UK House to honour Slumdog kids

MUMBAI: `Slumdog' actors Rubina Qureshi and Mohammed Azharuddin were invited to accept an honour by the British Parliament on the day their parents appointed legal counsel to "verify'' Mhada's offer of a free flat in Malwani. Also on Saturday, BMC officials inexplicably razed most of the encroachments in the locality save that of Azhar.
As the bulldozers struck, a local casting agent learnt that the British government had invited Azhar and Rubina to visit the Parliament, where they will be honoured on June 30."The Indian government has conveyed this news to Azhar and Rubina and their visas are being processed,'' said Parvez Ahmed. "It is an all-expenses paid trip.''
Meanwhile, the children's parents have appointed legal counsel to "verify'' the Mhada order granting them free EWS flats at Malwani. They will accept the freeship only after they are satisfied with the terms and conditions of guardianship. The housing authority is disappointed at this turn of events.
Amarjit Singh Manhas, chairman of Mhada's Mumbai Board, said, "The parents have informed our marketing director that their lawyer will verify the order before agreeing to accept the flats. It is unfortunate that an order signed by the chief officer of Mhada will be scrutinised in this manner. However, we have invited them to visit our office and do so.'' Mhada rules stipulate that the allottee accept the flat within 15 days, failing which the allotment can be revoked.
What began as a whisper in Garib Nagar is now being said openly in Mhada corridors. "Clearly, the parents are looking to make profit from selling the flats because they are reluctant to live in Malwani,'' says another officer. "However, the authority has plugged the loopholes by appointing the Mumbai Congress guardian of the property until the children are 18, thereby foiling their plans.''
Azhar and his mother Shamim are visiting Pune to "accept a trophy from the government''. Shamim told TOI, "Malwani is too far, and the house is too small to meet our requirements. We will look at the alternative being offered by the Jai Ho Trust in Santa Cruz.''
As Azhar boarded the bus to Pune, civic officials arrived to raze all those makeshift huts that had resurfaced after the demolition of May 14, save his. Assistant municipal commissioner U D Mistry said, "Saturday's demolition was undertaken to clean the nullah behind the slum. We did not tear down Azhar's hut although it is unauthorised, because his family allowed us to do our work while the others did not.'' However, Azhar's shanty is built against a tall fence that does not allow access to the nullah.
The actor's home resembled a fortified island amidst the sea of rubble. Neighbours whose children had played bit parts in the film were shocked and angered by this discrimination. Displaying folders containing voters' identity cards, ration cards and electricity bills, they surrounded the media to convey their anger. "Is it fair for some child actors to get two pucca homes, each worth several lakh rupees, while the rest of us are evicted from our measly tarpaulin sheds?'' shouted one woman, as the tin roof of her home lay in the nearby nullah that was ostensibly being cleaned. "Why did the Congress and Priya Dutt get us to campaign and vote for them on false promises?''