Chandigarhians had known it as “colony number 5—city’s biggest slum”, but for some, the 10x10 ft shack in the colony was the only shelter to survive. Tears rolled down the cheeks of thousands with shattered dreams when they recounted how colony number 5 was razed to the ground even as the city exulted moving a step closer to stand true to its sobriquet—City Beautiful, “
It once stood on an area of over 50 acres in Sector 51, Colony number 5 was “home sweet home” for more than 7,000 families. The broken bricks and scraps at the site now tell a story of thousands of shattered lives.
For the city of riches—Chandigarh, the colony was an ugly blot, an eyesore and a bandit territory, but for thousands, it was something else… For the city, they were helpers, cooks, drivers, laborers, plumbers etc. These people spent their life living in the biggest slum of Chandigarh and also shared their weal and woe of life in the slums.
When bulldozer smashed colony number 5 in November, melancholy also grasped the city’s elite as their maids, helpers, drivers never returned to work.
But, at the colony, more than five thousand families were rendered homeless and only, about 1000 families were fortunate, to get a one-room flat under UT Administration’s slum rehabilitation scheme.
Today, although the colony number 5 has become a thing of past, its inhabitants still recalls the place where they had spent half of their lifetime, got married, raised their children, then celebrated their children’s wedding and many more such memories. On the other hand, denizens of urban city—Chandigarh has moved on unknown to the fact that the area was more than just a “trashy place” and not just another story hitting the headlines.
Colony number 5 was not build in one day or a year… People who lived in it say that it evolved a period of 30 years in front of the eyes of the UT administration.
People, who had left their native village in search of a good job and better life in the city, were forced to settle in the colony as they had no other choice. The city designed for a population of just 5 lakhs, does not offer a residential place for labor class and rents are too high for them in this rapidly growing urban city.
When the growing slum colonies went unchecked by local authorities in late 90s, people from far off states like UP, Bihar, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Orissa and Kerala among other places made an abode at the site, which at present stands nonexistent.
Pouring his heart out, Nand lal, who lived in the colony for more than two decades, says life is not the same anymore.
A native of Uttar Pradesh, Nand lal was one among the thousands, who settled in the colony, and was literally living from hand to mouth. “When I came to Chandigarh, the decision to settle in the colony seemed right as it was the only way to survive in the city. I was unaware of the fact that I may have to bear the brunt due to this decision after more than 25 years,” says Nand lal, who works in a local factory.
Nand lal earns Rs 6000 a month, pays Rs 1000 to live in a rented accommodation in Burail now and send the rest of the money to his family who are now settled in his native village. He knows what it is like to “live on the breadline”.
His pain was written all over his face as he try to locate his house in debris at the site, where he raised his children and with his little earnings, managed to build another room in his shack at the demolished colony.
Ram Dhan, a plumber who had lived 24 years of his life in a room of 10x10 ft at colony number 5, shares, “I live with my family of five, a wife and three children. Now, as our house is demolished, we live in a rented accommodation and I have to pay Rs 1000 for a small room.”
It’s been more than two weeks when he lost his house and now, he tries hard to avoid the subject so as not to open old wounds. As surviving has become more difficult in a meagre income of Rs 5000, he thinks of returning to his native village in Bihar.
On being asked, who were his neighbors and where did they come fromIJ He quickly replies, “There were people from across the country.” Ram Dhan saw it as an amalgamation of different cultures, languages, castes and religions at one place in the colony.
It must have been a nightmare for the dirt-poor who were forced to evict their houses prior to the demolition drive. They struggled to get basic amenities of electricity, clean water, food at the colony, albeit, it was the only place for them to live.
So, who is to blame for the present situationIJ The outsiders who encroached upon government land or the Administration’s delayed action.
The disastrous impact on the lives and livelihood of thousands of people notwithstanding, in last two weeks, we have come across people from all walks of life giving their opinion on the issue. Those living in posh areas believe that administration’s action was commendable even though they woke up after three decades to acquire their land which was encroached upon by the large number of outsiders.
While others think, administration should not forget, when slums are destroyed, many dreams and lives are shattered. For, people living in slums are human like us and administration is here to safeguard people not to destroy homes.
(This is the first part of a series on the human tragedy in the wake of the demolition of the biggest slum cluster of Chandigarh and the tragedy awaiting other slums of the city)