GBGB: First Convention at Azad Maidan - 3
Duration: 00:51:20; Aspect Ratio: 1.333:1; Hue: 11.721; Saturation: 0.116; Lightness: 0.520; Volume: 0.353; Cuts per Minute: 24.365; Words per Minute: 116.508
Summary: On June 2nd 2008 , thousands of urban poor of Mumbai representing more than 7000 members of Ghar Bachao Ghar Banao Andolan converged at Azad Maidan to participate in the first convention of the Andolan. Women in large numbers and in majority, attended the convention that began at noon went on till 7 p.m. to discuss and strategise on issues ranging from right to housing to the encroachments of the elite, right to basic services including water, health, education and food, and the obstacles in realising the same. The Convention had attendance of unorganised sector workers, slum dwellers, fish workers, hawkers, and infrastructure project affected persons.
The convention was inaugurated by Justice (Retd.) Suresh H, and addressed by Laxman Gaikwad-leader of the Denotified Tribes, Medha Thatte (Shramik Mahila Sangathan, Pune), Neera Adarkar(Girni Kamgar Sangharsh Samiti), Shailesh Gandhi(NCPRI) Right to Information Activist, Shaktiman Ghosh(National Hawkers' Federation), Seemantani Dhuru(Avehi-Right to Education Campaign), Adv. Shakeel Ahmed, Neha(CEHAT), Anand Patwardhan (Documentary Maker), Sambaji Bhagat (Cultural Activist), Medha Patkar (Ghar Bachao Ghar Banao Andolan- NAPM, NBA) and others.
While inaugurating the convention Justice Suresh raised the question 'what right does governments have to demolish the houses of the poor when right to housing is part and parcel of Right to Life guaranteed under the Constitution of India?' He declared the policy of Government of Maharashtra of applying cut-off date as inhuman, illegal as well as violation of the Constitution. He gave the call of raising struggles at multiple fronts to oppose the anti-people policies of present day governments, be it setting up of SEZs or repeal of Urban Land Ceiling Act.
Azad Maidan
Government Policies
Opposition
Protest
White checked shirt and chorus:
Throw away your inhibitions and to back to your original self, by manifesting an incarnation. Bhimrao (Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar) told us and went (Thrice). All of you sing with me with all your heart and soul. Bhimrao (Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar) told us and went (Thrice). The rich tortured us a lot. The wealthy and the powerful have exploited us. The crocodile gobbled the gem (Meaning: The meritorious gems were made nowhere.) (?). On the meaning of unity, getting ridden (we) have come before a sacrifical fire (Meaning: We are getting ready for war) and breaking the circle of class and caste, make such a state which will be called by 'Bhimachal.'
White Shirt:(?) We don't believe in Hinduism and Islam we know only the relation of being humans.
Simpreet Singh: We have to keep an account of whether we have received are account or not, don't we? So shouldn't we keep peace and be seated.
Audience replies in the positive.
Simpreet Singh: That sister wont sit and account....
Shailesh Gandhi: Civil friends.(Applause).Greetings. We have at least realised that we are dependent in a so-called independent country, that is good.(Applause).But why are we dependent? Are we going to say this only to the politicians or are we going to analyse in ourselves also? I am going to tell you about a few things, you should think about these things and I think that if we think right we can tell the politicians andmake them think right.
housing proposal
land
lease lands
Shailesh Gandhi
Shailesh Gandhi: Who stay in..there can't be houses for them. A blatant scheme was made for them...Slum Rehabilitation Authority's (SRA) scheme. This scheme was introduced 15 years ago and it was announced that all the poor people will be given houses for free...today 15 years have passed but the poor haven't received any house and the number of slums are increasing and we will think about why they have increased . Firstly, they say that the slums are unauthorised, the land is unauthorised, but I'll give you a few examples of the kind of perverse people the same government allows to keep. There is 1200 acres of land in Mumbai where the rent agreements (leased land) are over and they are still squatting on that land...Shapurji Palonji who's one of the ten richest men in India. He has 6 acres of land in the city who's rental discounts are over and he pays Rs 1644.
Shailesh Gandhi: ...there is space of 7800 sq.m and the lease has expired; now a tower stands there and a flat there costs crores of rupees and they are just paying Rs 48.31 for a year of the plot. Rs 48.31...there are 1200 acres of land like that on which 550 people are there like Hindustan Lever, Colgate- Palmolive, Tata, Lawrence and Mayo and Chartered Bank all this is standing there and the rent that is coming to the public is about Rs. 5 to 5.5 crore yearly and how much should we get around Rs.8000 crore yearly. If we get the 8000 crore then we will not be poor. In the whole of Maharashtra, the public is reeling under the loss of about Rs. 20-25,000 crore because it's given to a few rich people who have no personal or legal rights over the land.
Shailesh Gandhi: 80,000 houses were made.. 15 years back they said 10,00,000 houses will be made before 2000 only 80,000 houses were made. Now consider thinking about what I am going to say because I am going to ask you if you agree or disagree . Do you really think people are going to give you a house for free?Do you think so ?Huh! The people have no voice
Audience: No.
Shailesh Gandhi: No we wont so then why are we allowing them to make fools out of us... So the question of giving us a house for free is deceptive and if we understand this then we can move forward. The proposal is that we don't want a house for free..we don't want for free nor will we get anything for free.We are ready to pay rent and take the house . Aren't we? we will respectfully pay our dues. Today we stay here and there and pay bribes for electricity, water, we are cared of the police.Without this fear....the goverment should build these houses it's a very simple proposal and if you think about it and pressurise the government they will have to accept it.
Shailesh Gandhi: So we don't want a house for free isn't this right?
Audience: yes it's right .
Shailesh Gandhi: We will pay rent.So if 20,00,000 houses are not difficult to build it can be done easily, from where will the land come ?if two FSI's..that is two floored houses are built then in half the area of the total area where slums are built...I repeat if the government builds two floored houses it will get completed within half the area of the area covered under slums, the remaining half will remain empty and they can take monthly rent of about Rs 500-600 monthly in which you get water and you can stay comfortably it will be around 215 sq.ft ....where the proposal is simple....where will the money come from our land that has been given free their 6-8000 crore should be taken by us and these are ours. The poorest of kids in Maharashtra who are malnourished ,the farmers of Vidharba who are committing suicide because of malnourishment ,the money is as much theirs as ours. So this money is ours and the government should collect it and they can do it. There is no other reason for the government to collect it other then Corruption.
Shailesh Gandhi: So, if they collect this money at least half the area under the slums....For example if there is a slum in Borivali on two of the lands the houses will be built and the other two will be free. If houses are built on two lands and given on rent ,the ownership will not be yours and will never happen as well they have laid such conspiracies
and have told the poor that we will give you a house worth 15-20 lacs free of cost. this is not right and we don't even expect these things, we aren't beggars....are we beggars?
Audience: no.
Shailesh Gandhi: We are asking for our rights.
Audience: We aren't begging.
Shailesh Gandhi: We are asking for our rights.(twice)
Audience: We aren't begging.(twice)
Shailesh Gandhi: and our rights are to receive a place to live in..these are our basic rights and we should get a place...this land and there is no difficulty in giving this but the government has deceived us by saying that they are going to give us free houses and even we fell prey to it. So if we also give a cry that Ms Medha we don't want free houses tell the government that we will pay rent. How houses can be made ? how rent is being paid? where is the land ? the complete proposal is kept in front of the government. We have put it along with Medhaji and told the government's Secretary that its a good proposal and now the question lies that who will pressurise the government for this....because the government says we are giving it free.
Shailesh Gandhi: Collect the rent.It's ours , it's the poorest kids,the kid living on the footpath as much as it is ours. I am putting this forward to you tell Medhaji in one voice, will we take houses on rent? say loudly...
Audience: Yes.
Shailesh Gandhi: Who wants houses for free? Whoever wants houses for free please raise your hand otherwise keep it down. Then people will say they don't understand anything and will put their hands up for everything.So this is is our vow, our promise....Medhaji tell the CM that.....
Cm Nidhi giving to the Amba festival..giving to every kind of thing. we aren't begging big people beg let them we don't want alms we want a house by our rights on rent and that is our right and we will achieve it. Jai hind Jai Maharashtra.(Applause).
Audience shouts slogans . (Applause).
Suniti S R: My brothers and sisters I want to ask you that you have come here,many of you'll have got your kids.How many ladies from here have gone to the government hospital....Municipal hospital....that's it ...do you know where i was born in a Municipality hospital....now will you send your daughter there...if you have money in your hand...my mum gave birth to me in Municipal hospital..huh..in this city..isn't it..Now if I sit here with the ladies for 10 minutes my ears will be full of complaints like this doctor did that,that one said that one said something else,someone hit,isn't it..everybody knows it happens.....
Lady in Yellow: Everybody knows it happens and we must think about it...it's one month ....you know they are breaking the houses at the airport they called us there... there was an old uncle who had just undergone surgery two days back and their house was broken down where would he go? We know that we can stand in front of the bulldozer but if a child or an elderly person false sick we become helpless......even the police and government know that this is our weakness...that they will stay in the sun for 2 days and when the kids fall ill they will go back to their houses,..their uncles or aunts house wherever they get a place.....they will go....in a similar fashion there was an uncle who stopped eating, drinking, talking and his daughter said that we will readmit him to the hospital and we went to admit him. He was an old man of 60-70 years who was lying there in the sun without food,water.
Lady in Yellow: So the Doctor told us that he is well you take him home....take him home....We got him to do his X- Ray, ECG done ..he came walking his daughter said that I don't have a house to stay where should I keep him and you're saying there is no place for him in the hospital you take him home. So even we should think that for whom are the government hospitals and clinics. If there is no place for a man who is ill and homeless then for whom is it? isn't it? huh! See even I work in a slum,even I have an organisation and when I tell women about it they say "Leave it why to bother we like private hospitals don't they say....say..tell me the right thing..huh....so your asking the government for a house.....Is your stomach going to be filled with a house? Is it going to be enough with livelihood...don't you need food,drink,education..for which you need money..so where will you get that from....borrowing, taking a loan. So we work hard and earn money and on the second hand we spend it ..so who's going to benefit from this you tell me ?
Suniti S R: So who's is it?...huh...how much do the private hospitals take to administer one bottle of medicine...100..huh....300-400.. how much does it take to earn that....1 week doesn't it take ? So then think that when we pay tax..like if we buy a biscuit we have to pay tax for that ..where does that money go to the government clinic. Now I'll tell you a thing if we go to the clinic what do they tell us..there is no medicine take it from out..don't they say? Now the month of March has ended and the account ends in March..everybody's account ends in March, whatever expenses are made cash comes in and has to be shown.
Lady in Yellow: Now if you go to any government hospital they will tell you that they out of Rs 100 they spent Rs 30 and Rs 70 is there.For whose fathers is the money kept...isn't it..huh...if a poor man goes there you don't give him medicines and then at the end of the year you return his own money..so why is this situation there? Is any person like this...why aren't they like this think... in every SRA scheme there is a provision that there will be a Municipality school for kids coming there..there should be a maternity home for the treatment of ladies.
Lady in Yellow: We work in Dindoshi and there is such a provision there too. So what does the government do there they keep that house empty and if they keep it wont anybody try to possess it ..huh...isn't land the value of gold in Mumbai and it gets possessed upon slowly and it's given to the private people
Medha Patkar: Every lady who has come here in the convention to hear....to discuss about this very important issue have come to hear or no ? and the program that will be announced in the evening.The point about roads which Brother Siraj has kept in front of us..please listen...I'm not talking about people who have come to see but those who are associates of the protest..they should hear everything while staying very alert...so that after listening to this properly we have to take a new step while leaving and about meeting the CM in Mantralaya I will talk about it later. Brother Siraj talking about health.. a very healthy public has come here and the disease is known to be goverment's.
Siraj : The clinic that the goverment has made there is not made keeping the slums in mind. Where there are slums ,where labourers, hawkers stay..there...there is no clinic or hospital planned by the government to the Municipality hospital or even schools. Everybody in the government takes salary from our money....so when they take their salaries from our money......and they don't have time to think about us..today we oppose this and we will have to show this then only will the government think about us.
Siraj: It's a different thing to say and different thing to do ..we only say and don't do anything this has become the governments role.They only give assurances but don't do anything ..today there are many schemes from the government to run balwadi's and aanganwadi's(primary schools) in which they kids should get good quality food, they should get strength....get proteins.Under that they should get clothes, books, and other stationery in Municipal schools but do they get this in schools today? No ..even if they get it ..it must be in rich peoples schools not to poor kids. Through our medium of public protest we opposed this, there was a school in Sandhurst Road which was a Municipal school Bal kankari which the government converted into a private institution...an international school and it's fee is around Rs. 2,50,000.. can we pay Rs. 2,50,000?
Audience: No.
Siraj: When we don't have Rs 250 how will we pay Rs 2,50,000...is a point worth thinking about.....and there are Municipal authorities sitting here...If Jairaj Phatak sir is listening ,then it's an issue worth thinking about and a decision should be taken about this quickly or people sitting here will enter your office and ask for account you should keep this in mind.
Siraj: Today the condition of schools is such that..today the 100 acres...What is the meaning of development ..what is the meaning of development we know that..but the authorities sitting in the AC rooms are removing another meaning of development...that if a poor man is running a shop somewhere..they will raze the shop and send him to jail.
Simpreet Singh: She has not only been a supporter but has also been working as an associate.Sister Simanthini.
Simanthini: I think a discussion on education was put forth to you. But the condition in Mumbai today and why has it become like this today...it is necessary to understand and we have to decide what kind of changes we have to make in this...So...now that we are here in the year 2008...before 2008...around 125 years back when the British were ruling here and when they were there during the independence struggle...you must have heard about Mahatma Phule...due to his work women like me and others could avail the facility of education then during the British rule, Mahatma Phule was the first one to place before them the proposal that all Indians should get free and equal education. This was 125 years ago and even today we are sitting here without educational rights.
Simanthini: Just like our country is divided on the basis of castes, different castes have different places, there is superiority and inferiority ,every religion has a different place. They say we are equal but people from our religion are ours and we know what we have to face. We know the kind of treatment given to people who are low-caste Hindus, backward castes, those from another religion - we all know how they are treated and we believe that if we have to bring change in this behaviour then we need to change our thinking and we need to bring about a change in education to bring about a change in thinking.
Education
Simanthini: The first step in bringing about a change in education is to give education to all and equal education at that. We... today... here should understand this, that today, even after 60-62 years of Independence we don't have a law for education. For the rich, there are schools which charge exorbitant fees, for the middle-class people, there are many schools to which the government pays lots of money...lots of money is given...for the construction of school, the land...means, in a way they are given free land, they are given discounts on water, electricity, they are given discounts even on income tax. So, in this way the public money, the money earned by the public by paying taxes and given to the government, and the money the government can collect from people who are doing business.
Simanthini: This money that the government doesn't earn and is giving discounts on, is the people's money. The schools for the middle class are run on this money because the government gives them this money. Today, there are no rules and regulations; still, there is a central government scheme which is termed...Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan scheme, in which they have said that in the city there should be a school within a distance of 1 or 1.5 km. Is there is a school like that in Mandala?
Audience: No.
Simanthini: So in many areas of Mumbai where this rule - the government's own rule has been violated. In villages, the schools should be within a limit of 1 km. We know... today that the government's... our own information tells us that in more than 50% villages there is no arrangements for schools. So amidst all this government says that our kids... in today's...more than half the people in the country are illiterate, in which the number of youths is also very high. So to educate these people...so now such schemes in the last 10-15 years, the situation is changing in the country and the decision taken by the country is not b its own people but by people sitting in other countries and big companies and they've said that your goverment - in health...the money the government invests in health and education could be reduced, but you have to show that the people in your country are getting education.
Simanthini: So, now the government has started a new policy since the last 10 years; a school for the poor is made inwhich whatever is taught in a year...8,9,10 years how many ever years a child goes to school - instead of that just 3 hours a day, in a footpath school or outside a mosque or temple in villages or any other place - have been started by the government . In this the teachers are not qualified enough to teach. (break)...To read or read numbers. So we have to decide whether we should accept this as education and move on or not, where kids go to school, even those are shut and given to private trusts and these trusts charge high fees and start expensive schools on government land. So this scheme that has been introduced in Mumbai is called Public- Private partnership...in Hindi it means Public that is we, the government and private means - it can be a person,company, trust - they both take up the responsibility of education together.
Simanthini: It sounds good that everybody comes together and moves forward...on television you can see the new government ads about how our country is progressing. As per this they are showing for the sake of it that the government and the other individuals are taking care of education, but actually the government is reducing their responsibilities and it's withdrawing itself and giving the whole issue of education to people who have got money. (break in recording) 14 is deducted...that means this right does not apply to children under the age of 6. We know why this right is important for us because if the kids go to a nursery before going to school they get used to going to school, what are books, the language of the teacher and the kids is never the same... the language spoken at home and the one spoken in school is different, and the child should understand the language of the teacher and the early years of are the most important years for a human being...it's the framework of the body and the mind...
Simanthini: So from the time a child is born till he attains 14 years of age, he should have the right to education. The education shouldn't be different for kids from Mandala, kids from Cuffe Parade, kids from Malabar Hill. All the kids staying in one area should go to the same type of school; the qualifications and income of these teachers should be similar. Everybody should have a right to attend schools and receive formal education, this should be our demand and it is.
And with this education doesn't mean no fees or receiving books, it means whichever things that bring a child to school and make her study and bring about human development, those things should be allowed. There should be arrangements for sports...if the remaining kids are...nowadays everybody has a craze for computers...so if everybody thinks that this is needed then this facility... whichever facilities are availed by one class should be given to all kids .
Simanthini: So the people staying in flats, who are rich... we listen to them but the new books that should be made or the kind of education should be there...they should tell us that the current society which is exists ... what kind of society is it? So education about the society is also very important. Keeping in mind these 7 elements, we should demand that the right to education must be accepted quickly, must be on the right level. First and foremost, the complete responsibility of education should be taken by the government and completed. It sounds like a common thing while listening, that we aren't asking for much but to get even this lmuch we had to wait for 60 years and in a way if we see British government firstly told... (break) everybody has the right to say how education should be... I have just kept in front of you the story of different protests going on... in the end I would just say that after hearing such difficulties...these basic questions if people gather over here then this is our big strength and our hope. Bravo. (Applause).
Off screen: I would request brother Siddharth to welcome sister Seema... Siddarth .
Audience shouts "Save the house ,make the house".
Off screen: Welcome Anand Patwardhan . (Applause).
Majubhai: There is a small number, the number says that till now... last year... in Maharashtra poor people..it's printed in Bold letters in the Maharashtra government's economic survey that in 2007-08... EWS says... Economically Weaker Section... that Mhada made 100 houses for poor people... I think we should give a round of applause to Mhada that they made 100 houses for us... if not we should boo them... we should pelt stones at them and make them run away. In 2006-07 they made 90 houses. In 2005 they made 900 houses..997..these are their big numbers... For which the number of houses that are to be built for the poor people commissioned by the government... their big IAS officers...If he makes them run away..then Hiranandani builder will come. Simpreet and Medhatai told you what happens if Hiranandani comes in .We want the government to build houses and the money that Mhada has eaten ...
Majubhai: What do we have to do in our slums ? in our slums, what are the rights? Does anybody have the rights to shoo us away ? If we give them the right to shoo us away that will be when the make houses for the poor. It's the right of people to sit there and explain(?) and this year time is in the hands of human rights, the human rights that we have of living respectfully it's the 60th anniversary ... 60th year... this is our right that we live respectfully as humans in Mumbai. To live respectfully we need water, a place to stay, and education, with all this we need to fight moving out of the house and towards the city.
Majubhai: We are being fined Rs 200,Rs 500 an everybody working on the footpaths is getting kicked out .
Off screen: Majubhai said that we need everything, water, house, school... you want? how will you get?... how will you get? huh.. We'll fight.
Audience: We'll win.
Off screen: We'll fight.
Audience: We'll win.
Off screen: If we don't fight then what will we do? we don't have swords in our hands ?you have to raise your hands to raise your voice. We'll fight..
Audience repeats the slogan.
White Kurta: (?) There is not even a single work that can't be done without money. In 12 months whatever gr that comes out. NAPR,after joining the national convention of the public protests... there was a public hearing in different slums a year back but there are such preposterous goverment authorities, that they haven't given anything till today. They should give ration cards but authorities are involved in scams that they wont work without bribe and they will tell you get this stuff and that and many proofs. If you have any one poof you will get a ration card,they say first get the electricity bill. The point to see is that the electricity people say that first bring your ration card... so where should we go? when we go here they say get voting card or ration card and if you go there they say give your voting card or electricity bill... so where do we go?
White Kurta: I want rights over here at that time they said if you have name in the voting then you will get a card... you will get ... they didn't give... you will get. From Sathe Nagar there 600 forms submitted in the past 9 months... the RO of Siraj nagar said that there will be a police enquiry and those who are Maharashtrians, I will give their card. To show he passed the 73 forms...(?) The RO said that I will do it quickly I'm the poor man's Christ... what Christ are you ,you don't work without money.
There is a scheme that nobody gets a ration card without police enquiry
that means that you the officer will take rs100 as charges and pay another 100 to the policemen. That is why we came here to take our card.with this I end Jai hindustan,Jai Maharashtra.
Off screen: Raise a cry .
Audience: We are one.
Off screen: Ration Card is our right.
Audience: Is not somebody's fathers.
Audience repeats the slogan.
Man with moustache: But the government has denied accepting them as a family, they are termed as 'slum dwellers' they became homeless but on one side where the tsunami victims received help from the world in that the slum dwellers who became homeless in 2004-05 did they receive any help?they didn't get any help because the government doesn't count them as humans. you'll aren't counted as humans because you'll come together and give the government an answer.
Man with moustache: Do you'll know in the year 2005 the high court passed an order and announced thousands of building in Ulhasnagar to be illegal... didn't they but none of them were broken down... then even if our houses are illegal how are they broken down so easily... because we can't become united and the illegal buildings in Ulhasnagar is getting regularised,for which a proper law was made. The government is going to take 70ps/sq.ft and regularise it ... it's going to be legal... do you know this. So even we kept a proposal in front of them that you're taking 70ps/sq.ft from them we are ready to give you Re 1/sq.ft... can we give rs 1/sq.ft.(Applause). Even we don't want free stuff, if you're taking 70ps /sq.ft from them we are paying 30ps more because our heart is bigger then theirs..you have to regularise our slums... isn't it right ?
Audience: yes. Does everybody agree.
Man with moustache: So we will also pass this proposal that we want to regularise our slums at the rate of Rs. 1/sq.ft. According to Article 14 of the Indian Constitution, everybody is equal before law and everybody's rights are equal, be it a building or a slum. So we put a proposal before the government, that the way that they were regularised. Mr Kirit Somaiya filed a (?) who's behind demolishing slums why ? because he's in touch with the builder lobbies and they will face the maximum loss. So that they don't face losses Kirit Somaiya works up all the way to the Supreme Court but when the question is raised about slums where hard working people stay... there the same Kirit Somaiya... BJP members... people from the congress government stand alongside the builders.
Raj Awasthi: It's time to get united and pressurise the government before elections so that they give in to all or demands. If we talk about Mithi river, you must have read in many newspapers...It was known on the international level that due to the Mithi river the whole of Mumbai was submerged in floods, such a big propaganda...whereas it is written in the governments report that in 722 acres of land in Bandra-Kurla complex the big buildings...the glass buildings...ICICI bank stands there...the Ambani school stands there... Citibank stands there, due to these buildings a lot of debris was flushed into the Mithi river and because of this all the slums in Kurla, Chembur, Ghatkopar all sunk in the floods - and didn't only sink in the 26th July floods...but every time it rains heavily and whenever there is a high tide, their houses will sink in the floods because the palaces of BKC to keep them safe... the rich people can run their businesses... it's necessary that these people of Kurla, Chembur, Ghatkopar should sink .
Raj Awasthi: Keeping Anna Hazare as our idol we have as per the Right to Information asked the government a few questions for our information but the government doesn't have an answer . The area was given under (?) who along with the police started to demolish the area but I would like to congratulate women from Maharashtra Nagar, Hari Masjid and Indira Nagar who had passion like you'll and bravely stood in front of them with cans of kerosene and they said that if you take one step forward we will burn ourselves with kerosene and there wont be anything left of slums and you'll wont have to demolish it.
Off screen: We all (twice)
Audience: Are one (twice)
Off screen:We'll fight. (twice)
Audience: We'll win.(twice)
Off screen: Against every pressure and torture.
Audience: Fight is ours.
Raj Awasthi: We aren't considered humans because we don't have ration cards, water, voting rights, a roof on the head,but bulldozers come for us. When the voting time comes we sudenly become humans as our votes are required and they will come to our door to take votes. But once the voting season is over and the ministers are chosen, they forget everything. Then they get bulldozers ready for us and say they are wrong they should be removed from here... who are they? they don't bother while taking votes such people are there in MUTP while building the SCLR bridge our slums came in the middle of the road but we are fighting since 4-5 years in which Raj Awasthi ji is supporting us, (Medha Patkar) tai is also supporting us and... we have reached such a level that we made them agree to our decisions and our tai(Medha Patkar) has a big role to play in it.
Raj Awasthi: The message that I want to give you'll is fight with all your courage to make them agree, if you don't fight your work will not be done. If you fight you will get your rights, we are not begging in front of them it's our right and we should get it. They may give it by a fight or happily they will have to get it, but if we back off then we will not get anything. You have to think we have to fight for the ration card and water.
Man in Blue Shirt: Does the work of joining (?) and making music, so I would request Siddharthbhau to welcome Sambhaji Bhagatji.
Off screen: Save houses (twice).
Audience: Make houses (twice).
Woman in sari: Have to keep in houses. Who's the real enemy the one living next to me or the one who is backing of from his rights... isn't it right?
Audience: Yes.
Woman in saree: The elected corporators get Rs 1 crore 45 thousand every year. how much it is? To rehabilitate one slum they get Rs 1 crore 45 thousand they get... when they come for asking votes ask them an account for the quota that had come and what they spent out of it.Give an account.(twice)
Audience: Give an account.(twice).
and for what does the money come ? to build schools , to repair schools, to clean different gutters, and to make other facilities but there is a lot of corruption in that and when the voting time comes then they will get cement and build things.
Woman in sari : and Human rights are what human rights... these human rights are for bungalow residents, Slum dwellers and garbage dwellers. What are human rights? Education, Health, Food grains. Do we get food grains on rationing ?
Audience: No.
Why don't we get it ? we should also ask after the end of the second world war the arrangement of rationing was started why has it shut down by them. These agents of the rich say that people of India are eating a lot... there should be grains to eat and the prices that are rising why is it rising? 1 lac cars are coming in front ... by the Tata's... by the Birla's ... by god knows whom... so many rich people have come and they all have got cars but where is the road to drive cars, where will they get petrol, the prices of petrol are rising.
Woman in sari: The prices of petrol are increasing that is why even the prices are rising... so all the facilities are being made for the wealthy people but for whom are they voted ... to make facilities for the poor... There are so many government employees ... even after having so many employees you can't use your brains in these matters and you give it to others... so then what politician are you? So you should be able to identify such politicians and take your right to health. Health... we shouldn't be taking medicine in private... everybody should go to government hospitals and the issue of one women should become everybody's issue. This should be the ladies announcement. Shouldn't this be done? will we do it or not.(twice)
Audience: We will do.(twice)
Woman in saree: Everybody should get the facility of health.
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