Delhi: Bulldozers for Slums, Silence on Farmhouse Mansions
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and demolition of Madrasi camp in the city (Images X.com)
As slum dwellers face eviction under court orders, illegal elite enclaves escape scrutiny—highlighting the deep class divide in Delhi’s urban policy
By MANISH ANAND
NEW DELHI, June 8, 2025 – Bulldozers have razed several homes at the Madrasi Camp in the Jangpura area of the national capital. In recent weeks, demolition drives have intensified across multiple slum clusters in Delhi.
Government agencies claim to have reclaimed several acres of encroached land through these demolitions. However, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has distanced herself from the bulldozer actions, citing court orders as the basis for the evictions.
The opposition Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has lashed out at the Gupta-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government, accusing it of betraying slum dwellers. AAP alleges that despite grand promises made to slum residents, what they ultimately received were bulldozers at their doorsteps.
Caught in this political blame game is Delhi’s glaring dichotomy: a city that fiercely safeguards the sprawling mansions of the privileged while pushing the urban poor into precarious ghettoized existence. Under the pretext of preserving Delhi’s architectural heritage, policymakers have consistently resisted calls for vertical urban development.
“Where will the water come from for so many people? Where will the electricity come from?” former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit would often retort when questioned about the unchecked spread of slums in the capital.
Meanwhile, the city’s elite reside in sprawling kothis on Delhi’s most coveted streets—Ashoka Road, Akbar Road, and APJ Abdul Kalam Road, among others in Lutyens’ Delhi. These residences span one to five acres and are home to a cross-section of India’s power elite, including politicians, bureaucrats, judges, military officers, and industrialists.
Those who couldn’t secure plots in Lutyens’ zone have carved out their own elite territories—clusters of illegal farmhouses on the city’s periphery, including the infamous Sainik Farms. Despite lacking legal sanction, these luxurious properties are rarely, if ever, touched by bulldozers.
These farmhouses often have no access to officially sanctioned water or electricity. Yet they continue to thrive using diesel generators, illegal borewells, and by flouting environmental norms.
While the Chief Minister smiles and cites court orders to justify the demolition of slums, she conveniently ignores that courts have also issued orders to raze illegal farmhouses—orders that are routinely ignored.
Slum demolitions have become a near-annual occurrence in Delhi—conveniently timed before major events like the 2010 Commonwealth Games, the 2023 G20 Summit, and others. These uneven enforcement actions lay bare a bankrupt urban development policy—one that marginalizes millions who form the backbone of the city while shielding the interests of the elite.
(This is an opinion piece; views expressed solely belong to the author)
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