Slum Bombay: Sangharsh Nagar
Director: Ralli Jacob, Rafeeq Ellias, P.K. Das; Cinematographer: Rafeeq Ellias
Duration: 00:20:53; Aspect Ratio: 1.366:1; Hue: 39.826; Saturation: 0.311; Lightness: 0.155; Volume: 0.102; Cuts per Minute: 1.341; Words per Minute: 109.218
Summary: Community meeting of the residents of Sanjay Gandhi Nagar discussing what should be the design and plan of the settlement post land allocation at Dindoshi. The residents are being addressed by the community leader and Architect P K Das about what can be the possible design layouts and discussing in detail about the toilets and approach roads. The meeting gives insights into aspects of democratic planning, individual aspirations and capacities vis-a-vis community needs and possibilities.
I have a suggestion, perhaps you all will understand. We slum dwellers aren't all equal (in the same condition/situation), we don't want 1 bathroom for 4 houses. We don't want to fight with each other regarding who goes first. My point is, we each need our own bathroom at our homes, also so that we're all equal. What do you all feel?
Public meting with slum dwellers for re-development
Public meting with slum dwellers for re-development
Public meting with slum dwellers for re-development.
That would be very expensive
Every home should have its own bathroom, that's my suggestion. If someone gets sick and there is no water, then everyone is blaming each other about who has made the common bathroom dirty. Do you all agree with me? And I will keep 2 types of plans. Some people might have financial problem so, I would try to pass 3 types of plan. And those who want to make double they will convert in double. And those who want to keep single they will be on single side. And for those who have no capacity we will distribute land later because we've still not received it. So, they will make their house in their way. If anybody has any suggestions then tell us. If you all want to be equal then we need to collect the money so that we can give to architects to build the house. Many people are not paying money on time, but we can't tell them some payments are not received we'll give you later and all that. So I suggest we do it in 3 parts.
We'll make it in 3 types. In the first part will make double rooms. if your family is bigger then you will get 300 sq ft area including upper and lower. Right sir?
Including upper and lower 300 sq ft.
Like joint family can happily survive between upper and lower floors. It will have its own bathroom, no issues of fights and there'll be water facility. And the second, third who have only single floor capacity, there will be bathroom facility. And those who have no (financial) capacity we can provide amenities like water, electricity in the slum. We will not stop providing amenities, we'll continue, but we'll move them (rehab) to one side. If you guys can't pay one contribution... when its 100/- a month or 50/- you guys delay payments indefinitely. So now this society has insufficient (account) balance and we are in this condition. So I'm letting you all know in advance before we pass the plan. Raising objections after the plan is passed, then nothing is going to happen. Today we have neither money nor land authority.
Just sharing the plan today and the plan model will keep front of you all. As the plan will be passed you all will be kept informed and they will give you option of which one you all want to choose. Based on that they will prepare lists of who wants to go in which category and we'll divide accordingly.
We should all unite and cooperate, just like its been since the past 6 years. This place was not organised before. Then Shabana Azmi, Anand Patwardhan, Anna Kurian, etc fasted in the (slum) housing protest for us and the collector kicked them out, but they continued to protest. Because of them our voices reached the government, ministers. Ministers showed us a path, though they didn't give us official land. We just got a way forward through F.E. Dinshaw trust and got this place on rent. Now we got a NOC to buy this land. The NOC application we had submitted has not yet come through. And now we don't even have the 55,000/- which we must pay. Some of you pay electricity and water bills, but most do not pay and continue to take advantage. If you all have this attitude that '
arre we got this space from the government, our home is safe, no one can say or do anything to us now'. You must understand this - the government has only given you an idea. The government has not given us anything, we have to stand on our own feet and similarly we must go on to work towards getting electricity and water. From our own hard earned money, not some donation that someone handed out to us.
We have to be thankful to Anna Kurian who is working so hard for us, often skipping lunch and dinner entirely, dealing with the thousands of problems that arise in all this. Some ruffians, some builders are trying to capture our land. To kick them out we all need to come together. We should have this singular voice saying "If we die, we die togethe, if we live we live together" and only then we can stay here on this land.
We should not stop being vigilant in thinking that we're safe now, if we think like this they'll take what's ours and kick us out. The society will work towards your requirements just as its been doing thus far. We need not only your support but your united support. Like we fought together and converted Sanjay Gandhi Nagar to Sangharsh Nagar - this happened only because of our unity through the struggle. We raised our collective voice and demanded land for housing from the government who then only provided us with an idea. We are now mid-way, not fully succeeded yet. We need to struggle a lot and have a long way to go still. We need to unite to make our struggle easier and stronger as well as to strengthen the society and only then we might succeed in getting this very space. It would be our own (land / home) and no one would dare kick us out, as long as we stand united in this struggle.
This was my suggestion that I have shared with you all. We didn't sign today and so the plan hasn't been passed yet. As more plans come our way you will be informed. When a plan is passed a list will be generated of which persons want to choose which category or plan. If everyone unites and we pass the plans, then it is each person's responsibility to pay the society and if they don't pay they will charged a penalty or their home will be locked - we'll take written orders for all this. Is this agreeable to you all? Now we have a chance to speak about the plan in case of any doubts, they will hear us out.
I would like to answer some questions that were raised regarding the plan before we continue.
1. Every home on every plot has been provided with toilet facility. The plan does not allot two toilets to four homes, or one toilet to four homes, common to all. Each plot... as in each house has been allotted its own toilet facility. What I meant earlier was that if four families, or four plots want common toilets and they together take a decision, they can also be accommodated - like keep two common toilets and two water taps or one toilet and three water tap or four toilets and four water taps - these facilities have been provided in the plan. This was the first response.
2. The second question - we will survey everyone's financial capacity. The survey shows that 350 people can make two storey houses and 50 people can make single storey brick (
pakka) houses. There's also 50 people who have so little money that they can only make a shanty (
jhopdi) on their own land, and in a nice way as per their requirements, spending 5000 or 4000, more or less. After the survey we'll decide who fits in which category.
In my opinion we should not take such a decision because it creates social inequality amongst us. It is not that if I cannot afford it now then I'll never be able to afford it for my whole life. In the future I could get a nice job, I could have good business, my sons will grow and can help in my business. We all aim for improvement and progress in our lives.
If we're going ahead with this aim in life, then we should remove these types of discrimination. A home, a voice, a collective society should focus on how to develop this place together with cooperation while keeping aside all kinds of discrimination.
If you're shown 2 designs, its not necessary that you build according to them only, but these designs will help you to make nice homes economically. And secondly, building material like bamboo, tin, etc can be bought cheap in bulk. Architects and those who have knowledge on this can help us.
Those who cannot pay up, what happens to them? Those who pay will complain that others are enjoying their money. For all these reasons the society will look into these matters.
We should be united and not create discrimination, nor should we think of removing anyone from here. The society will look into matters and act justly. We are not removing anyone, we're seeing what's been happening since 1983. I'm putting my experiences in front of you, as you all know.
I would like to say about the designs we've been shown... it is somewhat misaligned, and so cars cannot enter or move around comfortably.
If architects put some thought into roads also, we can make a straight path out of here.
Secondly, our secretary has told us we can make mat or or any material houses too. I feel this should not be allowed, because society should take responsibility to improve conditions for those who are struggling. Just because there's no one to support the poor they live in straw houses while others live in solidly built structures - this is wrong. It is society's responsibility to get funds or donations from the government or other organisations or people, and spend some money for the community, to help the deprived.
Other point is according to the new DC Rules, FSI. we can make this plan better. Because there is much more we can do, make 2 or 4 storey houses, etc - as in, I'm not suggesting every slum dweller should make 4 storey houses. The plan allows for various possibilities. But I believe that everyone should live in a equal way, and if house is built then it should be built in equal way, uniformly.
From where Bhaskar bhai will get donation? There are 35 lakh slums in Bombay!
- Bank gives loan.
Bank loan... that's society's problem. One minute, I'm telling you... Since 1982 how many countries they will support?
- When you spoke we listened. Then you should also listen to us when we speak.
Also how do we collect donations, the secretary asks? We just received 2 lakh from chief ministers fund. In this way we can proceed and shake up the chief ministers and governments to get more fund. We must get funds set aside for slum dwellers improvement.
If our community depends entirely on us then nothing is going to happen because in that also have problems. Some pay and some don't. So 50 persons' money is paying for 300 persons' work, If this continues then nothing is going to work.
If society gets 15,000 rupees through the government or anywhere that would be better.
Our architect has explained to us that if we make attached toilets and bathroom for each house then we'll be short of space - we land up with very little living space. So, I suggest one toilet at the back, common to 4 houses, would be best. Most of us have big families, so we need to focus more on house space. Otherwise people are extending houses on their own and then society gets into more problems. And another thing is water connection - every home must have water connection.
In future you won't able to build more - you can make, but without government approval you can't make anything. If we do this through the society Nivara Haq Suraksha Samiti welfare centre, and your united support, then we can go ahead and do something. Society alone can't do anything. That's all I wanted to say.
Our aim should be to provide every home with attached toilets and a water connection, all this is in this plan. In this plan every person can make equal house of about 300 sq ft. Each one can get (funds) from World Bank or many organisation in country like The Housing and Urban Development Corporation Limited (HUDCO), Delhi, which gives housing loans all over the country.
Will we ask that businessman who cheats us for a housing loan? We need 30,000 rupees to build homes equally - can we do this? Is this possible? We're in the midst of a struggle, which is not about making brick houses - that's straight. There's only 2 turns which should be there because we are entering from the road and going in to our plot. So, road is made straight, and also BMC has a rule that some roads should be straight for emergency - fire brigades, ambulance etc.
I would like to say from Nagri Haq, that we'll accept your opinions and then as architects we will present some plans to you - they may be perfect or imperfect - but in the end the final plan will be by your decision. That is not only mine or committee's decision, committee decision could be there which we'll pass through the general body too. We'll make houses uniformly, how we'll build these we have to think of schemes. And committee should work on this, this is my suggestion.
The plan is open to change, it is not fixed or final, it is only a way of thinking to begin with, which we present in front of you.
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