Update on the evictions and demolitions along the E.M. Bypass

First, the positive: some of the shack owners were back at their usual spot the very next day, using makeshift arrangemnts like handcarts, wooden boxes, shaded with an umbrella on top. Not easy, but a statement nonetheless.

Today in the evening we ran into a protest march against the evictions by the evictees along Patuli. "In whose interest?" they asked.

There was a protest in Delhi today, in front of the Banga Bhawan on Hailey Road. I'm pasting below the call and a statement by the National Hawker Federation.

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Demonstration @ Banga Bhawan, Hailey Road, New Delhi

Time: 12 Noon

Date: Tuesday, 27th March 2012

Friends,

A demonstration against the ongoing illegal evictions in Kolkatta is being organized tomorrow, the 27th of March at 12 noon at Banga Bhawan, Hailey Road, New Delhi - by National Hawkers' Federation - with support from concerned Delhi groups. The evictions in Kolkatta are being carried out by the Municipal Corporation and state government with armed police help and has hit the lives of thousands of urban working people of the city, mainly Hawkers and Slum Dwelling poor. 

Today, on the 26th, Kolkatta city is witnessing rallies in about fifteen different areas by thousands of affected people against this unjust act by the state government.

It is indeed shocking that a political party, which came to power opposing illegal and unjust evictions and displacement is today the driving force behind such. On the one hand, Mamta Bannerjee and the All India Trinamool Congress have been posturing as a pro-poor force by opposing price rise, railway fare hike, etc and on the other they are destroying the life and livelihood of  Koklatta's poor!

A brief note by NHF is copied below for your reference. Kindly join and also request other groups to join in the demo.

In Solidarity,

Delhi Solidarity Group

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Dear Sathio,

The worst, brutal and unjust eviction, after 1996 operation sunshine hawkers eviction, happened in Kolkata. 4000 hawkers and 3000 slums were evicted from the area covering from Science City to Dhalai bridge of E.M Bypass area. KMDA (Kolkata Municipal Development Authority) has not given any written notice for eviction. On 22^nd March 2012 they have informed the hawkers and slums through microphone announcement and just after two days, without any proper legal notice, hawkers and slums were evicted by huge police force, corporation officials and bulldozers. This action, eviction without proper official notice, is totally illegal.

Irrespective of the National Policy on Urban Street Vendors 2009, The Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Model Bill 2009, West Bengal Street Vendors Policy 2010, draft West Bengal Street Vendors Act 2011 and Honorable Supreme Court order to implement proper law on hawkers, West Bengal Government is going on evicting hawkers in a barbaric manner in and around Kolkata. When hawkers of Patuli market and leaders, activists of Hawker Sangram Committee and National Hawker Federation were peacefully protesting against this unjust action, police arrested 41 hawkers and leaders using brutal state force and has been charged with grave criminal sections of CrPC. Hawker Sangram Committee is strongly protesting against this unjust state repression through rallies in the E.M Bypass area every day at morning and evening.

For last few months hawkers are continuously being evicted in different forms and manners from different part of Kolkata. We have witnessed hawker eviction from in front of Sugar and Spices showroom at Harish Mukherjee Road, Sealdah Big Bazar and Sealdah Court Area, Howrah Manglahat and surrounding area, Janopriyo bazaar at jadavpur, Hawkers were evicted from Patuli-baisnabghata, garia, Baghajatin, Salt lake, park street, Mukundapur, Lake Market, Rajar Hat etc recently hawkers were given eviction notice at Kasba road due to Gatway Hotel owned by Jinddals. All the hawkers were evicted in and around Kolkata were hawking at same place for 20-30 years, none of them are new hawkers.

We strongly condemn this kind of unjust and unlawful action and immediately demand the state government of West Bengal to stop any kind of hawkers eviction and regulate the hawkers activity through implementing proper law or act on hawkers and through formation of Town Vending Committee which will take any decision regarding any activities of hawkers and hawking with proper representation from hawkers unions. 

Thanking you

Saktiman Ghosh,
General Secretary,
National Hawker Federation