Kolkata: Trinamool Congress supremo and former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in West Bengal over its eviction drives against street vendors and hawkers.
In an X post, Banerjee said she was “angry and deeply pained” at the treatment meted out to hawkers.
On International Hawkers Day, Banerjee said: “The BJP government had unleashed atrocities on hawkers shortly after coming to power, demolishing their stalls and forcing them onto the streets without regard for their distress. Those who oppress will certainly face the consequences. I was, am, and will always stand by you,” addressing the hawker community.
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo noted that International Hawkers Day is dedicated to recognising the contributions of street vendors, hawkers, and small traders in the informal sector, who serve as the backbone of local economies.
Banerjee referred to the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014, passed to protect hawkers from arbitrary eviction, and cited a series of Supreme Court judgments recognising their constitutional right to livelihood under Articles 19(1)(g) and 21.
Banerjee argued that the goal of a well-planned city should be to integrate hawkers into the urban system through structured municipal markets rather than evicting them.
“This day is mainly dedicated to recognising the contribution of street vendors, hawkers, and small traders in the informal sector who work as the backbone of the local economy. Street hawkers are the symbol of the grassroots economy. On the one hand, they link the daily needs of the common people to the large-scale production system, and on the other hand, they deliver essential goods to people’s doorsteps at very affordable prices. However, a delicate balance must always be maintained between the survival of this system and urban planning,” said Banerjee.
She further said: “Sudden or arbitrary eviction of the right to livelihood without any opportunity for review or alternative arrangements is a violation of Article 21 (Right to Life and Livelihood) of the Constitution. The responsibility for managing the rights of hawkers should be through a democratic mechanism like the Town Vending Committee (TVC), so that the views of hawkers are reflected in urban planning.”
(IANS)
