Headline January 24, 2018/ '' 'EVICTION GLOBAL POVERTY' ''

'' 'EVICTION GLOBAL POVERTY' ''

O'' CAPTAIN IMRAN KHAN,......... LOOK The World Students Society in the eye and double your ongoing efforts. No time to rest.

We must grab the moment to avert the looming dangers. The Students of Pakistan have matured to  highly skilled and now set about observing everything.

''Nothing, I assure you, Your Excellency, escapes them.'' Slums in Pakistani urban context are a common entity.

Earliest than soonest, I would be tasking great and outstanding individuals of the class of :

Engineer Founder Rabo Sultan/UK, Chartered Accountant Wadood Mughal/Malaysia/Singapore, Engineer Amin Malik/US, Dr. M. Jawad Khan/University of California, Dr, Professor Masud Reza, Engineer Amar Bari Khan/Apple-

Dr, Mustanser Tanoli, MIT/Milan University, Lawyer Zainab Khan, Kings College, UK,  Businessman Sheikh Faraz Majeed, Hotelier Ali Hassan Student Zaeem Khan and -

Little darling Angels, Maria Imran, Harem Majeed, Maynah Khan, Hannyia Khan and Merium Khan, for a concept on Global Social Security 

In general terms, they are often referred to as ''Katchi Abadis [squatter settlements]. Some quarters believe that Katchi Abadis are scars on our urban fare and must be demolished, to be replaced by  'neat' and 'orderly' structures.

IN PROUD PAKISTAN - moth eaten and termites drilled - by corruption, tattered and shredded policies, confused and incompetent governance to manage anything, unable to figure a way forward  for a dignified living 

IN INDIA, this great human, Jockin Arputam was recommended for Nobel Peace Prize in 2014.

JOCKIN ARPUTHAM'S struggle and invaluable service, unending work and contribution to the cause of slum dwellers was globally recognised.

KIIT University in Bhubaneswar conferred an honorary doctorate degree upon him in 2009. He received the prestigious Ramon Magsaysay Award for peace and international understanding.

Jockin directed his work to empower this disenfranchised urban population and informed them of their rights.

He also mobilised them at multiple levels so that slum dwellers could negotiate with respective municipalities and development agencies for acquiring 'the right to exist' in respective cities.

Jockin's work was enormously relevant and inspirational for the Pakistani urban context. There have been many projects which caused irreversible damage to human settlements and environment.

Development programmes often give rise to vast scale population displacements. These displacements, at times, are a consequence of inappropriate choice of projects, poor design and rigid implementation procedures.

Usually such displacements - appropriately termed evictions - affect the poor, helpless and politically marginalised communities.

Once the state machinery sets out to undertake a project or a programme to that effect, demolition of property, destruction of houses/residences and dislocation of communities becomes the natural outcome.

It is is ironic to note that foundations of developmental projects are laid on the debris of the dwellings, businesses and occupation outlets of hundreds of very poor people.

Construction of large scale dams, expressways, water works and recently the real estate developments of mega scale, all such undertakings give rise to forced evictions.

A few years ago, more than 200,000 people had to be displaced to construct an exclusive signal free corridor of movement along Lyari river in Karachi.

Similarly, thousands of indigenous farmers along the Super Highway were forced to leave their abodes and farms to pave the way for a controversial real estate development in private sector.

The local political elite in urban Sindh/Pakistan consider Katachi Abadis as vehicles of promoting  in-migration in cities, particularly from Khyber PakhtunKhwa/FATA .

Realtors view Katchi Abadis as potential gold mines and lobby for allowing high density high rise development on the strategically located sites. The reality is in sharp contrast to these perceptions.

In reality, Katchi Abadis are places where service providers and other ordinary folks reside. Without their existence, the high lifestyles of the rich cannot be sustained.

And for Jockin Arputham, the Indian government decorated him with Padma Shri Award in 2011, the fourth highest civilian honor.

His death will always be mourned by the dispossessed. The World Students Society rises to give his memory a standing ovation.

With most respectful dedication to the Leaders of the Developing World, Grandparents, Parents, Students, Professors and Teachers.

See Ya all prepare for Great Global Elections and register on : wssiw.blogspot.com - The World Students Society, for every subject in the world and Twitter-E-!WOW! - the Ecosystem 2011:

''' Debris To Dwell '''

Good Night and God Bless

SAM Daily Times - the Voice of the Voiceless