Encroching fish sellers evicted at Besant

CHENNAI: Corporation officials on Wednesday evicted over 200 fisherwomen, who had set up shop at Vannan Thurai and near the Ashtalakshmi Temple in Besant Nagar on Wednesday. On a Madras high court order instructing police officials to assist the hawker's committee in the eviction process, officials cleared out the fish market within a couple of hours.
The process was largely peaceful until road laying work began at the site immediately.When the road work started, a group of people broke into loud protests. However, there was no untoward incident.
A fisher woman said that all the women were willing to shift from the spot if they were given an alternate place for them to sell fish. Rani, who has been selling fish in the market for 42 years, said, "We are willing to move if they make alternative arrangements. The place that they allocated for us behind the Besant Nagar bus stand can accommodate only a few of us and since there are at least 150 of us here, it is impossible for us to shift there." Another woman said, "Many women who have taken to selling fish used to deal in Sundakanchi (illicit liquor). They were asked to give up that trade and were rehabilitated as fish sellers. If all of them are thrown to the streets, what will they do for their livelihood?"
The corporation officials said that alternative arrangements have been provided as per regulations, but it is difficult to accommodate a large number of them at the new site. A senior corporation official said, "As per the high-court order, the market was cleared in a peaceful and successful manner, though many women refused to move. We have provided alternative arrangements for 62 fisherwomen."
Civic rights and pedestrians rights groups question the feasibility of the alternative arrangements provided by the corporation officials. Venkat Narasimhan of Walking Classes Unite said, "Despite the national hawkers policy mandating a city-centric hawking plan, Chennai, as of now has no such plan. Even though reports have been formulated and recommendations published, no concrete and sustainable system for a separate hawking zone is in place. Such a plan, followed by action, can help resolve many of the problems that are faced by hawkers and corporation officials alike." He added, "Until a systematic policy is evolved with the consent of all the stake holders, such problems will keep emerging."
sibi.arasu@timesgroup.com
EOM