Self Eviction

Poor people coming from rural settle in an urban place. This place may be private or public property. Many peoples with their families make a settlement. This type of settlement is called slum. Slum dwellers live their without tax or rent. But sometime, some musclemen of the slum make tent and rent to the others. However their living is illegal. When the land owner (private or public) wants to do anything in the place, they may give them verbal or written notice to leave the place. The slum dwellers don’t want to leave the place as they have no alternatives for shelter. Then by force they are displaced. Sometimes, it needs police or other force for the purpose. This incident is called eviction. We are familiar about this.

Here we will discuss about another type of eviction. In this eviction, it needs no formal notice or no force. Automatically people leave the place. We are calling this “Self Eviction”. Where there is a big industry, peoples come from outside and settle for their livelihoods. They are engaged as day laborers or some way. Some people open small shop to sell vegetables, bakery items or grocery. They live there with family in temporary sheds. As long the industry runs well, they live with happiness. The industry may be closed for loss or government order or any other cause. After hearing the news of closing the industry, people themselves start to migrate from the place. After a period of time the entire settlement goes out of the place. This type of eviction is called self eviction, where there is no police, no force.

Example: Khulna Textile Mill was established in the area beside new market of Khulna City. For employment there were many peoples came to the place and settled around this mill area. Their professions were: Day laborers, Hawkers, mobile traders, Grocery shopkeepers, vegetable sellers, shoe menders etc. Their shelters were not permanent even long years. In 2009, the mill was closed by the government. Hearing the news of closing of the mill, many of the inhabitants of the mill area started to leave the place for uncertainty. Within 3 years all the people of the area went away. No one evicted them by force, but they went away themselves. This is the eviction which is termed as “Self Eviction”.

Causes of Self Eviction:

- Uncertainty of future.

- Saving from force eviction.

- Seeking another scope of living.

- Following someone who is leaving the place.

- Reaumur of threats.

Eviction is the common phenomena of all the country, especially developing countries. This is the threat of the poor people and they are always frightened about it.  No eviction whether it is by force or spontaneous is not good for the society. Rehabilitation should be thought and implemented by the authority. The authority may be government or non-government. For the greater interest of the society as well country the poor should be addressed properly. Eviction makes only the problem, not a solution at all. So, before eviction, alternative place with system of rehabilitation to be adopted.   

Poverty of the Society

Poverty is a curse. One of the most vulnerable groups in our society is the poor. They live from hand to mouth. We are getting food from them. But they are striving for hunger. Why will they die for food? The uplift of the total society depends on them. Sometimes they are thought as the burden. But we are in better position for them. They are cleaning around us including our toilets. They are giving their physical labor which is the necessity for us. So, they should not be neglected. They are the people of mainstreaming, not from any other planet. Total poverty eradication is not possible at all. But it should be reduced at limit where no one will die for food or basic needs. There are two kinds of poverty. One kind is rural poverty and the other is urban poverty. Urban poverty is more dangerous than rural poverty.

There are differences between urban poor and rural poor though rural poor ultimately becomes urban poor. Generally they live in a certain place for long time. They can be mobilized comparatively easily than urban poor. They can be supported easily. But urban settlements are very temporary. Most of them live as rent in the place of landlord of the society or the public place which may be evicted any time. So, they are always in tension of land tenure.

 In Bangladesh, urbanization is rapidly growing. Peoples are migrating from rural to urban for their livelihood, education, business, treatment, training etc. Sometimes this migrating happens from urban to poor, but quantity is very less. The land of this country is limited, but the population is more. The land cannot afford to place all the population. Agricultural land has been made residential area. So, the rural people have limited scope to survive on agriculture. So, they are migrating from rural to urban. The number of population is increasing in urban area where the limited scope of work. So, unemployment increases day by day. For the want of work, people are being poor. Large numbers of people are living in a small area. Their living condition is under developed. The environment becomes unhygienic and unhealthy.

The society becomes unstable. For the unemployment, people are doing smuggling, snatching, robbery and any other violence. In another hand, mothers and children are dying for the want of food, nutrition, treatment. Some people are homeless. They are living in mobile place, All these are happening for rural and urban poor society. They should not be treated as other society. They have the same rights as of the so called higher society. Slums are situated under the tall buildings where the people of higher society are living. Slum dwellers are needed to them in their daily lives for washing, cleaning, order supplying and even cooking. However, both of the poverty should be addressed in such a way that creates a balanced society where we all can live with happiness. This thinking needs to come from the better society, and it needs to implement properly. Then we will be able to relieve from the curse.