Children are the population group that probably suffers most when communities are evicted from their homes or land.
Forced eviction of communities from their homes to give preference to development projects, urban renewal, restructuring or beautification programs has become commonplace in India. Dispossessed and compelled to live in sub-human conditions, tens of thousands of people watch helplessly as their rights are overlooked with respect to livelihood, food, health, education and security.
Children are one of the largest marginalized groups. The loss of a home, livelihood and community affects children in multiple ways. A displacement is not only physical but also economic and social. The demolition of a home often means the destruction of a lifetime's savings, which not only shatters the present but also points to a bleak future for parents and children.
Forced evictions, normally accompanied by lack of adequate rehabilitation, almost always lead to economic and social distress. For the few families who get 'rehabilitated', housing conditions are often poor and inadequate. The right to adequate housing involves not only a house but also access to basic services, work and education facilities. Both in rural and urban areas, resettlement sites are consistently lacking in basic facilities like water, sanitation, electricity and street lighting.
As most resettlement sites lack functioning schools, displaced children are often forced to halt their education abruptly. Girls are more likely to drop out due to lack of easy access to schools and safety concerns. In situations of economic stress, it is usually the girl-child who is pulled out of school first. Many girls are also forced to drop out due to the increase of domestic work, loss of social networks and support systems, and increased time spent away from the home by adults.
Using provisions available in international human rights instruments like the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, both of which India has ratified, could help bridge the gaps. The Basic Principles state that evictions are acceptable only under the most exceptional circumstances and after all alternatives have been explored, and painstakingly detail the nature and extent of State responsibility in cases of development-based evictions.
Recognizing the specific vulnerabilities of children and other marginalised groups, the Basic Principles list a variety of measures that can be adopted from the earliest stages of displacement in order to mitigate its adverse consequences. If incorporated into law and implemented afterwards, said principles could greatly aid in ensuring that forced evictions are minimized and their impacts do not lead to further human rights violations of vulnerable sections of society, particularly children's.
