Supreme Court stays

Demolition in Haldwani
- By Ankit Agrawal
 ankitmay28
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 WHAT HAS HAPPENED?

The Supreme Court on Thursday heard a bunch of petitions in

connection with the railway land case for which protests have
been going on for the past few days and

Stayed the planned eviction which was scheduled to begin around

January 10.

The eviction would have resulted in the demolition of houses, schools,

temples, banks, mosques etc against which protests have going on.
 WHAT'S THE MATTER?

Hundreds of people — mostly Muslims — from Haldwani’s

Banbhoolpura locality are protesting a notice for anti-
encroachment drive, served through newspaper
ads by the railways on January 1.

The railways claims that thousands of dwelling units have

come up on its land, and wants them cleared.
 If the occupants don’t vacate the land — in an area called
Gaffur Basti — within a week, the railways would demolish
their structures, that is, their homes, schools,
shops, mosques and temples.

The occupants reject the railways’ claim with a counter-claim

that they have been living there for decades.
 SINCE 2013

The contest began in 2013 with a PIL in the high court against
illegal mining in Gaula river, near Haldwani railway station

During its hearing, the high court ordered the railways to

examine the encroachments in this area.
 Railways and the Uttarakhand government conducted a survey in
2017, with the railways identifying 4,365 encroachments.

Another PIL reached the high court for removal of encroachment.

The Uttarakhand HC, on December 20, ordered the demolition

of constructions over encroached railway land at
Banbhoolpura in Haldwani, Nainital.

The HC told the authorities to give a week's notice to the encroachers,

and after that, the encroachments should be demolished.
 WHAT THE PETITIONERS SAID?

According to the petition, people have been staying in Haldwani's

Mohalla Nai Basti for years and the court's eviction order to over
20,000 people came in at a time when the titles of the residents
are pending before the district magistrate.

The petitioners stated that their names are on the house tax register
and claimed that they have been paying taxes for years for staying
there and that authorities gave them gas connections
at the same residential address.
 "The high court, in complete disregard of settled principles
of title and occupation, collectively rejected all documents
placed by the petitioners that clearly establish their title.

The state in its review application acknowledged the

legitimate title of the petitioners as an example of the validity
of the title of the residents," the petition stated.
 According to a statement by Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, the
railway has served eviction notices to people living in 78 acres
of land while the land in dispute was 29 acres.

It also said that the high court's order is going to affect more
than 50,000 people living in the area.
 THE POLITICS

The opposition parties have come out in support of the

protesting residents.

"They have been living in the area for 70 years. There is a

mosque, temple, overhead water tank, a PHC, a sewer line
laid in 1970, two inter-colleges, and a primary school,"
Congress leader Qazi Nizamuddin said.
A Samajwadi Party delegation from Uttar Pradesh arrived at
Haldwani on Wednesday (January 4) to extend support
to people who are facing eviction.

Former Uttarakhand CM Harish Rawat held a one-hour silent

protest at his home in Dehradun against the planned
clearance of encroachments in Banbhoolpura.
A parallel has also been drawn between the Haldwani
protest and that of Delhi's Shaheen Bagh which was
against the Citizenship Amendment Act 2020.
 CONCLUSION

The Supreme Court on Thursday (January 5) issued a stay order on

the removal of encroachments from 29 acres of railway
land in Haldwani, Uttarakhand.

The apex court said that 50,000 people cannot be uprooted overnight
and that a scheme has to be worked out for rehabilitation and working
out the rights of the various people while also considering
need of the railways.

The SC posted the case for hearing on February 7.

Q. Which river passed through the Valley of Flowers?

A) Alaknanda river

B) Bhagirathi river

C) Ramganga

D) River Pushpawati
 Supreme Court stays
Demolition in Haldwani
- By Ankit Agrawal
 ankitmay28

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