As a demolition drive ordered by a court, on Sunday, the Tamil Nadu government started tearing through the narrow streets of the “Madrasi Camp” of Delhi, a statement supporting hundreds of Tamil-root families facing eviction from the decades-old settlement near Nizamuddin railway station.
In a statement issued from Chennai, the state government said that the Tamil Nadu house in New Delhi has been tasked with actively facilitating and maintaining coordination efforts. A statement by the state government stated that confirming its unwavering commitment for the welfare of Tamil Nadu origin outside the state, the Tamil Nadu government is in active coordination with the residents of the ‘Mother’s Camp’, to ensure that they have been extended without delay. ,
The statement came a few hours after the Delhi High Court’s order came into force, causing the demolition of 370 slum houses built on the Barpullah drain. The court declared the township an unauthorized encroachment, cited its role in obstructing drainage and serious monsoon water logging in the surrounding areas.
Dating back in six decades, also known as a “Madrasi Basti”, has been a vibrant enclave of Tamil-speaking migrants, demanding domestic help, cooks, and daily-laborers in Delhi, such as Dainik wages in the neighborhood like Jangpura, Bhogal, and Lajpat Nagar. However, in its infrastructure, humble, the camp developed as a tightly woven community, which maintains its Tamil culture and language through local festivals, political engagement and Tamil-medium schools.
Built on railway-owned land, ‘Madrasi Camp’ has long been standing as a symbol of Tamil Working-Class Diaspora in Delhi. Residents also kept political relations alive with their home state, participated in Tamil Nadu elections and maintained close contact with their roots.
However, recently the court order found that out of 370 families in the camp, only 215 Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) Act and Delhi Slum and JJ were eligible for transfer under the provisions of Rehabilitation and Rehabilitation Policy, 2015. The remaining 155 families – who failed to meet documentation or eligibility criteria – are now left to leave for themselves, without formal rehabilitation or rehabilitation.
According to a directive by the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, the state government will assist the residents of “Madrasi Camp” who choose to return to their original districts in Tamil Nadu. The official statement states that they will be extended, including aid for livelihood and other necessary needs, they will be extended.
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“This assistance will be provided facility to ensure timely and effective implementation through the offices of the concerned district collectors,” it said. Tamil Nadu House officials in New Delhi will coordinate efforts to provide on-ground support to those wishing to return to Tamil Nadu.
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