NGOs submit memorandum to RGI demanding fresh enumeration of homeless:
April 13, 2011, New Delhi: Shahri Adhikar Manch – Begharon Ke Liye (SAM-BKL) – a coalition of 30 civil society organizations (CSOs) working with homeless citizens in Delhi – along with other CSOs that participated in the homeless Census in Delhi on February 27, 28 and March 1, 2011, submitted a memorandum to Dr. C Chandramouli, the Registrar General of India, on April 13, 2011 detailing the gaps that remained in the enumeration process and the need for a fresh enumeration of the homeless in Delhi and other cities of India. The signatories include 143 individuals working with the NGOs Aashray Adikar Abhiyan (AAA), Chetna, GATI, Beghar Mazdoor Sangharsh Samiti (BMSS), Butterflies, Haq, Prerna, Humana People to People and Indo-Global Social Service Society (IGSSS), who were present during the enumeration process as volunteers. The memorandum was presented jointly by Navneet Singh, Feroze Ahmed, Bipin Rai, Jyoti Gupta, Sandhya Shadangi and indu prakash singh.
While Mr. Chandramouli admitted that not all homeless citizens in Delhi could be counted during the three-day Census of the homeless, he said that this year’s effort was a great improvement over the 2001 Census, with the Census authorities reaching out to NGOs and seeking their help. He said that it would not be legally possible to conduct a fresh enumeration as the Census process ended officially on March 1, 2011, and reiterated that the final Census data normally factors in a 2 percent error. The NGOs’ delegation emphasized that the 2 percent error can be reduced further to possibly 0.1 percent if the Census methodology is worked on.
The RGI suggested that the concerned CSOs could approach the state government or the urban development department to initiate an extensive survey of the homeless using a foolproof methodology, and that this exercise could be spread over a number of days, adding that such an exercise would not be feasible under the Census. He also suggested that the survey methodology could include the use of indelible ink on those already counted, to avoid double-counting.
Mr. Chandramouli praised schoolteachers’ initiative to come out and count the homeless on Delhi’s roads like never before. NGO representatives, however, maintained that while there were a few enumerators who did the work in a committed manner, many enumerators’ attitude during the census was unsatisfactory, indifferent and in some cases, outright discriminatory and abusive. The RGI stressed that given the scale of the Census and the human power involved (it involves 25 lakh enumerators) there is at present no alternative to getting schoolteachers to conduct it. However, he was open to the idea of involving CSOs in the training process for the next Census.
Copies of the memorandum will also be sent to the President of India, the Prime Minister of India, the Supreme Court of India, the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, the High Court of Delhi and the Chief Minister of Delhi.
April 13, 2011, New Delhi: Shahri Adhikar Manch – Begharon Ke Liye (SAM-BKL) – a coalition of 30 civil society organizations (CSOs) working with homeless citizens in Delhi – along with other CSOs that participated in the homeless Census in Delhi on February 27, 28 and March 1, 2011, submitted a memorandum to Dr. C Chandramouli, the Registrar General of India, on April 13, 2011 detailing the gaps that remained in the enumeration process and the need for a fresh enumeration of the homeless in Delhi and other cities of India. The signatories include 143 individuals working with the NGOs Aashray Adikar Abhiyan (AAA), Chetna, GATI, Beghar Mazdoor Sangharsh Samiti (BMSS), Butterflies, Haq, Prerna, Humana People to People and Indo-Global Social Service Society (IGSSS), who were present during the enumeration process as volunteers. The memorandum was presented jointly by Navneet Singh, Feroze Ahmed, Bipin Rai, Jyoti Gupta, Sandhya Shadangi and indu prakash singh.
While Mr. Chandramouli admitted that not all homeless citizens in Delhi could be counted during the three-day Census of the homeless, he said that this year’s effort was a great improvement over the 2001 Census, with the Census authorities reaching out to NGOs and seeking their help. He said that it would not be legally possible to conduct a fresh enumeration as the Census process ended officially on March 1, 2011, and reiterated that the final Census data normally factors in a 2 percent error. The NGOs’ delegation emphasized that the 2 percent error can be reduced further to possibly 0.1 percent if the Census methodology is worked on.
The RGI suggested that the concerned CSOs could approach the state government or the urban development department to initiate an extensive survey of the homeless using a foolproof methodology, and that this exercise could be spread over a number of days, adding that such an exercise would not be feasible under the Census. He also suggested that the survey methodology could include the use of indelible ink on those already counted, to avoid double-counting.
Mr. Chandramouli praised schoolteachers’ initiative to come out and count the homeless on Delhi’s roads like never before. NGO representatives, however, maintained that while there were a few enumerators who did the work in a committed manner, many enumerators’ attitude during the census was unsatisfactory, indifferent and in some cases, outright discriminatory and abusive. The RGI stressed that given the scale of the Census and the human power involved (it involves 25 lakh enumerators) there is at present no alternative to getting schoolteachers to conduct it. However, he was open to the idea of involving CSOs in the training process for the next Census.
Copies of the memorandum will also be sent to the President of India, the Prime Minister of India, the Supreme Court of India, the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, the High Court of Delhi and the Chief Minister of Delhi.
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