Demolition of Agartala Lake Chowmuhni Bazar sparks wave of protest

Demolition of the Agartala’s oldest market – Lake Chowmuhni Bazar by the Agartala Municipal Corporation (AMC) on Thursday sparked row with the opposition CPI(M) slamming the government.

The AMC on Thursday morning bulldozed the temporary shops and sheds to clear the Lake Chowmuhni Bazar. The AMC earlier asked the shopkeepers to shift their business to other place.

Reacting sharp on the bulldozing the market sheds, the former Chief Minister and the CPI(M) Politburo member Manik Sarkar described the move as “inhumane” and unjust. Sarkar visited the affected market and said, “The government bulldozed the shops of traders without prior consultation or arrangements for their rehabilitation.”

Sarkar emphasized that the government’s actions reflect a lack of empathy for the working class. He said that the traders do not have alternative means of earning a living, and this eviction would severely impact their ability to provide for their families.

Meanwhile, the Leader of Opposition Jitendra Chaudhury criticized the government over the eviction drive and said, “This is not something new that has happened today. Since after the formation of their government, the BJP has targeted the poor people, following which eviction was carried out in almost all the major markets in the city and other parts of the state.”

The eviction drive of the AMC sparked a wave of protest among the traders, who alleged that they were forced to leave their stalls without compensation or support, leaving them struggling to find ways to continue their livelihoods.

They claimed that they have been conducting business in Lake Chowmuhni Bazar for several decades, even dating back to the king’s rule, without facing any eviction efforts. The sudden crackdown under the current BJP-led government has left many families in distress, they told reporters.

The Mayor of Agartala Municipal Corporation and MLA Dipak Majumder visited the site on Thursday after the eviction and claimed that the government would arrange an alternate plan for the evicted traders. He said that the eviction drive was carried out as part of a broader urban development plan.