Who Is Srishti Jatav, Dalit Journalist Briefly Arrested For Covering Dhobi Ghat Slum Demolition?

Who is Srishti Jatav: Dalit Times journalist Srishti Jatav was briefly arrested by Delhi police on Wednesday afternoon when she reached Jamia Nagar for coverage. The woman journalist was reportedly covering the demolition of the Dhobi Ghat slum area near Batla House in Delhi. For the uninitiated, hundreds of people living in the slum cluster lost their homes to a demolition drive ordered by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) in December based on a National Green Tribunal judgement. Jatav was released shortly after an outrage on social media following her arrest. The hashtag Stand With Sristi Jatav began trending on Twitter soon after.

 Jatav was spotted outside Jamia Nagar police station after her release on Wednesday. Calling her a "revolutionary journalist", Bhim Army General Secretary Kanishk Singh tweeted while they were still outside the police station. We salute their spirit and courage, he wrote in Hindi.

हम जामियाँ पुलिस स्टेशन में हैं,
हमारी क्रन्तिकारी पत्रकार रिहा हो चुकी हैं, उनके जज्बे एवं हिम्मत को सलाम करते हैं,
भीम आर्मी हमेशा अपनी बहनों के साथ ख़डी है। #StandWithSrishtiJatav@patrkar_srishti pic.twitter.com/X6n0vM5zvL

— Kanishk Singh (@kanishksinghIND) August 25, 2021

In June, the Delhi High Court had issued an order that the government should make rehabilitation arrangements for the people living in Dhobi Ghat, Live Law reported. On Wednesday, the protesters demanded that the Delhi Police should follow the court’s orders and not undertake the demolition process before the residents were taken off the streets. Along with Jatav, some other activists were also taken into custody while they were protesting against the demolition, students’ union All India Students’ Association tweeted. Jatav and the others were taken to the Jamia Nagar Police station.

. @sucheta_ml @arbabali_jmi and @EKhwabida have been illegally detained are being taken to Jamia Nagar Station for resisting demolition of Dhobighat slum! Rise in solidarity with slum dwellers of Dhobi Ghat. #SOSDhobighat

— AISA Delhi (@aisa_delhi) August 25, 2021

Today the delhi police showed up to the Dhobi Ghat slums and despite there being explicit orders from the court to ensure rehabilitation before demolition police initiated slum demolitions. This is violating the spirit court's orders demanding rehabilitation and
1/2 pic.twitter.com/IO7qKJMKVB

— Prasenjeet kumar (@PrasenjeetKuma6) August 25, 2021

Jatav said that officials of Delhi Development Authority and some police officers had come to remove the slums built on the Dhobi Ghat of Jamia Nagar. When she reached there for the coverage, she and her cameraman Raju were taken into custody, Newslaundry reported.

मुझे जामिया नगर पुलिस स्टेशन से रिहा कर दिया गया है। इस घड़ी में मेरे साथ खड़े रहने के लिए आप सभी का बहुत-बहुत शुक्रिया 🙏

— Srishti (@patrkar_srishti) August 25, 2021

However, the police are yet to release an official statement about the reason for her arrest.

Who is Srishti Jatav?

She is a journalist currently working with Dalit Times, a news website covering various social movements for the Dalits, poor and downtrodden, farmers, women and other public causes. Her Twitter bio says that Jatav is an Ambedkarite journalist.

Feature Image Credit: Srishti Jatav/Twitter