Slow wait for the Notice Board, by Jeebesh
One of Sarai/Ankur's Cybermohalla labs is in Nangla Maachi for the last two years. Nangla Maachi is in New Delhi, behind Pragati Maidan, opposite the Bhairon Marg crossing. A bus stand and a big CNG filling station frame the settlement.
Nangla Maachi came up after the floods of 1978, during the same time that Jamuna Pushta came up. It has grown over the last 25 years into a fairly big settlement with about 6000 dwellings and a population of approximately 100,000 people. The older village called Nangla Gaon is still there, but has been dwarfed by the settlement.
Now, in it's latest rulings, the Supreme court has been breathing down MCDs case to clean up the `encroached spaces` around the banks of the Yamuna. The MCD has argued that it is not possible to do so, as there is very little land available for re-settlement. The hearing is on.
Nangla Maachi came up after the floods of 1978, during the same time that Jamuna Pushta came up. It has grown over the last 25 years into a fairly big settlement with about 6000 dwellings and a population of approximately 100,000 people. The older village called Nangla Gaon is still there, but has been dwarfed by the settlement.
Now, in it's latest rulings, the Supreme court has been breathing down MCDs case to clean up the `encroached spaces` around the banks of the Yamuna. The MCD has argued that it is not possible to do so, as there is very little land available for re-settlement. The hearing is on.
NM's population is very heterogeneous and it is a fairly dense place. Over the last 25 years it has passed through many scares of eviction and various forms of surveys and documents have been generated during this time. The earliest was around 1984, after which some forms of `billa` (badges) were introduced as a marker of legitimate presence. Then came the ration card, mostly got through complex negotiation with lower level bureaucracy of the Food and Civil Supplies. It seems it is difficult to get a ration card and needs intervention of local politicians or some "extra money".
The scare of eviction and constant negotiation to get infrastructural facilities has made Surveys and Documents take a life of it's own.
There are many kind of surveys:i) - Census (usually understood as `ginnti` (counting) and `kum` (less) informations.ii) - Health surveys conducted by community workers and young doctors.iii) - Surveys whose specific question is to ask for `pramaan` (evidence of residence and members of the household unit). Two `pramaan` are ration card and election identity cards. You get election cards if you manage a ration card.iv) - Surveys by police to ascertain the `permanent addresses` of residents. (One recently conducted after the Diwali blast.) In this survey police goes from house to house and writes down the `village` address of the residents (where they have come to the city from).
Last Saturday night, the local masjid loudspeaker announced some news about demolition of `Moolchand` basti (behind Rajghat) and about impending demolition here, in NM. All were asked to gather and go to Rajghat with their voter i-cards (pehchaan patras) for a demonstration in buses provided by Tajdar Babbar (a local congress politician, fairly influential in many of these settlements). As it turned out from the news at night, the demonstration was about `urban villages` and threat of demolition of construction in these villages!
What, I have realised over many conversations in NM lab is that the `survey` and the `document` has a spectral presence. It appears to oscillate as a sign between `saab theek ho jayega` (all will be fine) and `aab to jaana hi padega` (now we will have to leave).
This oscillation produces various strategies of survival practices. One can sense a `preparing` for eviction in progress. Moving into safer localities like Loni and slowly moving out parts of belongings and keeping parts, in hope of some future land somewhere. Alongwith this is a stubborn sense of located-ness and pride of having made this space. Eviction takes away this pride.
[Pyaason ki pyaas bujhata hai Nangla.
Dilli mein aane walo ka basera hai Nangla.]
Translated, this means:
It quenches the thirst of the thirsty, such is Nangla,
It shelters those who come to the city of Delhi, such is Nangla
And, nw there is in this settlement, a slow wait for the appearance of the Notice Board announcing the dates of eviction.
The scare of eviction and constant negotiation to get infrastructural facilities has made Surveys and Documents take a life of it's own.
There are many kind of surveys:i) - Census (usually understood as `ginnti` (counting) and `kum` (less) informations.ii) - Health surveys conducted by community workers and young doctors.iii) - Surveys whose specific question is to ask for `pramaan` (evidence of residence and members of the household unit). Two `pramaan` are ration card and election identity cards. You get election cards if you manage a ration card.iv) - Surveys by police to ascertain the `permanent addresses` of residents. (One recently conducted after the Diwali blast.) In this survey police goes from house to house and writes down the `village` address of the residents (where they have come to the city from).
Last Saturday night, the local masjid loudspeaker announced some news about demolition of `Moolchand` basti (behind Rajghat) and about impending demolition here, in NM. All were asked to gather and go to Rajghat with their voter i-cards (pehchaan patras) for a demonstration in buses provided by Tajdar Babbar (a local congress politician, fairly influential in many of these settlements). As it turned out from the news at night, the demonstration was about `urban villages` and threat of demolition of construction in these villages!
What, I have realised over many conversations in NM lab is that the `survey` and the `document` has a spectral presence. It appears to oscillate as a sign between `saab theek ho jayega` (all will be fine) and `aab to jaana hi padega` (now we will have to leave).
This oscillation produces various strategies of survival practices. One can sense a `preparing` for eviction in progress. Moving into safer localities like Loni and slowly moving out parts of belongings and keeping parts, in hope of some future land somewhere. Alongwith this is a stubborn sense of located-ness and pride of having made this space. Eviction takes away this pride.
[Pyaason ki pyaas bujhata hai Nangla.
Dilli mein aane walo ka basera hai Nangla.]
Translated, this means:
It quenches the thirst of the thirsty, such is Nangla,
It shelters those who come to the city of Delhi, such is Nangla
And, nw there is in this settlement, a slow wait for the appearance of the Notice Board announcing the dates of eviction.
comments
bedo
@ 01.01.2007 17:49 CESTDear client!
First of all we express to you the gratitude for the trust rendered to the company.
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