Charan slum community is no more

It is with a heavy heart and great sadness that we have to tell you that the Charan slum community is no more. On Friday 17th June, around 3pm, the local authority people and the police started destroying the community’s homes with their bulldozers. The residents appealed for some other land for resettlement or at least to be given more time to pack their belongings but there was no reprieve. The eviction continued until the evening and into the next day. The whole community was forcibly evicted into the streets. Many were unable to gather their belongings and were without food and are still spending their nights on the roadside in heavy rain. A few of them have erected a makeshift shelter on nearby private land for which they have paid rent but most do not have the resources for this. Also the majority of the local people are not willing to accommodate them even for payment. The older hostel children and those at university are doing their best to help their families. Some of them are cooking on the street and distributing food to those most in need. About 100 of the most vulnerable children have been given temporary shelter in the hostel.