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The Indian capital, New Delhi, is filled with street dwellers -- people who have come from all over the country, presumably in search of a better life, and have instead found themselves a home on the city’s streets.
Delhi is home to thousands of such people, who live without shelter and even food, with the open sky, pavements, and the space below flyovers part of their immediate environment. “We have been living here for three decades nobody is helping us, we have seen a number of ministers and politicians who promised mountains and gave nothing till now. We know these streets are our life and we are supposed to die here,” said an elderly woman.
Part of the problem is the limited space in shelter homes sanctioned by the government. These homes have their own set of problems, with corruption at play. With no alternative, the streets are a permanent home. “I have spent my whole childhood in this situation, I’m 20 years old now, I have born and brought up in these merciless streets, what could one expect from this world, I have lost my parents here, so I am going to die here also,” said a desperate young man with gloomy eyes.
An extensive study titled ‘Homeless Survey-2010’ conducted by the Delhi Government and the United Nations Development Program stated that a majority of the homeless are men and young adults. Those in the 21-30 age brackets form a bulk of those living on the streets, while the 31-40 age bracket forms the second largest group.
A visit to a pavement, which a number of homeless people have adopted, provides an insight into their daily routine. The photos capture an early morning, as food is being prepared and chores are carried out. Some firewood is gathered for warmth. A few moments of quiet and peace is visible before the city awakens, and the homeless mesh into a sea of people rushing about their daily lives. No one gives them a second glance.
The inhabitants of this particular pavement were not happy to see this writer. After assuring them that the writer is just a journalist, they begin to open up. They say that their homelessness is a social stigma. People either ignore them or openly curse at them. They are vulnerable to sexual exploitation, child labour and other social evils.
Exploitation of children is a key concern, and some of the children this writer spoke to were vocal in their fear. They said they were worried about being sold or kidnapped, or trafficked.
Children are disproportionately affected and have been traumatized. Poverty, unemployment, family conflicts, mass migration, school dropout rates are key realities which force children to take to the streets. The motivation to migrate is a result of the poor state of the rural economy -- where people from villages across India come to bigger cities in search of a very elusive better life.
The winter months introduce an added harshness. The biting cold is a challenge, as warm blankets are a luxury. Many die in the freezing cold, or catch diseases that become impossible to treat given the limited resources.
This writer walked back home, saying:
“Hum rah rahay hain sadkun pai ghar isi ka naam hai
Bichona hamara pathar hai, audhna hamari bori hai
Yeh sadkay hamari zindagi hai,
Yeh thokaray hamari bad naseebi hai
Yahi hamari badnaami hai, yahi hamari ruswayee hai
Isi ka naam gareebi hai, isi ka naam gareebi hai”
(All photos by RAYEES GANIE, on assignment for The Citizen)
