This brings up the question: why are politicians so keen to stop demolitions? Is it because of a concern for the hardships caused to people? To conclude this would be naive. Politicians stand to lose directly from such measures because many of them own illegal buildings themselves, besides having encroachments to protect. It is a question of their very survival as men and women of money and influence. As Henry Kissinger once put it, tongue firmly in cheek: “The illegal we do immediately. The unconstitutional takes a little longer.”
The writer is advisor, Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, Delhi gpjoshi@gmail.com
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