West Bengal’s Eviction Drive on Unauthorised Street Hawkers Sparks Controversy and Protests

News Mania Desk/ Agnibeena Ghosh/27th  June 2024

The West Bengal government’s recent eviction drives targeting unauthorised street hawkers have ignited significant backlash and protests from opposition leaders. Following Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s stern criticism of the rampant encroachment of footpaths and roads by street vendors, police and civic authorities have intensified efforts to clear these areas. On June 25, authorities across various localities, including Kolkata and its suburbs, employed bulldozers to dismantle temporary stalls and issue warnings to the hawkers.

In several areas such as Alipore, New Town, and Behala in Kolkata, as well as districts like Alipurduar and Siuri, civic authorities and police have actively used bulldozers to remove unauthorized stalls occupying footpaths. This aggressive action has sparked panic and fear among the hawkers. In instances like the evictions near Alipore Zoo, the police seized goods including clothes and packaged beverages that were left on the streets and footpaths by hawkers.

In Behala, particularly along Diamond Harbour Road, a tea seller recounted her ordeal of having her stall bulldozed. She reported being threatened with arrest if she attempted to reinstall her shop on the footpath. Similarly, hawkers outside Alipore Zoo claimed they were not given an opportunity to remove their goods before they were confiscated by the authorities.

Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, has voiced his criticism of the eviction drives. He urged the Chief Minister to establish a proper standard operating procedure for handling encroachments on government land and to ensure adequate notice is given to encroachers before eviction actions are taken.

“Poor people of a specific community are being targeted. The BJP will stand with them,” Adhikari stated. He further criticized the Chief Minister for potentially prioritizing a “specific votebank” and warned that the BJP would protest if further establishments are demolished without prior notice.

Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal confirmed that the eviction drives are being conducted in accordance with directives from the Chief Minister. During a recent meeting with MLAs, civic authorities, senior police officials, and bureaucrats, Chief Minister Banerjee expressed her strong disapproval of the MLAs and civic authorities for not only neglecting the issue of unauthorised street hawkers but also facilitating their illegal encroachments on footpaths and roads.

This crackdown has stirred a heated debate over the treatment of street hawkers and the balance between maintaining public infrastructure and protecting the livelihoods of the poor. Critics argue that the abrupt and forceful removal of hawkers, many of whom belong to economically disadvantaged communities, without providing them adequate notice or alternative arrangements, is unjust and harsh.

The situation remains tense as the eviction drives continue, with the BJP and other opposition parties rallying in support of the affected hawkers. The ongoing controversy highlights the complexities and challenges of urban management and the need for a more compassionate and inclusive approach to resolving issues of encroachment and public space utilization in West Bengal.