By Spriha Srivastava

What cannot be removed must be covered – such is the policy of the Indian government towards the country's slums as Delhi gets ready to host the Commonwealth Games in October 2010. Government officials had initially said the games could benefit slum-dwellers as they would be provided with better homes ahead of the event. But on the ground, the reality seems to be different.

According to government estimates, more than three million people live in Delhi’s slums, which are built under makeshift arrangements on land belonging to the Delhi authorities.

Many slum-dwellers have seen their homes razed by the bulldozers within minutes because of New Delhi’s drive to improve the areas surrounding the Commonwealth Games Village. Some are migrating back to their villages. Others have nowhere to go.

The government has decided to carry out satellite mapping of all the country’s 62 million slums and slowly shift them to better locations. But will it ever happen? Officials told The Samosa that New Delhi is supposed to build 100,000 new apartments for slum-dwellers, but not even a tenth of them are under construction. Meanwhile, those whose houses have been destroyed in the name of the clean city initiative are left to wait.

Jhansi Devi is one such lady who is fighting her case with the Delhi Development Authority. She now lives under a temporary roof made with plastic sheeting a short distance from where her original house was. “We are in a very bad condition and not sure if we will ever get out of this mess. It looks like a never ending struggle for poor people like us,” she says.

A family of seven people, Jhansi’s son and daughter-in-law have lost their jobs due to relocating. They are now looking for new jobs, but in the meantime the situation at home is depressing. She says she has seen her house converted into a sea of rubble within minutes. “Big buildings are everywhere but we are nowhere,” she says. “We sleep out here on the road sometimes.”

Her numerous efforts to secure a proper house have so far failed, as the authorities have told her she does not meet the requirements to be relocated. “Running around to government offices is not an easy thing.” Such is the story of many in her area who are fighting everyday to get a better life.

Newspapers recently reported that the government plans to cover the slums of Delhi with five foot tall bamboos, so the thousands of tourists and participants who will be coming to India to attend the games will see the masked face of Delhi. The authorities have specially ordered them from the state of Mizoram so that these can stand in Delhi’s hot weather.

But what lies beneath is the reality of a developing country trying to save itself from shame on the international stage.

Critics believe that by demolishing the slums, the government is fuelling hatred and violence among slum-dwellers. The slums are like small localities where families have been living for as long as 20 years. Many have got their daughters married off from these houses, and some have just had a newborn baby. Just around the corner from the slums is a temple and small shops which provide income for many people living here.

Those living in the slums often work for the residents of Delhi’s large fancy apartments. There are domestic servants, street vendors, small shopkeepers and labourers living in these houses. Entire localities are being demolished in preparation for a 12-day event.

The government says the new satellite mapping initiative will help it relocate slum-dwellers to new houses close to their work. The campaign is also expected to allow authorities to club two slums into one and free up land. These initiatives might be a blessing in disguise for future generations, but are little use to those who have been left homeless now.

Supporters of the government’s policy say it is necessary to ensure India does not make a fool of itself in front of the world. The slums remain a matter of concern for the government, but it is preoccupied with other preparations – renovating flyovers, rebuilding roads, and ensuring five-star treatment for India’s visitors. The question is how long it will take before the government realises what its priorities should be.

For now, Jhansi Devi and her family still await a decision from the authorities as they nibble on some dried bread with water.

“We are poor,” she says. “No one takes us seriously.”