Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi-Shahi Idgah dispute: Families sell debris of demolished houses to survive

While the Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi-Shahi Idgah mosque dispute has gained momentum in the past few weeks, the court is yet to decide on the permission for the scientific survey of the area

Meanwhile, the residents of the demolished houses near Krishna Janmasthan temple in Mathura are in a fix. The residents of these now razed houses are striving to make ends meet by selling the debris, The Times of India reported.

One of the families sold 6,000 bricks of their demolised house at Rs 2 per piece because they needed money for the medical treatment of their eight-year-old daughter. The family is living on the roadside with 100 other families whose houses were razed by terming them as “illegal encroachment on government land”, the report stated.

The families feel that selling off the debris will at least ensure some money, otherwise the authorities will clear that too.

Speaking with TOI, a resident Farooq Miyan, however, said that selling debris doesn’t mean that they are going to leave the place. “It’s our land and we have nowhere else to go," said Miyan.

Mansoor Ali, who now lives in a tent, pointed out that over 500 people are living in the tents and are rendered homeless without any alternative. “The SC must take note of the situation,” he said.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered maintaining a status quo for 10 days on demolition drive being carried out by railway authorities to clear encroachments near Krishna Janmabhoomi in Mathura, Uttar Pradesh.

(With DHNS inputs)