Amidst Promise of Mediation Dhobighat Demolished

Hamara Manch, 19th March 2025

Today, March 19, at 6 am, the Institute administration disconnected the water, gas and electricity connections to the dhobighat. They cordoned off the entire area around the dhobighat with massive police and local security personnel. And then over the next few hours they proceeded to forcibly evict the dhobi families from their homes without even giving them sufficient time to collect their belongings. They then proceeded to demolish a substantial part of the workspace cum residences of these washer people and their families who have served the Institute for over six decades. The massive deployment of police, barricading exercise, equipment and manpower for forcible eviction and demolition would have involved extensive planning by the Institute authorities. But the authorities did not deem it appropriate to either inform the dhobis or the rest of the community about this action before carrying it out.  Paradoxically this planning for eviction and demolition took place during exactly the same time when the Institute was claiming to participate in a ‘dialogue’ with the dhobis to reach an ‘amicable solution’.  

Though the Institute has been using various intimidation tactics, including legal notices, over the past three months to evict the dhobis, there has been overwhelming support for the dhobis by the  community, including the students, alumni and others, who have pushed for not only the continuation of dhobi services but also demanded a commitment by the Institute for an appropriate alternate arrangement and assurance of livelihood for all the dhobi families. The community members were under the impression that the Institute authorities would respect their position, and an amicable resolution would be worked out.

Thus, when an opportunity arose for mediation the dhobi sathis eagerly accepted it. On Saturday, March 15, the Director proposed a negotiation among the representatives of the two sides – the Institute and the dhobis.  Prof Deepak Gupta agreed to be part of the process, not as a representative of the dhobis but as a mediator between the two sides in his capacity of a neutral community member and communicated the same to the Director. On March 18th, Prof Gupta had an extended meeting with the dhobis and discussed several alternatives to take to the negotiating table. That was yesterday. He was to meet the representatives designated from the Institute’s side today. That never happened. Professor Gupta too was not informed about this unilateral eviction-demolition action by the Institute.

The eviction-demolition took place following the usual ‘protocol’ which included severe intimidation by the city police, complete disregard for assuring no loss happens to the belongings, random beating up of women and children who tried to retrieve stuff from under the rubble, etc. They were told that their scattered belongings needed to be cleared by 4 pm else FIRs would be filed against them. They were not allowed to record their houses-workspaces being destroyed. We are certain that the CCTV cameras which were placed there over the past few days, intruding into the privacy of women and children bathing and relieving themselves in the open, would have recorded nothing of this entire eviction and demolition operation.

In the midst of all this mayhem, at 12:45 pm today, a mail comes from the Director to ‘all’ informing the community about how he was forced to give order for ‘vacation of dhobighat’, after having “exhausted all other options”. This extraordinary assertion of course is utterly belied by Prof. Deepak Gupta’s mediation offer and the Institute’s acceptance of it the day before. The Director further lays out some fictitious ‘standing’ offers to the dhobis for continuation of their livelihood. It is to be noted that no such offer has ever been made formally to the dhobis. Even this mail has not reached them since they are not part of the ‘all’ list. So, all that the dhobis have received from the Institute is indignity, humiliation, intimidation, notices for eviction and finally demolition of their workspaces and residence without any alternative in place. It is telling that the authorities of this premiere Institute have spent three months intimidating the dhobis and other members of the community instead of using that time to work out a mutually acceptable solution to the issue of the dhobis’ livelihood.  

Around 8.00 pm today when we visited the dhobighat, there were only security guards with barricades on the two entrances to the site. The place which till yesterday was bustling with activity was completely deserted. We encountered some wandering cattle and a few frightened dogs there. Ironically, the entire site appeared to have been hit by an earthquake with rubble and tin sheets strewn all over.  There were clothes in various stages of washing - soaked inside the tanks, washed ones which were to be put up to dry, some hanging on the ropes, and some just strewn around. The humane evacuation of the dhobi families and their belongings by the Institute have left the dhobighat in a state that is absolutely unfit to work. And yet when we met dhobi families in the evening their overwhelming concern was for the safety of the ‘expensive’ clothes of the students. The dhobis were worried that they will get damaged if they remain wet for too long! This even after having lost everything and having not had anything to eat or drink during the entire eviction process while being harassed and intimidated by the police and Institute officials.  

Hamara Manch has this simple question:

·      If the Institute authorities are operating in good faith, why did they not have a constructive dialogue with the constituencies involved? Why have they refused the open house demanded by the student body and why have they not taken up the offer of mediation by Prof. Deepak Gupta?

We appeal to all concerned to now hold the Institute accountable to all the promises that the Director has put forth in his two mails for the dhobis and get a concrete offer from the administration ensuring the continuation of the livelihood of these dhobi families starting today.