How Bulldozers are Changing Kolkata's Political Landscape

• Over the last month, drives aimed at evicting hawkers from railway stations and demolishing illegal establishments on railway-owned adjoining lands have gathered momentum in West Bengal

• Critics, including Students’ Federation of India (SFI) general secretary Srijan Bhattacharya, who was arrested following the protest, argue the practice reflects an increasingly intolerant political culture

• Tanuki Yadav, a 45-year-old migrant worker from Bihar, says the demolitions have left many families uncertain about their future.

On the night of June 7, residents and traders rushed back to the Jadavpur Railway Station area after hearing of a possible demolition, only to find payloaders and bulldozers already stationed there. In an anti-encroachment drive, Eastern Railway authorities, in coordination with the Kolkata Police, West Bengal Police (GRP) and the Central Reserve Police Force, razed more than thirty structures as the clock ticked its way into midnight.

“I ran with my eight-year-old daughter to a house across the street, as soon as I heard the rumble of the bulldozer. For the next couple of hours, there was only chaos. When I came back, my shop did not exist anymore,” says Lalita, who ran a modest food joint for the workers of the area. The land mostly housed godowns and stores of numerous traders dealing in bricks, sand and stone chips.

Like Lalita, other traders in the area claim at least three hundred migrant workers stayed in these establishments and over a thousand contractual labourers linked to these businesses are now without work. “There was only a single notice which said that hawkers would be evicted from the platforms. We are not hawkers, but traders who have conducted business from this very place for more than forty years with proper papers,” says Mintu Dasgupta, 68. Like Dasgupta, numerous other aggregate dealers who have operated from the land for years find themselves in a murky situation. 

Over the last month, drives aimed at evicting hawkers from railway stations and demolishing illegal establishments on railway-owned adjoining lands have gathered momentum in the state. Busy junction stations that witness the movement of around a million commuters every day like Howrah and Dumdum were the primary targets of the drives. 

On Deaf Ears

Earlier this month, protests halted demolition after authorities verbally agreed to wait until courts reopened and a certified copy of a 1988 ruling of the Calcutta High Court against the forceful eviction of hawkers without a proper rehabilitation plan in place was furnished. Residents were taken by surprise when bulldozers arrived a few days later, ahead of proceedings resuming.

Like Lalita Devi, numerous other people were given an hour’s notice to vacate their establishments. When they were met with strong protests, the police and central forces resorted to lathi charge and violence. Locals claim that the authorities refused to consider any existing paperwork and engage in any conversation prior to the demolition.

Traders, who have been running businesses from the land for over seventy years, also allege paying railway, police and administrative officials Rs 10,000-50,000 monthly to conduct business on the railway siding land after repeated lease renewal requests were rejected. Railway officials did not respond to Outlook's questions on the allegation. A senior official, however, described the drive as routine, citing encroachments and missing BLRO (Block Land & Land Reforms Office) mutation certificates. 

The traders insist that all of their dealings over the years have respected legalities and they would have been open to alternatives had a proper rehabilitation plan been in place. “They refused to wait for the certified copy of the 1988 order which we had promised to furnish after the courts reopened. They refused to look at our papers. They went back on their own word. And they claim we don't have papers. Establishments belonging to at least 34-35 traders were razed to the ground and all we could do was witness it happening,” adds Suronjit Sen, 42, a member of the traders’ association. 

An Imported Symbol

Lalita Devi says the sound of her daughter crying still stays with her as she points to the few utensils salvaged from the rubble. Another local says witnessing the sight of bulldozers rolling in late night,  late-night demolition and clashes between police and protesters, including women, was deeply distressing. People questioned the presence of heavily armed forces and tear gas at what the authorities claim was a ‘routine’ demolition drive. Protesters say while demolitions have always been there, this was the first time the bulldozer was being used as a political tool in Bengal. 

Many residents and opposition leaders view the demolition as an example of 'bulldozer politics', alleging it suppresses dissent. Critics, including Students’ Federation of India (SFI) general secretary Srijan Bhattacharya, who was arrested following the protest, argue the practice reflects an increasingly intolerant political culture that sidelines the working class and weakens constitutional norms.  Other protesters, including former Jadavpur MP Sujan Chakraborty and artist and social activist Joyraj Bhattacharjee were hurt in the scuffle. 

Bulldozing Forward

The SFI general secretary maintains that any eviction should follow a proper rehabilitation plan in line with the 1988 Calcutta High Court judgement and Article 19(1)(g) of the Constitution, calling for a tripartite dialogue between hawkers' unions, locals and railway officials, including on issues like compensation for those already affected. 

Speaking to Outlook, former city mayor and counsel for the displaced petitioners Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya says: “Since it concerns the livelihood of so many people, unless the authorities have an alternative plan in place, they cannot be interfered with, as it directly violates Article 21 of the Indian Constitution. They are citing passengers’ inconvenience, but how is that suddenly such a moving issue that it directly hinders their basic livelihood?” He further stresses the fact that the government is not being run by the rule of law, but that of the bulldozer, arguing that public authorities must balance legality with public welfare and ensure a proper rehabilitation plan before proceeding with such actions. 

The petitioners are hopeful of a stay order from the High Court in this matter, which is listed to be heard in the coming days. The traders, locals and leaders believe a stay order would help them navigate the situation better and help in fruitful dialogue with the authorities.

While CM Suvendu Adhikari announced a zero-tolerance policy towards illegal structures and buildings, the Calcutta High Court has recently granted interim relief in multiple demolition cases, staying including the Howrah hawker eviction drive and a building demolition in Topsia, while directing the Kolkata Municipal Corporation to hear occupants and owners before demolition action in Tiljala and Kasba.

Advocate Bhattacharya says protests will continue if evictions proceed without a rehabilitation roadmap. Traders say they believe in constitutional methods and peaceful protest. The drives have drawn criticism from sections of academia, civil society and the film industry. Outlook has learnt from Eastern Railway sources that more eviction notices have been issued for settlements around stations, while hawkers and traders allege many notices lack official letterheads and are confusing in nature. 

Speaking to Outlook, Chief Public Relations Officer, Eastern Railway, Shibram Majhi said more expansion drives would be carried out in coordination with the state government and the Ministry of Railways. "The expansion projects are being fast-tracked. Amidst of all this, convenience of passengers is of utmost importance. We are not in favour of auctioning stalls as well, as passengers are greatly inconvenienced by cluttered platforms,” he says. He added that a Railway Task Force chaired by the Chief Secretary would oversee the projects and review their progress regularly. 

Denying that the drives are linked to the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, Majhi said they are tied to the proposed that numerous projects are in the pipeline including the proposed East-West freight corridor (Dankuni-Surat) and line expansion works, for which the land is required. He said the projects have been expedited under the new government and added, “We do not believe in the use of force but a reasonable plan of action has to exist.” According to Majhi, repeated requests and notices to relocate had gone unheeded. He further said stalled expansion works have been prioritised under the new government and clarified that rehabilitation of evicted hawkers, traders and residents is the responsibility of the state government, not the Railways. 

Left leaders argue the demolition drives have found some acceptance among sections of the middle class because of resentment towards the previous Trinamool Congress government's handling of illegal settlements and a perceived disconnect from working-class concerns. Tanuki Yadav, a 45-year-old migrant worker from Bihar, says the demolitions have left many families uncertain about their future. “I woke up today not having any answer to my four children as to how I will feed them tomorrow... No matter how fluent one is, who can speak in front of a JCB?” he says. 

A shorter, edited version of this appears in print

This article appeared in Outlook's July 6th, 2026 issue titled 'The Great Nicobar Debate,' which looks at the pros and cons of developing the eco-sensitive Nicobar Island.