Rathin Naskar, a street vendor in his 50s who sells handkerchiefs, umbrellas, and bags at Kolkata's Jadavpur Railway Station, is tensed about what the future holds. For decades, hundreds of hawkers like him have earned their livelihoods in and around the railway station. But recent eviction drives could put their only source of income under threat.
“If the government decides to throw us away, where will we go?" he asks. "Where will I get another job?"
An undated notice pasted on one of the stalls at the station reads, "All the hawkers are on the platform illegally, narrowing down the space on platforms... The passengers are troubled, and this can even lead to death among passengers."
To this effect, the notice goes on, all the hawkers should move their stalls within 10 days of receiving the notice, failing which legal action will be taken against them.