The Eastern Railway demolished around 300 shops and kiosks at the Krishnanagar railway station in Nadia district on Tuesday night to clear illegal encroachments and hawkers from the platforms and premises.
The eviction triggered protests and clashes with security personnel.
Railway authorities deployed bulldozers to demolish illegal shops and temporary structures in and around the station as part of the statewide anti-encroachment drive.
The operation sparked stiff resistance from evicted hawkers and supporters of Left-backed organisations, including the CPM, its trade union wing Citu and the SUCI (C), leading to scuffles with police and railway security personnel.
Around 1,500 people have become jobless after the eviction.
Ajoy Saha, an affected hawker in Krishnanagar, said: “Such a random drive, ignoring our plea for time and alternative arrangements, was beyond my imagination. I didn’t expect it from the BJP-led dual government.”
According to railway sources, notices were served on June 5 directing hawkers and temporary shopkeepers to vacate the station premises by June 16. While many hawkers removed their stalls before the deadline, several temporary structures remained standing.
Railway officials, assisted by the Railway Protection Force (RPF), Government Railway Police (GRP) and personnel from Krishnanagar police station, started dismantling the remaining structures around 10pm.
As the operation progressed, evicted hawkers, led by the Citu, organised a protest march on the station premises before staging a sit-in outside the station’s main entrance. Tension escalated when a section of the protesters allegedly attempted to re-enter the station, prompting RPF personnel to stop them. This led to heated arguments and scuffles between the two sides.
Citu state council member Debasish Acharya, who, along with other Left leaders, tried to resist the eviction Tuesday night, termed the operation “inhuman” and “barbaric”.
“It is an attack on people’s right to live. The railway authorities, under the instructions of the BJP government, became desperate to rob the livelihood of poor people in the name of so-called development. The railways must consider an alternative way for these poor people,” said Acharya.
On Wednesday, the Citu organised a march in Plassey condemning the eviction at Krishnanagar. Residents of at least 100 shanties located near the Plassey railway station have been served notice for eviction.
Despite sustained protests, railway authorities continued with the eviction drive, demolishing all remaining unauthorised shops and structures adjacent to the station building and platforms with bulldozers.
A Citu office located on railway land was also demolished during the operation at Krishnanagar.
Similar eviction drives had recently been carried out at several major stations, including Sealdah, Howrah, Dum Dum and Habra.
On Wednesday, Calcutta High Court extended till June 25 the stay on eviction at the Dankuni, Garifa, Konnagar and Naihati stations.
The Citu also submitted a similar petition seeking a stay on the eviction from Shyamnagar, Bidhannagar, Ashoknagar, Gobardanga, Bongaon and Maslandpur.
“We have submitted petitions seeking a stay on the eviction drives at these stations and hope that the court will hear the grievances of the poor hawkers and issue necessary directives to the Eastern Railways,” said North 24-Parganas Citu leader Gargi Chatterjee.