Suspicious blaze at Kalyanpur slum
The fire that was allowed to burn down the shanties and shops at the Kalyanpur slum shows utter disregard for human lives. The circumstances of the fire raises question and we condemn, in the strongest possible terms, those who tried to stop the fire brigade vehicles from reaching the spot to tackle the fire. According to a number of slum dwellers, they belonged to the ruling party.
The eviction drive to free a piece of government land was suspended after the High Court ordered the authorities to stop the eviction for three months during which the latter was barred from harassing and threatening the residents without specific allegations. Then came the fire which, according to news reports, many local residents believe was lit by ruling party men who would benefit most from several projects when the land is freed.
We support the government's initiative to recover land from unlawful occupation. But there must be a proper and humane way to do this. How are the residents of the slum going to survive the winter without a place to live? Could the authorities not wait till the winter was over? Where will they go from a place they have called home for so many years? Where does the muscle power to obstruct an emergency vehicle emanate from? More importantly, how could a market and a slum be constructed on government land in the first place?
An investigation should be launched immediately to find out if there was any foul play behind the Kalyanpur fire. And in the long run, the government should come up with more humane ways to free up land from illegal occupation.
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