Kolkata's New Market Traders Issue Ultimatum Over Hawker Encroachment, Threaten Strike
In a dramatic escalation of tensions, shopkeepers and traders at Kolkata's iconic New Market have issued a stern ultimatum to the civic market department, threatening to call a token strike and shut down the market for several hours if immediate action is not taken to control rampant hawker encroachment in and around the premises. The SS Hogg Market Traders' Association has given the civic body until Monday morning to demonstrate serious intent, while also demanding police action against those responsible for a recent violent assault on shop employees by hawkers.
Frustration Boils Over After Violent Incident
Incensed by what they describe as persistent inaction from market authorities despite numerous memorandums, meetings, and pleas, traders gathered in force on Friday at the Golghar, the central rotunda where the market's four main corridors converge. This mobilization came in direct response to a shocking incident near Gate 18, where several New Market stall workers were brutally beaten by hawkers on Thursday.
The assembled shopkeepers marched to the office of the market superintendent, escorting him to the exact location where the trouble erupted. There, they delivered their demands in unequivocal terms. "We want our voice to reach the mayor directly," declared Ashraf Ali, a prominent trader. "We urge him to step outside his office and personally inspect Bertram Street. Half the carriageway is completely occupied by unauthorized hawkers, and all market entrances are severely encroached upon."
Traders' Association Takes Belligerent Stand
Uday Kumar Shaoo, representing the Traders' Association, echoed this frustration with a similarly forceful tone. "For years, we have consistently urged both the civic body and the government to take decisive action against this encroachment," Shaoo stated. "Occasionally, there are morning drives conducted by authorities, but these are mere eyewash operations. The hawkers simply return within a couple of hours and reoccupy the same stretches. Their audacity has now reached a point where they are preventing legitimate shopkeepers from unloading their goods."
The majority of traders present at the Golghar meeting expressed profound concern over the violent attack on stall workers, viewing it as a dangerous escalation in the ongoing conflict. This incident has become the catalyst for their current, more aggressive stance.
Civic Authorities Acknowledge Police Inaction
According to an official from the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) market department, despite multiple letters sent from the mayor's office to the New Market police station instructing officers to maintain a close watch on the growing encroachment and to penalize errant hawkers, no effective steps have been implemented over the past two months. "The most recent communication was dispatched from the mayor's office to the Officer-in-Charge of the New Market police station on December 30," the civic official revealed. "We are still awaiting meaningful and effective action on their part to address this critical issue."
Hawker Representative Warns of Escalating Conflict
Saktiman Ghosh, chief of the Hawker Sangram Committee and a member of the Town Vending Committee, acknowledged the severity of the situation, calling for greater vigilance and seriousness from both civic authorities and the police. "The conflict between hawkers and traders in this area is deteriorating rapidly and taking a turn for the worse," Ghosh cautioned. "If we do not address and resolve the relevant issues promptly and effectively, there is a genuine risk that the entire New Market area could transform into a veritable war zone."
The standoff highlights a deep-seated urban management crisis in one of Kolkata's most historic commercial hubs, with traders now prepared to disrupt business through a token strike if their demands for clear pathways and security are not met by the Monday deadline.
