A large-scale demolition drive carried out by railway authorities backed by the newly formed Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state government at Dum Dum and Uttarpura stations late on Saturday (May 30) night triggered strong protests from hawkers, trade unions and Left organisations, who accused the administration of destroying livelihoods in the name of removing encroachments.

The operation, conducted with the support of multiple security agencies, resulted in the demolition of over a hundred shops and stalls without prior eviction notices, leaving numerous families dependent on them for their livelihood severely affected.

Teams of the Government Railway Police (GRP), Railway Protection Force (RPF), Kolkata Police and central forces, accompanied by excavators, arrived at the stations and began removing structures located on railway land.

Eastern Railway officials maintained that the exercise was aimed at clearing alleged illegal encroachments and improving passenger convenience by removing stalls from platforms and station approach roads.

As news of the demolition spread, hawkers gathered at the stations and attempted to resist the operation.

Members of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) and CPI(M) activists remained at both locations through the night in support of those facing eviction.

According to protesters, the initial resistance forced authorities to temporarily suspend the drive. However, they alleged that the administration later returned with a larger deployment of police and security personnel and resumed the operation.

Hawkers claimed they had sought additional time before any eviction was carried out. According to eyewitnesses, several vendors pleaded with officials to postpone the drive, saying railway authorities had earlier given verbal assurances that more time would be granted. Despite these appeals, demolition teams continued their work under heavy security cover until the early hours of Sunday.

Many affected vendors were seen attempting to salvage their belongings as kiosks and stalls were dismantled. Several broke down while watching what they described as their only source of livelihood being destroyed within minutes. When protests intensified, security forces allegedly resorted to a lathi-charge to disperse demonstrators before proceeding further with the operation.

Senior Left leaders, including CITU leader Gargi Chatterjee, former CPI(M) MP Tarit Baran Topdar, Somnath Bhattacharya and Mayukh Biswas, reached the site and urged railway officials to defer the demolition.

Dum Dum railway station on Sunday morning after temporary shops were demolished. Photo: By arrangement.

According to them, authorities remained firm in their position that “no illegal encroachment on railway land will be tolerated” and that eviction drives would continue.

The issue has also reignited concerns raised by trade unions over the impact of recent eviction drives on hawkers.

CITU leaders said that ever since such operations began, a hawker in Chakdaha had died by suicide and another in Dum Dum had allegedly attempted to take her own life by jumping onto railway tracks. They said they had repeatedly urged the authorities to provide more time and formulate rehabilitation measures before carrying out evictions.

“We sought one extra month. On Saturday, the officials gave us verbal assurances (to halt the eviction drive). But unfortunately, the drive began the same night,” Gargi Chatterjee told reporters.

CPM leader Somnath Bhattacharya described the operation as "inhuman and unprecedented".

Mayukh Biswas also criticised local BJP leaders, accusing them of misleading hawkers about receiving more time to relocate.

"Where are these BJP leaders now?" he asked.

Left leaders further alleged that the demolition drive was linked to broader plans to hand over station spaces to large corporate interests.

Following the demolition, CPI(M) and CITU organised protest meetings and demonstrations on Sunday, condemning what they described as a barbaric action that had left hundreds of working people without a means of livelihood.

Eastern Railway officials, however, declined to comment on the allegations levelled by the protesters.