Medha leaves, but fast on at Golibar

Golibar's slum dwellers in favour of redevelopment continue with their fast, peeved with the government acceding to Patkar's demands for a stay on demolitions in the area

Medha leaves, but fast on at Golibar

Golibar's slum dwellers in favour of redevelopment continue with their fast, peeved with the government acceding to Patkar's demands for a stay on demolitions in the area

Although Medha Patkar has decided to end her eight-day hunger strike protesting the demolition of tenements in Golibar in Khar (East), slum dwellers protesting in favour of redevelopment of the area, are continuing with their fast. Residents of 46 societies, protesting just a 100 meters from the spot where Patkar conducted her strike, have decided that they won't end their fast because the government's acceptance of Patkar's stance means they will not get redeveloped houses.

Medha Patkar's supporters rejoice as she ended her fast at Golibar
on Saturday

On Saturday afternoon, government officials met Patkar at Golibar Naka where she had been on a hunger strike since May 20, and handed her a letter that consented to her demands. Patkar had demanded that a clause in the Maharashtra Slum Areas Act, 1971 that allowed the state government to takeover land without consent of the slum dwellers, be scrapped. Following this, protesters who sat in solidarity with her rejoiced.

Meanwhile, those tenants of the 46 societies that make up the Golibar slums, who have been protesting for redevelopment since May 23, claim to have the support of nearly 7,000 tenants. There are nearly 26,000 homes in the slums, of which nearly 7,000 have been demolished. "With Patkar's demand being accepted our main aim of getting a house via redevelopment fails. We won't discontinue our protest," said Kalimudin Shaikh, president of one of the housing societies.

The group claims they tried to talk to Patkar and her men on several occasions, but to no avail. "When we tried speaking to them, they never reciprocated. They have a mere 50 men to support them, whereas the majority of us are in favour of redevelopment. Since we don't have a star attraction like Patkar, no one is paying heed to our demands," he said.

Meanwhile, Simpreet Singh, coordinator of National Alliance of Peoples' Movement (NAPM), the group supporting Patkar, said, "Now that our demands have been accepted, we have asked the government to look into other cases of slum redevelopment in the city, and to stop all demolitions across Golibar." Singh is also a member of the government's recently constituted committee to look into slum affairs.

Patkar was taken to a doctor for a check up, after which she was to leave for the Narmada Valley in Gujarat on Sunday. Nikhat Parveen, a Golibar resident said, "My brother Sayed Zubair has been fasting for six days. I am very happy that we emerged victorious and our demands have been fulfilled."