Thousands of street performers and traditional artists are about to lose their homes as authorities in

Indias capital New Delhi plan to raze a slum to make way for large apartments and shopping malls. More
than 3 families li!ing in New Delhis "athputli or #uppeteers $olony ha!e been asked to !acate the
area. %ut as %ismillah &eelani reports' the community is resisting the mo!e.
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*+,year old #uran %hat is one of Indias most famous puppeteers.
(itting in a small room on the roof of his house' he is busy preparing for an upcoming puppet show. %ut
he looks worried. -ike other residents in the area' he has recently recei!ed a notification that his house is
slated for demolition.
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%hat li!es in "athputli $olony' a slum area in the western part of New Delhi.
The local go!ernment has gi!en the area to a pri!ate de!eloper for a huge construction pro:ect that is to
include high,rise apartments and a large shopping mall.
The go!ernment says the pro:ect is part of its plan to make the capital slum,free.
4m!ir (ingh from the Delhi De!elopment 2uthority insists that the current residents will e!entually recei!e
housing at the same site.
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%ut residents !oice strong skepticism at public meetings' like this one.
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Magician 2ziz "han is among the most celebrated artists in the "athputli neighborhood.
4ne of his claims to fame is that he holds a &uinness /orld )ecord for the great Indian rope trick.
%ut hes upset with the way artists like him are being treated in India.
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"athputli is home to more than 3 families of puppeteers' magicians' acrobats' dancers and musicians.
(ome say they make up the worlds largest community of street performers.
%ut with narrow streets' no garbage collection and lack of basic ser!ices like safe water and proper
sanitation' it is an e>tremely unhealthy en!ironment.
?+,year old %hagwan Das is one of the earliest settlers in the area.
1e says residents want the situation to change but not according to the go!ernment@s plans.
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Traditional #uppetry was once the main occupation of most of the residents here. %ut o!er the years' it
has e>perienced a rapid decline.
1owe!er' a handful of dedicated puppeteers like #uran %hat are still struggling to keep ali!e what is now
largely considered to be a dying art.
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%hatt says the electronic media' especially tele!ision' is partly responsible for keeping audiences away
from traditional arts like puppetry.
%ut at the moment' %hat@s main concern is the e!iction notice that has cast an impending sense of doom
o!er the "athputli colony.
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/hile the authorities are not yet using force to remo!e people from the area' the residents say the
officials are trying to di!ide them and weaken their resistance using harassment' intimidation and , in
some cases , e!en bribing locals. %ut they say they will not lea!e their homes' come what may.