Raising Voice through Citizen-Media Dialogue in Bilaspur

Over the past two years, PRIA (in alliance with Shikhar Yuva Manch, Bilaspur) has been intervening in 9 slums of Bilaspur to strengthen civil society voices on urban poverty. Through meetings, focused group discussions and community participation, slum dwellers have been organized into Slum Improvement Committees (SICs) at the slum level. Capacities of SICs have been built through training and orientation about different central as well as state government schemes available for the urban poor. SIC members have been motivated to develop rapport and good relations with each other to enable them to share their knowledge and settle problems on their own initiative. Several joint meetings have been held to share information and raise awareness of common problems, and to find collective solutions. 

Slum dwellers along railway lines received notice from the Railways to vacate the land last year. Since then, SICs and slum dwellers have been raising their voice at various platforms to demand their rights. Bilaspur Municipal Corporation has not taken any steps to provide alternative houses in the city. The slum dwellers submitted a memorandum to the mayor, commissioner, the urban minister and their elected representatives. They are now planning to submit the memorandum to the chief minister and governor of the state.

On 17 May 2013, the SICs of railway slums organized a citizen-media dialogue to share and highlight their issues and problems and the efforts they have taken collectively to resolve them. Around 20 slum dwellers, 2 ward councilors and 6 media houses, both electronic and print (Haribhoomi, Navbharat, Dainik Bhaskar, Nayi Duniya, ETV and  Grand News), attended the dialogue.

Mr. Kameshwar Rao, Ward Councilor of Ward no. 55, highlighted the fact of those living on railway land for the past 50 years are now facing eviction. Ms. Shabnam Siddiqui, SIC member from Ward no. 53, shared that even though the slum dwellers have voted in every municipal election, the municipality does not provide any basic services in these slums. They do not think it is their responsibility since the slum is located on railway land. So where should these citizens go to receive services? Ms. Shakina Begum from Porter Kholi slum was hopeful because now that they are organized (in SICs) they can resist unlawful evictions and demand proper services.