Through authorized intervention and repeated protests, the Muktokantha Mahila Samity, the present eviction drive has been cancelled, however insecurity looms over the residents within the space.
Kolkata has witnessed a number of eviction drives in the previous couple of months, which have been met with protests from each residents and social employees alike, together with in locations like Gariahath, Lake Gardens, and different areas.
In an announcement issued on Friday (August 22, 2025), the ladies’s collective mentioned that the police of the Hastings Thana had visited the residents under the Hastings bridge a number of occasions since August 19 and had requested the individuals to maneuver from the placement.
“On twenty first August, 2025, police personnel returned and knowledgeable us that on twenty third August, 2025, a police van would arrive to forcibly take away us and separate us into shelters for women and men,” the discharge mentioned. They condemned this and mentioned that amid the continued heavy rain and no concrete plan of rehabilitation of the residents, the authorities mustn’t evict the individuals.
Kahkasha Shakil, Vice President of the ladies’s collective, mentioned that they have been in a position to deter the eviction drive on Saturday (August 23, 2025). “We despatched authorized discover to the Kolkata Municipal Corporation, Kolkata Police, and the Kolkata Mayor. But the police have been roaming within the space within the morning and intimidating the residents that they are going to be eliminated quickly,” Ms. Shakil mentioned.
She additionally mentioned that the police within the space have mentioned that unlawful actions are frequent within the space and therefore the eviction drive.
Sources on the Hastings Police Station confirmed with The Hindu that the eviction drive scheduled for Saturday (August 23, 2025) has been cancelled till additional discover from native authorities. The senior police officer refused to make additional feedback on the rationale behind the eviction discover.
Citing the Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act, 1971, the group mentioned no eviction will be carried out with out a written show-cause discover, listening to, and order from an Estate Officer—none of which has taken place. They additionally acknowledged that in case displacement is unavoidable then authorized course of needs to be adopted a “clear, participatory, and humane rehabilitation plan” should be in place to make sure a humane strategy to the issue.
Human rights activist Ranjit Sur, normal secretary of the Association for Protection of Democratic Rights (APDR), mentioned that such eviction drives are condemnable. “They do that to take away the proof of poverty from the general public eye, however would not have any holistic plans for rehabilitation and eviction with out rehabilitation is illegitimate,” Mr. Sur mentioned.
Published – August 24, 2025 05:23 am IST
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