Kids miss annual exams as Delhi Development Authority razes 30 houses

At least 30 slum houses near Nehru Place Metro station were razed on Tuesday by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) forcing many children to miss their annual examination.

Around an hour before she had to appear for her mathematics paper on Tuesday, Varsha Kumari, a class 8 student of a Delhi government school — she aims to work in a bank someday — watched her house being torn down.

Parents said the least the authorities could have done was to give them some extension till the examinations were over.(HT Photo)

At least 30 slum houses near Nehru Place Metro station were razed on Tuesday by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) forcing many children to miss their annual examination.

“We kept crying and even stood in front of the bulldozer to stop the demolition. But they did not listen,” Varsha said.

“I could not leave my mother like that and go to school,” she added.

A common complaint among residents was that there was no written intimation of the demolition. “Over the years, these people (officials) come and threaten us verbally. They told us on March 1 that a demolition would be carried out. But we never thought it would actually be carried out,” a resident said.

“We had to sleep in the open and all our blankets got damp from the fog. My son fell sick in the morning and he had to be taken to the hospital because of which he missed his exams today,” Seema Devi, a mother of four children, said. “We cannot even openly express how stressed we are because that will terrify our children,” she tearfully said.

According to Basti Suraksha Manch (BSM), a platform that works on housing rights, there are at least 37 school children in the slum colony. Madhavi Katuri, a social activist working in the area, claimed that only three children were able to appear for their examination on Tuesday. BSM is now planning to file a petition in Delhi high court on Thursday for a stay on the demolition drive.

Antara Bhilwariya, a Class 9 student in Sarvodaya Kanya Vidyalaya No.2, Kalkaji, who appeared for the exam, said, “Our parents wanted us to go because they did not want us to compromise on our studies.”

“This was the first time I saw such a thing happening and was scared because no one was home when the bulldozers came. It was just me and my siblings,” she said.

Parents said the least the authorities could have done was to give them some extension till the examinations were over. “We have spent our entire lives working as daily wage earners and doing odd jobs. At least, our children should have a chance at a better future through education,” Rajendra Singh, a resident, said.

DDA vice-chairman Tarun Kapoor said, “It was a DDA parking land from where the jhuggis were removed. If encroachment happens on prime land and there is no proper documentation, it has to be removed.”

“We do ask the people to produce required documents. If they want time, that is also provided. However, in this case, they did not ask for time,” he said.