Amnesty International India (AII) organised a meeting on the Right to Adequate Housing on 25th July 2008, New Delhi. The purpose of the conference was to find a common ground with diverse civil society organisations working in the field of the right to housing to collectively campaign against forced evictions in India especially in Delhi and also work towards pressurising the state governments, municipal bodies, police and administration to adopt the UN Basic Principles and Guidelines on Development-based Forced Evictions and Displacement, moratorium on forced evictions, rights in decision-making and security of tenure.

Participants

Anita (Delhi Shramik Sangathan); Bhupendra Singh Rawat (Jan Sangharh Vahini); Dunu Roy (Hazards Centre); Indu Prakash (Action Aid); Meha Dixit (Amnesty International India); Miloon Kothari (Housing and Land Rights Network); Mukul Sharma (Amnesty International India); Ramendra (Delhi Shramik Sangathan); Sanjay Kumar (Aashray Adhikaar Abhiyaan); Sharmila Bhagat (Ankur Society for Alternative Education); Shivani Chaudhry (Housing and Land Rights Network); Subhash Bhatnagar (National Campaign Committee of Unorganised Sector Workers)

Introduction
Mukul Sharma opened the session with a brief note on Amnesty International India activities & AII’s Economic, Social and Cultural Rights campaign. He emphasised on the need to develop a national level network, to consciously sensitise and make visible the series of problems faced by women, children and indigenous people due to lack of adequate housing, which is essential for human survival and dignity. He explored the possibilities of aligning with diverse civil society organisations on the issue of the right to housing.

Right to Housing Initiative
Meha Dixit began her presentation by pointing out that one of the major factors contributing to the violation of the right to adequate housing and land is forced evictions. She highlighted certain instances of forced evictions across the globe, focusing especially on India. She further talked about the various initiatives taken by YUVA, Housing and Land Rights Network (HLRN), Action Aid, Aashray Adhikar Abhiyaan (AAA), Ankur, Hazards Centre, National Housing Development Council (NHDC) and Amnesty International India (AII) for the realisation of the right to adequate housing.

Open Discussion: Right to Housing – Challenges and Campaigns in Delhi

Bhupendra Singh Rawat stated, in Delhi alone, about ten lakh people have been evicted from the urban core of the city in the past one decade. The latest target of the juggernaut of corporate friendly urban policies are the over four million residents of unauthorised colonies in Delhi. He further remarked, unauthorised colonies basically arose with the illegal subdivision of land carried out by private landlords/developers/colonisers without approval from appropriate government authorities.

Indu Prakash stressed on the new context of Urban Mission, National Housing Policy and 11th Five Year Plan while stating that courts are acting against the poor. He further highlighted the challenges at the national level for realising the right to adequate housing for all.

Sanjay Kumar pointed out that despite India being a democratic country the general public has no say in the decision making. He remarked, “We should focus on what should be done and how it is to be done?”

Subhash Bhatnagar highlighted the poor housing facilities in unauthorised sectors. He suggested that the rehabilitation provided by the government to the displaced should be subject to no further sale and purchase, also the government should provide them with employment opportunities for their long term benefit.

Sharmila Bhagat expressed the need to work in the field of experimental pedagogy with children, young people and communities in underserved workers’ settlements. She also highlighted the need for sharing and exchanges between diverse organisations working in the field of right to housing.

Dunu Roy began by saying that connecting with various organisations is very important. He went on to say that there is “a need to go into the politics of Rights.” According to him we are taking rights for granted. He commented, “We need to debate on the interpretation of rights”. He further remarked that we need to understand alliances as well.

Miloon Kothari felt that “we do not need to go back on rights”. He highlighted the Grootboom Case, one of the landmark judgments of South Africa’s Constitutional Court, where the Court found that the state was constitutionally required to assist the people living in crises and emergency conditions.

Shivani Chaudhry felt that it is very important to find a common ground on the campaign and also there is a need to learn from previous campaigns such as ‘Stop Evictions’ campaign.

Anita remarked that there should always be continuity in the campaign. And actions need to be designed in the continuity.

Ramendra remarked that we should look at the UN guidelines in a positive way. In fact they can be used as the base for the campaign.

The Meeting ended with an understanding that there is a need for a united and a joint action on the issue of forced evictions and displacement. Most participants felt that the meeting was an opportunity for various organisations to come together to brainstorm on a collective campaign on the right to housing and consider closer co-operation in the future.