Hawkers return to spot below Mahakal temple at Darjeeling Mall

Members of nearly 30 samaj (local communities) attended a meeting called by the Joint Action Committee, formed to protest against and oppose hawkers setting up temporary stalls around the Mall. 

EOI, DARJEELING, JANUARY 6, 2024 : The voice of resentment and dissent continues to grow among the citizens of the Darjeeling hills even as the 108 evicted hawkers have reclaimed their spot on Mall, Chowrasta. 

On Saturday, members of nearly 30 samaj (local communities) attended a meeting called by the Joint Action Committee, formed to protest against and oppose hawkers setting up temporary stalls around the Mall. 

Following the meeting the JAC decided to submit a memorandum to the Darjeeling Municipality to put a curb to hawkers reinstalling their stalls below the Mahakal temple. "We are seeing that as each day passes, the hawkers have started putting back their stalls below the Mahakal temple in Chowrasta. 

The stalls block free passage and walkway to elderly citizens, tourists and people exercising," said Tshering Dorjee Bhutia, founding member of JAC. In April last year, ahead of the G20 meeting in Darjeeling, 108 hawkers were evicted from the Mahakal temple area and relocated at the Gorkha Rangmanch Bhawan, also know as Bhanu Bhawan, by the Darjeeling Municipality and the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration. 

However last year in December the hawkers complained that they were suffering loss of income due to the location of their place of business and resolved to return to the spot where they had been doing business earlier. 

The JAC said the Darjeeling Municipality and the GTA should rehabilitate the hawkers in groups in other suitable place instead of in Chowrasta. 

"We will meet the civic body chairman on Monday and submit a memorandum. We are not opposed to the hawkers and we understand that they have to do business for their livelihood. We are only opposed to stalls being put up in the Mall Chowrasta area which should be kept free for health recreation activities and for the elders to pass time in peace," said Bhutia. 

According to the hawkers, the Darjeeling civic body and the GTA had promised to identify a new place for the hawkers to continue doing their business, which is the only source of income. 

The Municipality had planned to construct an iron deck in the area opposite to the Mahakal temple for the hawkers to put up their stalls without blocking public movement. The civic body had engaged workers to dig holes on the ground on the road below but the JAC and other social organizations and nearby samaj opposed the construction. 

Municipality chairman Dipen Thakuri has so far refused to issue a formal statement on the construction work, relocation of the hawkers and the opposition by the JAC. This has created confusion among citizens