...key notes from national workshop on Urban poverty in India

A national workshop on Urban poverty in India: Whittling or Withstanding is being organized by Caritas India during 22^nd and 23^rd March 2012 at Don Bosco Technical Institute, Okhla, New Delhi.

 The inaugural ceremony was chaired by Most. Rev. Lumen Monterio, Chairman, Caritas India. In his address, he highlighted Urban poverty and the ever increasing urban population as the major challenge for the nation. He stressed that there is a need for systematic approach to address the issue and to evolve common strategies. Fr. Varghese Mattamana, Executive Director, Caritas India said that the workshop aims to strengthen Caritas India’s capacities in designing and implementing urban development programmes. Mr. Michel Verhulst, President, Caritas Belgium, Mr. Dominic Verhoeven, Vice Preseident, Caritas Belgium also graced the occasion. Mr. P.U. Francis, Zonal Manager – North, Caritas India made the welcome address and Fr. Frederick D’Souza, Director Designate, Caritas India gave the thanking note for the inaugural ceremony.

Mr. Indu Prakash Singh from Indo Global Social Service Society focussed on the push and pull factors of the rural to urban migration. Even though there are many welfare schemes, not even a single scheme really reaches out the slum dwellers. Basic denial of rights and entitlements are the end results of various factors that lead to urban poverty. With the current development approaches Poor are going to be wiped out and not poverty.

On Housing & Land rights

Mr. Colin Gonsalves, Director, Housing and Land Rights Network and Ms. Jayashree Satpute made their remarks on judiciary and favorable judgments with regard to homelessness and against evictions. They stressed on the need for Public interest litigations so as to ensure the right based approach and proper implementation of development programmes.

On Policy for homelesness
The theme Homelessness in India and policy approach was presented by Mr. Harsh Mander. He made his view that the urban poor are those who live in lifelong disaster situations.  Needs to be rethinking of what made them to be in these suffering conditions. He made the call for more temporary shelters like working men and women hostels along with affordable housing conditions.

Ms. Jyoti Awasthi presented the rights in the global context: UN covenants on housing.  Human rights aspect of housing was highlighted and she said security of tenure is more important in ensuring the human rights.

Ms. Aruna Sundararajan, MoHUPA on Basic services for the urban poor shared her views on dimensions - engagement in housing, health, education, livelihood and credit: policies and schemes. She said that establishing community organizations and community networks among the urban poor are the need of the hour along with the enactment of property rights by all the states.

On Migration
Ms. Divya Varma, Ajeevika Bureau made a presentation on the experiences of Ajeevika Bureau on solution, security and support services to rural migrants. Interstate migration problems are never addressed by the government as the focus is on international migration which brings remittance to the country. The major challenges include the social identity of the migrants and the portability of their entitlements like ration card to access the basic minimum services.

On media advocacy

Mr. Raju Sajwanh, from Dainik Jagran, Delhi reiterated on the need for more collaborations between Civil Society Organizations and Media so that the issues is taken to the larger public and thereby to ensure a joint advocacy effort in policy making.  He also made the call for alternative journalism on issues like urban poverty through blogs and websites.

Bipin Rai from Shahri Adhikar Manch and Anand Lakhan from National Forum for Housing and Livelihood Rights shared their own experiences of urban poverty and the challenges they are facing when they tackling these grave issues.

The issues were well discussed in the open discussion and the house recorded the concern for proper judgments on public interest litigations and its implementation. The workshop intends to take the issue forward so that it will mould and supplement Caritas India’s efforts in urban development programmes.