Thursday, July 19, 2012

What stops The Supreme Court from Allocating The India Gate lawns and other Government Clubs to house The Destitute in Delhi?

The Supreme Court has every year chided the government and given it a deadline for setting up immediate temporary shelters. As happens every year, the Delhi government immediately took up parks and community centres in various localities around Delhi and splendiferously set up tents for the homeless. While the intent was generous, the government conveniently chose to ignore the plight of the typical Delhi family whose children could not use the park, and who had to suffer the social and criminal behaviour that some of the homeless exhibited.

If you believe we’re heartless in saying this, think about it, why doesn’t the government set up homeless shelters in the expansive India Gate and Presidential lawns? What stops the Supreme Court from encouraging positive use of those lawns? Did you cite national security? Or did you mention cleanliness?