‘Give Us Our Homes or Kill Us’: Shahberi Locals Protest Demolition

Locals in Greater Noida’s Shahberi are signing letters seeking euthanasia after GNIDA’s sudden call for demolition.

(Photo: Arnica Kala/ The Quint)

Cameraperson: Akanksha Kumar

Video Editor: Purnendu Pritam

67-year-old Radhey Shyam Gupta, had retired as a teacher from a school in Aligarh and shifted to his newly bought home in Greater Noida’s Shahberi in October 2018.

His son used to live in Delhi and hence, Radhey Shyam invested his entire retirement fund in a new flat and a shop in Shahberi.

Eight months later, his world turned upside down, when the Greater Noida Industrial Development Authority (GNIDA) announced, in July 2019, that more than 400 illegal buildings in Shahberi will be demolished.

Quite hassled, Radhey Shyam says that nothing is ‘illegal’ about their home, which was purchased after due formalities.

“Even if the land was purchased from four farmers, it has been mentioned in our registry how the land was purchased and flats were built and then sold.”

Radhey Shyam Gupta, Resident of Shahberi

(Photo: Shruti Mathur/The Quint)

These days, Radhey Shyam spends most of his time sitting at a dharna (protest) organised by the ‘Shahberi Sangharsh Samiti’, a collective formed by locals.

Vijaya Negi, a homemaker and Radhey Shyam’s neighbour, is busy consulting lawyers regarding the possibility of illegality in the purchase of her house.

“The authorities are saying that they will demolish our homes. This is why we are scared. We have saved every penny for this house. Where will we go now?”

Vijaya Negi, Resident of Shahberi

Vijaya, a mother of two, is bewildered by the cold response of local builders towards them, as they are avoiding their calls.

Radhey Shyam and Vijaya are among the one lakh people who settled down recently in Shahberi, a sprawling neighbourhood between Noida and Ghaziabad.

Following a building collapse in Shahberi in July 2018, the Greater Noida Industrial Development Authority (GNIDA) prung into action, claiming that the plan for construction had never been approved.

In 2011, farmers had approached the Allahabad High Court after the GNIDA notified land being for sale in Shahberi.

Despite the high order issuing directions for land to be given back, small builders began purchasing land directly from farmers.

A local builder who wished to remain unnamed, said that he had bought land 5-6 years previously, after Shahberi’s gram sabha gave a green signal.

The question is: Why didn’t the GNIDA take action against errant builders at the time?

Residents sitting on a dharna against GNIDA’s decision to demolish more than 400 buildings in Shahberi(Photo: Akanksha Kumar/ The Quint)

The registry of flats was undertaken by the concerned authorities, and banks had readily agreed to shell out loans. It seemed to have escaped everyone that the buildings were illegal.

For some like Vijender Kumar, who is a retired driver from the railways, the move announced by the GNIDA has been particularly hard to deal with.

“Neither can we sleep properly nor can we eat properly. Will have to commit suicide... what else is left to be done.” 

Vijender Kumar, Retired Driver (Railways)

He has drafted a letter addressed to the President of India, asking for mass euthanasia on behalf of the residents of Shahberi.