The government and civic agencies in association with the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee (OC) had identified several sites central to hosting the Games where view cutters were put up to conceal the eyesores as well as for security reasons.

A government official said one of the purposes to put up the view cutters was to screen the beggars who crowd major religious and historical landmarks.

The plan is to relocate the destitute to parks and surround the place with slick banners and paraphernalia sporting Games mascot Shera and other logos, the official said.

Leaflet issued by the joint protest committee, JNU

Friends, CWG 2010 is now almost coming to an end. The whole country has been in a celebratory frenzy for the last two weeks. The government has made the successful completion of these games an issue of “National pride”. They have left no stones unturned to impress the whole world. The same government which claims to have no money when it comes to the issues of drought, health and education has wasted thousands of crores on just the opening ceremony. It is distressing to see that while we are counting medals won by India, we have completely forgotten that there is a vast section of people who instead of benefitting are adversely affected during our blind celebration of this “colonial hangover”.

To impress visitors, Delhi Government has taken many steps to ‘beautify’ the city. One of the most ‘innovative’ steps taken by them is to erect view-cutters to hide city’s slums from the view of the general public, and other people who are going to visit the city during this 15- day jamboree. Friends, these slums are inhabited by the very same people who constructed the stadiums and the roads required for CWG. Further, when not working in CWG these people perform many other important jobs without which this city would come to a standstill. But, instead of recognizing their contribution to the city’s economy the government is treating them like ‘dirt’.

This abominable act of the government reminds us of social apartheid in South Africa, racial discrimination and Ghettos in United States where the Blacks are forced to live in inhuman conditions because they do not fit to the ‘Global Standard’ of these cities. Similarly, here the government has been hiding the slum dwellers and their slums behind fancy CWG hoardings in its bid to project the city as a ‘world class’ one. They are being treated like 3^rd class citizens in their own country. There cannot be a more blatant example of the class bias that the state holds. This move needs to be condemned and challenged in strongest possible terms. Further, it will be a big disgrace on the radical tradition of this campus if we accept it silently just 100metres away from JNU.

We appeal to all of you to come out in large numbers and express your anger against such an abominable act which most of us seem to have taken for granted.

Join the UNITED PROTEST on 13^th of October, 4 p.m. for a march from Ganga Dhabha to the slum dwellings at the Priya crossway.