A Supreme Court bench has said that freebies announced by political parties were creating “a class of parasites” and disincentivizing people from working by giving free ration and money. Citizens and individuals & organisations have issued a statement condemning the insensitive and classist remarks of Justice Gavai in the strongest terms.
Groundxero | Feb 16, 2025
Citizens and individuals & organisations have issued a statement condemning the insensitive and classist remarks of Justice Gavai in the strongest terms. They said calling the homeless “parasites”, who are unwilling to work on account of getting freebies, is symptomatic of the callousness and insensitivity that is often a mark of the powerful and the privileged.
On 12th February, in the Supreme Court of India, while hearing the civil writ petitions (55/2003 & 572/2003) pertaining to implementation of the Scheme of Shelter for Urban Homeless (SUH), Justice B R Gavai remarked, “Sorry to say, but by not making these people part of mainstream society, are we not creating a class of parasites? Because of freebies, when elections are declared…people are not willing to work. They are getting free rations without doing any work! Would it not be better to make them part of mainstream society so that they can contribute to nation?” (as reported by the legal news portal Live Law https://x.com/LiveLawIndia/status/1889549105153618226).
The statement said the remarks of Justice Gavai reflect an anti-poor bias in the judiciary, and is the least expected from a senior judge of the apex court that is tasked with protecting the human rights and liberties of all the citizens, particularly the most vulnerable. The signatories wrote that the judiciary needs to reflect and sincerely work towards educating and sensitising its officers and judges about the plight of the working poor in Indian cities.
In February and March of 2023, the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB), Govt. of NCT of Delhi demolished nine homeless shelters in Sarai Kale Khan and Yamuna Pushta despite the pendency of the petitioners’ intervention application in the court. These demolitions were carried out for beautification of the Yamuna riverfront and in preparation of a bamboo garden for the G20 summit delegates. The eight homeless shelters on Yamuna Pushta were demolished in the middle of the night without giving any prior notice. For none of the residents of the demolished shelters any alternative arrangements for accommodation were made prior to or after the demolitions, rendering them doubly homeless. Following this, the Supreme Court stayed any further demolitions of homeless shelters without its permission and without making prior alternative arrangements for accommodation for the residents. Despite the stay DUSIB went ahead with shutting down five more shelters in Dandi Park with a misrepresenting rationale that these were uninhabitable. Although, no arrangements were made to house the people evicted from these shelters after almost two years.
It is pertinent to note that an alarming number of homeless persons have died during the ongoing winter season. As per the records available on Delhi Police’s public portal, more than 750 unidentified dead bodies have been found in Delhi since 15th November 2024 to till date. It is well established that almost all of these are of the homeless. This figure gives an alarming average of almost 10 people dying on the streets of the Indian capital every day.
The statement pointed out that it is the responsibility of the society and the institutions of governance and justice that the lives of the most vulnerable are protected without blaming and shaming the victims.
The copy of the statement along with the list of signatories is attached below.
Statement condemning the remarks made by Justice B R Gavai