In 2022 and 2023 it was Mehrauli, Tughlakabad, Vasant Vihar, Batla House and Chhattarpur. This time it's Kalkaji, Okhla, Wazirpur. In between, Yamuna and Chilla floodplains. People lost homes everywhere - a generational set-back for many. 
In response, the Left parties have jointly initiated a Peoples’ Movement for Housing Rights. This is not just about housing rights in fact. This is a fight for equal citizenship. 

The residents of “illegal colonies” constitute 40% of Delhi - the bulk of Delhi's informal workforce. These are construction words, sanitation workers, domestic workers, gig workers, street hawkers – people whose labour sustains the other 60%. 
They did not start living in informal colonies by choice. Low salaries and precarious employment forced them into these habitations. The government gave them voter cards, Aadhar cards and all other citizenship documents to extract their labour and votes, but is denying them their rights – to life, livelihood, homes, the city and the nation. 

Here are some testimonies of people affected by demolitions in Wazirpur and Kalkaji, which tell their stories – of exclusion, inequality and state brutality. 

Ameena (Wazirpur): I have been here since my childhood. My mother worked here – she brought me when I was 2 years old. And they just came and demolished these homes. There was no prior information about the exact date and time of the demolitions. It was all very abrupt. Now all of us are out on the streets, with no water and no electricity. The little kids are sleeping on the streets. The government should give us an alternate accommodation, or at least pay some compensation.

I am originally from Uttar Pradesh – from Firozabad. I have been here for more than 30 years. I used to work in the nearby factory, then I worked as a cook, and then in a parlour. We are all workers here. What shall we do now? Where shall we go? Even if the government gives us 20-30-yard plots, that is enough. But they are not giving us anything, only taking away whatever little we have.

If we protest, the police threaten to put us in jail. They tell us that they will get female police to crush us. They say that they are only following orders. But where shall we go? Modi has promised Jahan Jhuggi Wahin Makaan but where are our houses? The entire area has been flattened. Rekha Gupta has gone back on her promises. The area looks like a crematorium now. She claims to have laid out a budget of lakhs for jhuggi folks. Are we not part of that?

We have voter cards, Aadhar cards, electricity bill – all on this address. If we were illegal residents, why were we issues those cards? And if we were issues those documents, how can the government call us illegal residents?    

Seeta Devi (Wazirpur): I have lived here for over 20 years. I am from Bihar and came here for work. That is when I bought this Jhuggi. I used to work in the factory. The contractor was evil; he would not keep us in one employment for more than 6 months. Anyway, after I got injured, I switched to working as domestic worker.

We have lived here for so long; all of us. How can they call us illegal residents? I have ration card, voter card, Aadhar card, all on this address. They cannot chase us away like this. Where will we go now?  I feel very depressed looking at the debris of houses. They did not let us take anything. Everything got buried under the debris. What happened to the Jahan Jhuggi Wahin Makan promise?

More demolitions are scheduled. This whole area will get flattened. Where to go now? We are all very bothered about what will happen to all of us.

Resident of Bhoomiheen Camp, Kalkaji*: We were not living on a canal or a flyover. We were not obstructing anyone. Why are our homes gone then? I have no name. All my documents have been buried in the debris. Without any papers, who am I? How does my name matter? My college books have been buried as well. They came at 3 am to demolish. We were all asleep. Which government activity happens at 3 am? Next morning at 10 am there was a hearing at the Division Bench and they were scared we would get a stay; that is why they came at 3 am to demolish. Rekha Gupta is not ending poverty, but chasing away the poor. 
(*Name has been withheld on request)