GBGB: Dadar - 1
Duration: 00:49:56; Aspect Ratio: 1.778:1; Hue: 32.561; Saturation: 0.041; Lightness: 0.444; Volume: 0.397; Cuts per Minute: 3.824; Words per Minute: 93.825
Summary: On January 19th, 2009, the first Annual General Body Meeting (GBM) of Ghar Bachao Ghar Banao Andolan was held at Ambedkar Bhawan, Dadar. Slum-dwellers from more than 20 slums across Mumbai participated. Activists from cities like Delhi, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad and Bijapur turned up to express their solidarity and support the struggle of Mumbai's slum-dwellers.
Speakers spoke about the rights of slum dwellers, the overall political situation in the country and the loot that has been unleashed by corporates and politicians in the name of development. Everyone underlined the need for a more decentralised and democratised decision-making process.
During the GBM, slum dwellers who were present elected their representatives who would work on issues related to housing, education, food security, land rights and other concerns. The election was on the basis of consensus and ended with a resolve to intensify the struggle to make Mumbai a more inclusive city.
Ambedkar Bhavan
Dadar
Man in white shirt: Greetings to all viewers. There is a meeting with Medhatai in Dadar tomorrow morning and everybody, must participate and as many women, sisters and all must join us.
Tai will take more interest in our iissues if we show up in large numbers tomorrow. She has spoken in detail about the
Metro Yard Hatao Abhiyaan... and tomorrow... those who are affected from Mumbai will be included in that meeting. People must participate in large numbers from our area. Influential people from all across India will be present and will advise us, and will speak about their struggle.
Man in white shirt: And tai will tell us our future course of action in our area and so people have to come there in large numbers in the morning... and there are 3 buses from our area have been organised to take us there by Vyapari Mahasangh who have paid for these 3 buses. Every body can use this facility and most of the people have to reach in Dadar East, next to Chitra talkies,Ambedkar Hall... the meeting will start by 9-9:30 and if ladies need more time... no problems you'll can leave from here at 10:30 and reach there before 12 and it is necessary for most of the people to be there.
Man in white shirt: Tai believes that if people come out of their houses and participate in the protest then a metro yard wont be built.That is why women have to come ahead and participate... and how we have to fight against the government...tai will give us this information. That is why ... try to keep your work aside and dedicate the day tomorrow for Medhatai and come to Dadar and 3 buses from my area have been organised by the Laljipada Vyapari Mandal, you can use this facility. A bus will be standing near my office from 9am and as people will come the buses will leave.
Man in white shirt: Please... tomorrow most of the ladies should get out of the house and take part in the protest and be a partner in removing the yard.Thank you... and for more information contact Ashwini office or contact boys of our network for additional information.Thank you.
Ramesh bhai: I am Rameshbhai of Maharaja Saree centre from the Vyapari Sangh of Laljipada, I request all the viewers to gather at the Laljipada fish market at 9am ... there are 3 buses organised by the Vyapari sangh...I want to inform you'll that... you should finish your work at the earliest...
Ramesh bhai: I know that your kids have morning school, there is a lot of morning work, water must be filled in the morning, so I request you... I request every society...tomorrow morning by 9-9:15 am there will be 3 buses in Laljipada fish market which will take us to Medhatai Patkar in Dadar east next to Chitra talkies in Ambdekar Bhuvan to oppose the Metro car shed and we have to fight big struggle against it. It's tai's message that female power has come and it has brought with it new light and if ladies join, we will be able to come to a conclusion.
Ramesh bhai: So I request all the mothers and sisters to come in large numbers. If they don't, then our struggle will remain incomplete. So I request all the mothers and sisters to finish their morning chores and come in large numbers to Laljipada fish market where 3 buses have been organised by the Vyapari sangh who will take you there.I would make anoher request... that please carry a lunch box and a bottle of water in case of some inconvenience, as there will be a large number of people there. I am grateful to you and you'll have to come at 9- 9:30 in Laljipada fish market next to the public toilets where the 3 buses from Vyapari Sangh will be standing... it will take you to Medhatai's meeting where she will tell you the future course of action. Thank you.
Atik: We have decorated the fields by ploughing the fields. Sing loudly. We have decorated the fields by ploughing the fields. We make threads and we run the mills.(x2)
We have joined pieces and made clothes and decorated them with the colours of our dreams. I dont want cerecloths because I dont have work. We have made the rails and laid the roads, we flew it up in the air and let it meet the moon.We made the boats and floated them in water.(x2)
Sing loudly. My life is full of sufferings because I dont have work.(twice). We have made Shahjahen's Taj Mahal.(x2)
We have decorated temples and mosques.
Tv_protest songs
protest song
Atik: We play the Sitar and flute.(x2)
There is no music in my life because there is no work.(x2)
We have elected MP's and MLA's.(x2)
We have elected the CM and PM (x2)
Why should I remain breathless as I don't have work. So what should we do? if we don't have jobs or any rest what should we do? Should we dream?... Should we dream? how many people? will everybody shout Bravo!
(Song starts) We will dream, we will shout bravo. We will bend our fingers and raise our fists.(x2)
We will tocu the sky and shout bravo. We will sing till we dont have work. we'll struggle till there is no work.
Off screen: There is not much noise. You guys had breakfast and came no? Please give water immediately people need water here but shout loudly you're voice should reach Mantralaya .Raise a cry.
Audience: We are one.
Off screen: We are one.(twice) (Audience repeats). Maharashtra government should come to consciousness. (twice).(Audience repeats).You will have to come to conciousness.
Audience:You will have to give(twice).
Off screen: You will have to give us land.
Audience: You will have to give(twice).
Off screen: You will have to give us electricity.
Audience: You will have to give(twice).
Off screen: You will have to give a ration card.
Audience: You will have to give(twice).
Off screen: Raise a cry.
Audience: We are one. Bravo!
Off screen: Our associate from Hyderabad Sabrinji who works for an association called Chapri. She works with slum dwellers, street vendors
and unemployed people.(Applause).
Off screen: We'll win. We want to call Nirmala Gupta on stage, on behalf of the Ghar Bachao Ghar Banao Andolan... Nirmala Gupta. and now with us.
Off screen: Raise a cry...
Audience : We are one.(Audience shouts slogans).
Off screen: Our associate from Bangalore Mr Ram Murthy is present here with us, we would like to welcome him with a big round of applause and felicitate him,(Applause).We have Advocate Manishatai amidst us, welcome her with a big round of applause.(Applause).(Audience shouts slogans).
Off screen: The stage seems empty I would request tai to come on stage.The land that belongs to the government is ours.(twice). that is ours(twice).(Audience repeats).
Medha Patkar: We'll fight.(twice).
Audience: We'll win.(twice).
Off screen: Husseinbhai on behalf of street vendors... please come on stage and Tiwariji on behalf of the metro please come on stage.Please welcome them with a big round of applause.(Applause).
Woman in white: The metro yard is a deceit this is the oppurtunity to push it away(twice).
Woman in green saree: Firstly you all know that two things move with us constantly, one of them being the songs of protest... we have started many songs and secondly lighting of the torch.This is the torch of our protest.
Atik: Take your steps carefully and move ahead with the torch till it's dark.(?) The labourer gets gallows and the lucky ones get poison. Your sadness wont reduce till the darkness continues.Walk with a torch and take your steps carefully till it remains dark.Walk with a torch till it remains dark.
Tv_protest songs
Atik: The people of my village have started moving ahead taking flame torches in their hands. The people in my slums have starting moving ahead taking flame torches in their hands.(twice) Now the people of my slums will overcome darkness.(Audience repeats) The slums and fields are asking till when are the people of my village going to fight. They know that they wont get anything without struggling for it. Now the people of my village are struggling.The people of my villages have started moving ahead in my village(twice).
Mukta: There will be a new dawn in every slum of the country. The people in my village have become united(Audience repeats) We'll fight.
Audience: We'll win.
Off screen: Women empowerment has dawned(twice)
Audience: Has brought a new strength.
protest song
Mukta: Associates! we now have another aim under which we have been fighting for the Ghar Bachao Ghar Banao Andolan... under the Andolan flag... for the respect of the flag and to hoist the flag we would like to invite Rajendra Ravi, Mohendra Pathan and would request the other associates to come here. (Applause and drum beats)
Off screen: Raise a cry!
Audience: We are one.
Mukta: Save the house.
Audience: Make the house.
Man in white shirt: Save the house make the house (twice).Save the city, make the city.Raise acry! we are one .(Audience repeats) We'll fight, we'll win.The fight of every poor in this world is one.We are one. We'll fight, we'll win.
GBGB poster
Mukta: Now we have to do a very small thing and we would like to call ahead Sanghavibhai to release our calendar and a song book from the Ghar bachao Ghar banao Andolan which is compiled by Atikbhai and Lalbhai...
Off screen: Youth power has come and brought with it a new strength... We are asking for our rights and not begging. Maharashtra Government come to consciousness. make the house, save the house.Raise a cry! We are one.(Audience repeats) The Metro Yard is a fraud this is a chance to knock it off.(Thrice)A house of our rights and not belonging to somebody else. We'll fight, we'll win. We have just awakened now there is a whole struggle ahead.Raise a cry! we are one. the struggle of every family in the world...
Mukta: We would now request our associate (?) to release our calendar... we would like to welcome the calendar with a big round of applause.(Applause)
Off screen: Save the house, make the house. Raise a cry! we are one. Save the house, make the house.
(Thrice) Save the country, make the country( twice).We'll fight, we'll win. At the end of the program you all can go and buy the calendars and song-books which are available at the stalls... now we'll take this program forward. Our associates from different fields... who are fighting for different issues in Mumbai like the street vendors, SRA (Slum Rehabilitation Authority), settlements or the metro... We would like to invite all of them to talk briefly... we all know the issues... to speak briefly about their position in their struggles. So, firstly in context with SRA i would like to call Haiderji and ask him to speak briefly.(Audience shouts slogans)We are one.
Haider: Bravo associates !
slum rehabilitation
Haider: In context of SRA... under the leadership of Ghar Bachao Ghar Banao Andolan... the SRA struggle committee was made, afterwhich we went to every slum in Mumbai and faced their questions, then we divided ourselves in 3 member teams in which Sureshji and the editor of Maharashta Times... Bharat Mann(?)... these 3 people gave a report... a detailed report about it's advantages to the people and the profits of builders and how the government has given them a freedom... for whom the SRA scheme was made... it's not beneficial to those slumdwellers but to the builders... and was made by the government to benefit the builders... after that we kept the struggle on and went to different slums and we tried to solve people's questions... and in today's date 26 SRA societies have come to us and they have come to us with their complete... their own questions... we have taken their whole application and in this week... next week, we will take their application to (?)
Haider: And at that time if they fail to solve these problems there will be a(?) protest in front of the SRA and the government policies favouring the builders... we will start a detailed protest under the name of the poor and the SRA... 10-15 days... after the the concession time gets over...I will end my talk by saying this, Thank You.(Applause)
Mukta: Haiderbhai... Haiderbhai really... our struggle that is going on with housing development and the settlements under the Ghar Bachao Ghar Banao Andolan for the past four years... in which we would like to call a few of our associates from the different settlements to keep their points briefly. So firstly, we invite Omarbhai from Mandala to speak briefly about the where their struggle has reached.
Omarbhai: Bravo associates of the settlements! We have been fighting a co-operative struggle since 2004... we have joined the Protest since 2004 till today we are continuing our struggle in unity with the other settlements.
Omarbhai: They put up notices and left... at dawn they got bull dozers and demolished
and people were unaware about this and had left their houses in the morning for work. Nobody knew about this... this wouldn't have happened but people were betrayed and the houses were demolished. After that we removed a protest and went and sat at Azad Maidan, either give us houses or we will make house in Azad maidan and stay there because Azad Maidan ... especially is nobody's land and since India got it's independance since then the place... and where will the public stay, they don't think about this... they just fill their stomachs and go abroad they don't think where our mothers and children will stay.They can think about that as well is what we think.
Mandala
Omarbhai: It is sad to know that some of us are agents and when the time comes, they take mone, drive the others away and give them votes... and they have to pay for their mistakes... we ourselves should think how many politicians are there? and even today I've seen that everybody is a cheat... if we decide that we don't give the vote of our slum and be united.
off screen: the poor are being driven away under the pretext of reducing poverty... we have to think about this...we have to think about this... till now we have recieved many of our rights with our struggle and many are yet to be taken. Our life has become a struggle and we will keep fighting...
White shirt: Is it not there? Is there no other alternative for the Metro Rail which can be used... in this city under the name of environment... can't the government find an alternative for the crowd? they want to loot the people in the name of development and fill the pockets of the tich people. Many of our associates said that the government, the officials and the politicians... I have an unanswered question in mind which keeps on coming back to my mind, tai... I 'm saying this in front of you... Is my constitution not fit for me... for repressing the rights of the poor, to take their rights away? or the government officials who work within the guidelines of the constitution... who we call the 'Shasan' or we the soldiers of democracy... the base of democracy... who build the government... we poor people... our hands which vote... the seals of stamp... is it just us?
Mumbai Metro One
White shirt: So I say... that we don't blame the constitution... those great men who wrote the constitution... who wrote it... so, today we should respect them and we remember them... we should follow the guidelines they showed us, we respect them. The government officials become autocratic when we send our chosen representatives and with their cooperation they become despotic. Associates we all say Bravo! together... of we become united and raise a cry of Bravo... the government officials get scared... I say that with this cry the MMRDA official named Ratnakar Gaikwad will also run away and he will forget about driving the poor away.(Applause)The representatives that we send in the parliament...in the assembly, in these big meetings...we don't send them to raise our voice orr to fight for our rights... what goes on there? shoes... chappals... abuses and then a bundle of notes, where notes are shown... through the medium of tv channels by sting operations.
White shirt: If these politicians are caught dealing with money, then who should we choose? the question is whom do we choose? we agree and of the 10 standing for elections the smaller thief is chosen by us... even though everybody is a thief here. We talk about... associates, we have gto believe ourselves and stand for ourself...we will fight for our self... trust... how many people sitting here can be trusted? the enlightened and learned people sitting on this stage have taken an oath that they will work only for the poor and not for the wealthy people.(Applause) At a little distance from the Metro Yard is a slum called Poisar,a few of our associates from Poisar have come here for the river... like we say that the river should'nt be obstructed... the environment gets disturbed, spoilt under this pretext a 1000 houses are displaced... some of our associates just to straighten it up and where the buildings stand the river is transformed into tar and nothing happens there.
White Screen: We... the metro yard... car shed is being made in our area,many of our associates have come here... many sisters have come... tai took two meetings in our area and her associates have also gone...the people have come very enthusiastically and believe tai. We in our protest against the Metro shed have registered 15000 protest letters in Mantralaya, the poor people who have given their votes and positions go to the ministers but had never seen Mantralaya but under the guidance of tai, our poorest brother and sister has registered their letter in Mantralaya.(Applause)Similarly we are sending protest letters to MMRDA... Muktaji says many associates have come, we hvaer many... who we have come to listen to...our associates from the cities and different areas,we will also put to light their problems... we also raise a loud cry Associates Bravo!
Blue shirt: Our Simpreetbhai and Lal baburai and the people from the same coast will be chosen for the centre in the settlements... who are helpless and in that setlement... like women wanting to learn stitching, who have many responsibilities at home and their husbands don't have enough salary, so that their kids are educated in a good school but our centre has one more purpose that they are taking up the reponsibilities of all the kids who are joining them because how education should be taken and how their future will be successful. These are some samples of the things women are making... these are bags and there are newspaper bags... these are wallets and bags which college kids are supporting in buying these bags and our Haider Imam bhai is struggling on behalf of the Workers Union... the news paper bags that we make, he collects from his house, his society and sends the paper to our centre andthe women in the centre are using it as a means of livelihood.(Applause).
White Shirt: Even people from the Taj lands hotel are supporting us, we are trying many such people to bring in more livelihood for the people living in the slums through the protest, so that many unaided people can get employment. Thank you.(Applause)
Mukta: Thank you.Now... the basic facilities along with redevelopment that are being formed for which our struggle is going on and we would request Mohan Chauhan bhai to talk about it briefly and after that Santoshbhai to talk about the same thing.
Off screen: Raise a cry! We are one.We'll fight, We'll win(twice).
Mohan Chauhan:Thank you. Are many of you'll tired?..eh... Ghar Bachao Ghar Banao protest... Now the second session... where was the first session taken? in Azad Maidan... Now this is the second session which we are taking in a big hall but this hall is also very less because the start of this protest has taken place in such a fashion... In 2005 on Azad Maidan... 90,000 slums were demolished and those people who stood against this...
Mohan Chauhan:On 2nd February we had gone in front of Chief Minister Vilasrao...he said that we can't say anything about these people now.We gave them an assurance in voting but we cant talk about safety now because we have submitted in the court that we will not move ahead of the cut-off date... I have just been told to speak about basic facilities...basic facilities...no... alongside the housing issue... from where has this housing issue started. We shouldn't forget the tortures of the government on us... if we forget this we wil never get a house because from the 2nd February... 2009 year has started and we still haven't got any rlegal, safe house and we are against it be it metro or Ambujwadi or Mandala or Indira Nagar or Annabhai Sathe Nagar or Kurla Indira Nagar. So all those who have come here and are ignored, deprived or displaced... everybody has come here with the same cry: Save The House, Make The House.
Mohan Chauhan: So we have taken this slogan from lanes to Delhi many a times and along with that, even now Sonia Gandhi, Sharad Pawar or Manmohan Singh or Vilasrao Deshmukh... Vilasrao Deshmukh has been displaced already... Ram Ratan Singhji as told Vilasrao Deshmukhji has been displaced within four years but now Ashokrao Chauhanji has come and we will see how much he agrees with us. Many people have come here in context to Metro Rail... what is the population of 25,000 multiply it 5 times, 125000 people are going to be displaced... the government are destroying everything under the pretext of development and displacing them and we wil never forgive it.(Applause)There is no question of forgiving them... all the time they say we have given safety but when have they given this safety, after using the bull dozers.
Mohan Chauhan: After the bull dozers were used Medhatai was with us and she argued so many times with the Chief Minister... whom are you giving safety to?.... your talking about giving protection after 2,50,000- 4,00,000 people are dispaced... so give them some compensation? give them water? give them light... eh... give them primary schools... give them roads... give them proper education, all these are basic facilities and the right facilities have not been given by the government but on the strength of the protest... the people leaving the Mandala settlement, there are 48 settlements there and they stand where they were. We have started development work there and we had taken the Primary school one meal program, we took ration rights and added that to primary school also.The primary school in P-North, Malad East,West have been started... 66 primary schools have been started on the strength of the protest.
Mohan Chauhan:It's a Supreme Court judgement where the rights to food, right to meals, we just took it forward...we put the file in front of the Project officer, Supreme court commissioner, Maharashtra commissioner or project officer of the Maharashtra government, they never gave primary schools in any of these unaided areas, but when we showed the copy of these orders... it's written in this order that within 3 months if there are 40 kids in the settlement within the age of 0-6 and they are registered... then within 3 months a primary school will be opened and if the authority fails to do so, he will be suspended and will be jailed, we assured him of this and threatened him, so,we opened 66 primary schoolson the strength of this protest... alongside the 66 primary schools 132 people got jobs.The residential centres have been made through the help of residents and with that we ask for the rights to receive water.
Mohan Chauhan:Human rights are just not for name sake, we need a house with human rights, along with that we need water, sanitation, roads... we have been jkeeping this challenge many times in front of the collecters, ministers... even now the government is sleeping... the government is sitting just like an hippopotamus, we have even given them a challenge and in the upcoming elections in a year, you should vote only for those who support you but this is not a vote meeting... this is a meeting rom Ghar Bachao Ghar Banao, it's a members meeting and with that our associates from Delhi, Kolkata,Hyderabad are also associated with us... National convention of a public coordination... the government is scared after seeing the name of the protest. When Medhatai comes to Mumbai the police becomes active... the government gets intimidated... the government asks Where's Medhatai? where's Mohan Chauhan? where's Simpreetbhai? they feel that we are going to plunder...
Mohan Chauhan: or going to set a bomb but they don't get information about the bomb when Medhatai comes they know, isn't it right? (Applause)So this government... anywhere if Medhatai's name comes... it's Medhatai. Yesterday we were 40-50 people qwerwe sitting here... in Marve... there was a polica car there as well...inquiring from where have you'll come?...What have you got to do? we are having a meeting... we are talking... No when is Medhatai coming? when will she leave... Arre what is this?but terrrorism is coming here... the terrorist shakes the whole world, government but when the slums are demolished nobody is affected... 25,000 people are being displaced due to the yard and nobody is bothered... when 90,000 slums were broken nobody was bothered, till medhatai didn't come to Mumbai nobody was bothered.
Mohan Chauhan: For two years.. till four years... till we started struggling under this Protest they realised that something should be given and done... so these are the basic facilities... till now we haven't got water,we got ration cards by fighting and getting the officer suspended... we have taken and will take this is our right...similarly electrictiy has to be taken, education has to be taken, so our protest is going to carry on in a united manner, it's not a days fight... I just want to end my talk briefly here and the other associates have to talk so I stop. Bravo! are you'll angry Raise a cry! We are one.We are asking for our rights and not begging from anyone.The volume is low, when we are asking for rights what are we asking? India's constitution... thw constitution the government has made... it's of the state government...we are just asking what is written there.
Mohan Chauhan: It's been 60 years,yet we are fighting,Protesting, AnnouncementsLathi charge is also being taken... we bear this... that is why we are asking dfor our rrights should be loud.We are asking for our rights and not begging .The Maharashtra government should come to consciousness(twice) you have to come to conciousness,you have to give us a house.Raise a cry, we are one.(Audience repeats)Bravo!
(Audience shouts slogans)
Mukta:Associates! Our representative from different parts ofd Mumbai are constantly comming and supporting us and struggling with us, we welcome all of them. Firstly, Amitbhai from the SRA struggle committee, welcome him with a big round of applause.(Applause)
Mukta: We would like to welcome Ahwinbhai from Pereirawadi,Sumeetbhia from Bandra, Shastri Nagar, please welcome them with a big round of applause... Sureshbhai from Indira Nagar and our associate who was with us in the Narmada Bachao Andolan, Joshiji who's come from Thane, please give them a big round of applause.(Applause)There has been a line of associates.. taking this forward we'll invite Santosh Thorat who works for the basic facilities in Annabhau Sathe Nagar to talk briefly.
Santosh:Associates! Simpreetji,Omarbhai, Nasrin didi many associates have kept our issues
and many a times i was asked to speak briefly... so I will talk brieflyfirstly I would like to give a big Bravo! to our motherfigure, sister Medhatai present on the stage on behalf of the protest in Mumbai.Bravo!We'll fight, we'll win. we are against opression and torture(Audience repeats)Associates, this is our second session...
Santosh: the first session was in Azad Maidan... this second session is of all the associates... this is our Diwali, Eid... it's our festival which we celebrate together even in the slums and will continue celebrating each year. The symbol of our unity is the Ghar bachao Ghar Banao protest it's a symbol of our unity and will continue celebrating it... our struggle will continue. Today, the unworthy people living on higgher positons in the country... the scam that took place.
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