelines should demolition proceed.
“Almost all of the women here work as domestic helpers in the homes of Vasant Kunj residents, and almost all the men work as garbage collectors in the area. If we stopped working for even one day, the entire community would suffer. So why are we being treated like this?” said Marjina Khatoon, 25, another resident.
Also Read: Illegal water, power cut at Jai Hind Camp; WB CM lashes out at Delhi govt
{{/usCountry}}Also Read: Illegal water, power cut at Jai Hind Camp; WB CM lashes out at Delhi govt
{{/usCountry}}Activists at the event emphasised the settlement’s decades-old existence.
{{/usCountry}}Activists at the event emphasised the settlement’s decades-old existence.
{{/usCountry}}“SGKU has worked here for years, and residents have legitimate claims to rehabilitation,” said union member Shreya Ghosh. The event featured protest songs and testimonies highlighting how the utility cuts disproportionately affect children and elderly residents during peak summer.
{{/usCountry}}“SGKU has worked here for years, and residents have legitimate claims to rehabilitation,” said union member Shreya Ghosh. The event featured protest songs and testimonies highlighting how the utility cuts disproportionately affect children and elderly residents during peak summer.
{{/usCountry}}With the next court hearing scheduled for Friday, the convention served as both protest and preparation. “We’re documenting every hardship to present before the court,” said Shaurya of Collective Delhi, as residents vowed to continue demonstrations until their demands are met. The Delhi government has yet to respond to the growing outcry over what activists call “inhumane displacement tactics.”
{{/usCountry}}With the next court hearing scheduled for Friday, the convention served as both protest and preparation. “We’re documenting every hardship to present before the court,” said Shaurya of Collective Delhi, as residents vowed to continue demonstrations until their demands are met. The Delhi government has yet to respond to the growing outcry over what activists call “inhumane displacement tactics.”
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