Evictions and resettlement have been an integral part of the process of ‘world-class city’ making in Delhi. Savda Ghevra (field site) came up as a compensatory alternative to the slum demolitions and evictions that took place during the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi. Indemnifying for the loss that is incurred on account of demolitions and by projecting hope for a better and organised future, resettlement is highlighted as just action by the state. The discourse of urbanisation and city making in Delhi recounts for many such evictions and formation of resettlement colonies through the entire city, be it within the limits or the peripheries. In such a scenario, it becomes apparent to understand how a targeted population(slum population) which had migrated to settle in a city, is evicted and then again resettled in the state designated spaces.
In this paper, I draw attention to the three observable phases of the process of displacement and resettlement in the social life of people resituating in a resettlement colony. In the context of Savda Ghevra these phases were- initial disorganisation which led to the middle phase of anomie and finally to (re)organisation by rebuilding of life in Savda. The first phase or the initial period after resettlement shows clear signs of disorganisation, followed by initial individual attempts of resettling and then a phase of (re)organisation and evolvement into a cohesive community. The evidence of these phases have been provided through both narratives obtained from the field and surveys that I had conducted at these sites. Narratives of these three phases make it possible to comprehend the gradual development of Savda Ghevra through the process of disorganisation and anomie to a phase of evolving common norms and values in a new society.
