The cruelty of the State

Minister Keith Rowley under whose portfolio housing falls, needs to answer a question which we now put to him: Does the Government have any feeling — real feeling that is — for those citizens who have been rendered homeless in recent weeks? Citizens whose shacks of galvanise and old pieces of wood have been torn down by sledge hammer wielding groups of men who are obviously being paid to do a job, under the watchful protection of uniformed policemen.

No man or woman of sound mind voluntarily chooses to live as a squatter. Desperation is usually the reason why a family will scrounge around for odd bits of building material in order to provide shelter from the elements and fulfil the basic requirements of human privacy. They do without things most of us take for granted such as tap water, electricity. Their lives are lived without comfort, often sleeping on old pieces of foam. Squatting is illegal, and should neither be encouraged nor allowed, but of all the illegal activities that go on in this country, squatting is arguably the least dangerous. Some squatters do destroy the surrounding lands by burning the bush to grow food which is probably the only way they would eat. But what about those rich developers who destroy the mountains and hills in order to construct high priced housing? We are yet to see gangs moving in on these people knocking down their heavy equipment and preventing them from construction of million dollar houses. Of course we will be told that what they are doing is quite legal, of great boost to the economy. But even if proper permission has not been obtained they are still allowed to proceed unhindered.

Yet even as there is an obviously well organised plan to destroy the crude shelters of the poor, is there no plan to give them an alternative to squatting? Even on Carnival weekend last  when thousands, (including the Head of State, the price of whose costume would probably feed a poor family for at least two months), were already engaging in great merriment, several families stood helplessly by as their “homes” were torn down. Minister Rowley what do you say about this? Does it seem to be justice, fairplay, concern for the poor who have no alternative but to put up these shacks? Does the Government that cares not see the pain on their faces? Well there is hope yet for yesterday the Court granted 38 families of Wallerfield whose homes were demolished leave to apply for judicial review of what they see as the cruelty of the State.