In India, nearly 50,000 people have been saved from brutal eviction. In the middle of winter, the Supreme Court ruled that it was not humane to dislodge the inhabitants installed on the railway lands of the State of Uttarakhand. A decision hailed throughout the country, while the land dispute dates back to Indian independence.
With our correspondent in Bangalore, Como Bastin
In the town of Haldwani located at the foot of the Himalayas, it is less than 10 degrees at night in this season. In other words, the inhabitants can rejoice. ” 50,000 people can’t be dislodged overnight, it’s a humanitarian issue “, judged the Supreme Court.
The country’s top judiciary has clashed with the Uttarakhand High Court in an interminable dispute. On the one hand, inhabitants who claim to have acquired their land, sometimes even before Indian independence. On the other, the railway line company which claims ownership of the premises.
In its judgment, the Supreme Court gave priority to human rights over the legal battle and canceled the planned destruction of thousands of homes. She demanded rehabilitation solutions for the inhabitants.
This intervention was welcomed across the country, in particular by the Congress party which had fought for the fate of the locals, most of whom are Muslims. The chief minister of Uttarakhand, led by the Hindu nationalist party BJP promised alternative rehousing, while denouncing a political recovery from the conflict.