Children of Partition see ray of hope with GTB Nagar redevpt | India News

Mumbai: The heirs of Partition, who were displaced from their homes for a second time, are finally experiencing a modicum of relief. Residents of 19 Mhada buildings in GTB Nagar near Sion, which were declared dilapidated and demolished by BMC in 2020, see a ray of hope with the sanction of the redevelopment proposal. These 1,200 Punjabi and Sikh families had come to India from Pakistan in the aftermath of Partition.In 2020 they found themselves suddenly without a roof. Today, five years later, soil tests are underway, and drone surveys are mapping out their future homes.The residents recall that the buildings had become perilously unstable. Deep cracks spidered across walls, moss claimed damp corners, and broken stairs led to flats that balanced on weakened pillars. A ceiling slab once gave way, sending chunks of concrete crashing onto the floor below. Encroachments pressed extra rooms onto already shaky structures, and every groan or creak warned that the structure could collapse entirely.Satpal Duggal, 67, says, “We were like a huge family united by our mandir and gurudwara. After demolition everyone was scattered.” They had to foot their own rent from shrinking savings or by selling family heirlooms. Some were forced to move to Vashi, Thane, Panvel, Ulwe or Kharghar. Meanwhile private developers did attempt redevelopment but then abandoned the project. “They’d get 80% consent, then disappear. We felt helpless,” says 44-year-old Paras Duggal. Their children’s education and elders’ medical care was disrupted. Community life ground to a halt. As refugees without a native place in India to return to, they had to rely on kind friends in the midst of the Covid induced lockdown. Duggal points out, “Moreover, nearly 900 of us had our savings tied up in Punjab and Maharashtra Cooperative Bank (PMC), which went bust. Initially, we could withdraw only Rs 10,000, which isn’t enough to get by.”In 2023, the residents formed their own team and approached the govt. With the support of MLA Captain Tamil Selvan and Mhada vice president Sanjeev Jaiswal, they navigated legal hurdles — even a challenge in the Supreme Court — and secured govt approval to rebuild on private land, which is an unprecedented success. “None of us believed it would move so fast,” admits Sunil Vig aged 61. “Mhada issued a Letter of Award to Keystone Realtors (a Rustomjee Group subsidiary) on June 30 — and now, the redevelopment process has begun. Soil testing and drone surveys are underway.”The residents will be given new 635 sq ft flats with five years of maintenance covered by Mhada, and monthly rent of Rs 20,000 until completion. “It’s more than just a few buildings,” says 63-year-old Balwinder Singh. “It’s our lives coming back together.”It will be at least four years before the towers are built. “But at least we see a timeline,” they say. Paras Duggal sums it up, “Soon, our community will be home again.”