Mamata criticises Bengal govt, expresses solidarity with hawkers amid eviction allegations

On the occasion of International Hawkers’ Day on May 26, Trinamool Congress chairperson Mamata Banerjee extended greetings to hawkers and street vendors while strongly criticising the BJP government in West Bengal over alleged eviction drives against hawkers across the state. In a social media post, she accused the government of demolishing stalls, evicting hawkers and pushing them into distress without considering their livelihoods and economic conditions.

In her message, Mamata Banerjee stated that street vendors, hawkers and small informal-sector traders form the backbone of local economies. She said hawkers create a direct connection between production systems and the everyday needs of ordinary people by supplying affordable goods across urban areas. She also expressed solidarity with hawkers and stated that she had stood by them in the past and would continue to do so in the future.

The post highlighted the economic role of the informal sector in employment generation in developing countries. It stated that hawkers provide self-employment opportunities to millions of people and support low-income households that survive without dependence on government or corporate jobs. The message also noted that urban planning and public convenience require balancing pedestrian movement, traffic management and the livelihood rights of street vendors.

The statement referred to the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014, which was enacted to regulate street vending while protecting hawkers from arbitrary eviction. It stated that the objective of the law was to ensure both public convenience and livelihood protection. The post also said that properly planned municipal markets and designated infrastructure could integrate hawkers into urban systems without disrupting pedestrian safety or city management.

The message further cited multiple Supreme Court judgments concerning hawkers’ rights, including Bombay Hawkers’ Union vs Bombay Municipal Corporation (1985), Sodan Singh vs New Delhi Municipal Committee (1989), Genda Ram vs Municipal Corporation of Delhi (2010), and Maharashtra Ekta Hawkers Union vs Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (2013). According to the statement, these judgments recognised hawkers’ rights under Article 19(1)(g) and Article 21 of the Constitution while emphasising that regulation should function through democratic bodies such as Town Vending Committees to ensure representation of hawkers in urban planning decisions.