Over 7,000 homes near Chandola Talab in Ahmedabad were torn down by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC), leaving thousands of families homeless and struggling to survive.
The demolition started on April 28 after the Gujarat High Court approved the removal of houses built on government land near the water body. Officials said these houses were illegal encroachments.
Many of the demolished homes were in areas called Siyasatnagar and Bengali Vaas, where mostly Muslim families live. These families work as laborers, rag pickers, and migrants from Bengal and Rajasthan. They say they were given only four days’ notice before the bulldozers arrived.
Rafi, a local resident, said, “I have lived here all my life. My parents helped build this community. Suddenly, they broke everything without proper notice. They said they are removing ‘Bangladeshis’ and illegal settlers. But what about the rest of us?”
Residents were told they would get new homes, but the AMC later asked for huge deposits—between ₹3,00,000 and ₹3,50,000—which most cannot afford. Rafi explained, “How can a poor person pay so much? We live hand-to-mouth.”
More than 1,000 families are now homeless. Rent prices in the city have gone very high, making it impossible for them to find affordable places. Many people say they have lived here for 40 to 60 years and have all necessary documents like Aadhaar and ration cards.
Women from the community said that four mosques were destroyed, even though officials promised not to break them. They lost places to pray and important religious items in the rubble.
An elderly man said, “We are not from Bangladesh. We are locals who have lived here for decades. If we were illegal, why didn’t the police catch us before? They want to clear the land for parks and stadiums but ignore our lives.”
The demolitions followed claims by authorities that some residents were “Bangladeshi infiltrators” after an attack in Pahalgam earlier this year. Over 6,500 people, mostly Muslims, were detained for citizenship checks. Many, including women and children, were later found to be Indian citizens and released.
Human rights groups and the Minority Welfare Committee in Gujarat have condemned the demolition as inhumane. They demand the government provide proper rehabilitation and affordable housing for those displaced.
Families now face harsh conditions with no water, electricity, or shelter, struggling to survive under the hot sun. They hope for help soon, but many fear they will remain forgotten.
