West Bengal: 75,000 Evicted, Homeless

What is affected

	Housing private
	Land Private
	Communal

Type of violation

Forced eviction
Demolition/destruction
Dispossession/confiscation

Date

15 December 2003

Region

A [ Asia ]

Country

India

Location

Bagbazar and Cossipore area, Kolkata Municipality, West Bengal1

Affected persons

	Total 75000
	Men 0
	Women 0
	Children 0

Proposed solution

• take all necessary measures to guarantee the physical and psychological integrity of the families who have been evicted; • guarantee the right to adequate housing of the evicted families, with particular attention to the following elements: security of tenure, access to public and environmental goods and services; freedom from dispossession; participation; compensation, restitution and rehabilitation; and physical security, as recognized in the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, among others; • respect, defend, promote and fulfil human rights and the fundamental freedoms throughout the country in accordance with international human rights standards.

Details

IND-FE 241203.doc

Development

Forced eviction

Costs

Demolition/destruction

Land losses

- Land area (square meters)

- Total value

Housing losses

- Number of homes

1500

- Total value €

Duty holder(s) /responsible party(ies)

	State
	West Bengal Government and the Kolkata Municipal Corporation

Brief narrative

The West Bengal Government and the Kolkata Municipal Corporation forcibly evicted around 1500 families who were living in the canal settlements in the Bagbazar and Cossipore area, Kolkata Municipality, West Bengal.

This violent eviction is not an isolated incident. On 22 September 2001, about 20,000 people were evicted from Tolly Nullah. On 2 Feb 2003 around 7,000 Dalits were evicted from Belilious Park, 129 Belilious Road, Howrah. After the eviction, these families had to settle in the Belgachia garbage dump, where they have been facing horrendous conditions. They have been living on the open street with no shelter from the sun, no drinking water and no sanitary facilities. As a result, M. Shiva, a 3-year-old child, died due to starvation. Until now, the West Bengal State Government has not provided any compensation to the victims and has failed to resettle them (see also OMCT and HIC-HLRN joint urgent action appeals IND-FE 240703 and IND-FE 240703.1).

Costs

€ 0

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