Mumbai: ‘Tell us if you want us to die’

At least 650 residents of Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) of India buildings from Matunga, Mahim, and Dadar stretching into south Mumbai, held a protest at Azad Maidan on Monday. The tenants from 68 buildings, spoke unanimously claiming that they were battling against "eviction and harassment from the LIC for the past decade and more." They had gathered under the banner of the LIC Tenants and Occupants Welfare Association (LTOWA) and had several demands like stopping eviction, getting equal tenancy rights, redevelopment under 79A of the MHADA Act and stopping harassment of 2,500 lower middle-class people.

Lease rule

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Thousands of tenants living in these LIC-owned old buildings say they are being harassed to the point that their mental health is affected and several are on the verge of a breakdown. They are repeatedly told to agree to become lessees of LIC and many who paid rent of R500 approximately as pagdi tenants are now paying up to Rs 15,000 to Rs 25,000 per month post-lease.

They claimed they are also told to sign lease agreements of five years or even 10 years with lease rent amounts jumping 35 per cent every decade. There is also no uniformity in the rent claim residents with one resident paying Rs 2,000 a month while the other in the same building with the same floor space being asked to cough up Rs 15,000. Banners at the protest said it simple and straight: ‘We want justice'.

Unaffordable rents

Protesters at the site, called for "redevelopment as the buildings are old and dilapidated." They asked, "Is this why we pay these exorbitant rents? There are no cleaners, sweepers or maintenance too in the buildings even light bulbs are on the blink. We even pay for the toilet cleaners," they claimed. Trupti S from Dadar said, "It has been literal coercion to adhere to lease agreements, switching over from the pagdi system. The lease amounts are simply crippling, unaffordable." Ramesh Nirmal Jain, chairman LTOWA stated, "We want redevelopment, as currently we have no option but to live a miserable life in these dangerous buildings."

Fourth pillar

Mukesh Shah LTOWA secretary backed Jain in a fiery speech stating, "There are some persons here amongst us today, who may have been evicted from their premises." Shah wanted the press present at Azad Maidan to amplify voices, "as you are the fourth pillar of democracy" he said. He added, "Why does LIC not want redevelopment? Many of these buildings are very old, they may collapse. Do you want us to die? Then, if you want us to do so, just tell us. We are middle-class people. Where do we go?" Shah also pointed to the fact that some residents pay R800 as rent while some pay R25,000 being in the same building, with the same floor space. "We are also offered lease terms for five years after which it is stated there will be a 35 per cent increase. Then, yet another 35 per cent post-expiry of that. How do we pay and where do we go?" Shah's speech drew huge applause. He added, "Even illegal hutment dwellers have a home but we are constantly threatened with eviction. And we are legitimate taxpayers," he said to a roar to the injustice of it all.

Abysmal state

Several residents pointed to the abysmal state of the buildings they reside in, even after paying huge amounts there is zero maintenance. Ketan N Surani said, "I need help to bring my mother down from home since my old building has no lift." There was professional magician Anand Tayade who has a magic shop in one of these buildings in Dadar who said, "Many of these buildings have been repaired up to five times. They now cannot be repaired at all. Sometimes, even the repairs are patchwork jobs, with some painting done so that it looks good from the outside but that is deceptive as it is in an abysmal state inside."

Himanshu Chad from Matunga said there has been a disheartening delay in transferring tenancy rights, which Shailesh Chouhan from south Mumbai said, "Arbitrary amounts and threats to make one leave the house, contribute to a simmering sense of injustice." Jayesh Desai said, "Eviction seems to be the only answer from officials. Ask them anything, and they state you will be evicted." Some occupants put it succinctly, "It is literally like being held at gunpoint. Pay up or leave, we are repeatedly told, draconian is an understatement when we describe how the inspectors behave." Despite repeated attempts, the LIC remained unavailable for comment.