Hawkers’ clash spurs cops, KMC to boost watch in New Market

KOLKATA: A team of sleuths has intensified its vigil over the activities of a section of hawkers in the New Market area, following an attempt to encroach pavements and carriageways in the prime hawking area of the city.

According to a Kolkata Municipal Corporation market department official, a section of the hawkers was surreptitiously trying to grab portions of Bertram Street, Humayun Place, Lindsay Street and Jawaharlal Nehru Road. Though some of them could be accommodated, the larger plan was exposed, following a clash between two groups of hawkers on Thursday afternoon. Police had rounded up some of the hawkers engaged in the clash, scaring the shoppers in the New Market area.


A section of shoppers lodged a complaint with the KMC-run New Market administration, but no action was taken by the civic body, alleged Ranita Bose, a private firm employee and a regular shopper at New Market. “I still shudder when I think of Thursday’s incident. We had just stepped into New Market through the Lighthouse gate. Suddenly, there was an uproar and we saw a man being chased by a group youths wielding lathis. The youths finally grabbed the man and thrashed him mercilessly. It happened in front us and we were so scared. We decided to return home immediately,” Bose said.

According to market department sources, Dipak Mullick, the leader of a hawker union, had protested against fresh encroachments by another group of hawkers led by Kali Khatick. “Police arrested several hawkers from both groups and later released them on bail,” an official said.According to another official, regular raids were being conducted with the help of New Market police station and encroachers were being nabbed for encroaching carriageways and pavements. “We have been conducting raids since Friday and several hawkers have been nabbed for encroachment,”he said.

Mullick accused Khatick of masterminding a plan to help a group of hawkers encroach the pavements in the New Market area. “I have tried to prevent encroachment of pavements. They thrashed me and threatened me with dire consequences. I did not receive any help from the police,” Dipak said. Khatick, however, rubbished the allegations. He claimed that it was he who was trying to prevent encroachment.

SS Hogg Market Traders’ Association president Ashok Gupta said he wanted a permanent solution to the hawker menace. “A section of hawkers and civic administration are playing a cat-and-mouse game. The traders are becoming the victims as shoppers are not coming to our establishments,” Gupta said.