Vendors bemoan sudden eviction from shops on Flower Bazaar

“Why should officials take such drastic action against us at this juncture? Further, there are nearly 250 persons involved in the sale of flowers here and where will they all go now?”, wondered A Kaliyammal, who was sitting near her shop with her hands on the cheek. “It is a clear indication that there is no place for the poor to ply their trade in such a big city which helped the rich get richer and made the poor poorer,”  the woman from Tiruvotriyur observed.

The traders’ association is now thinking of seeking a legal remedy against Monday’s eviction. P Dhanaraj, President, Chennai Maanagaratchi Pushpa Vaniga Nala Sangam, told DT Next, “We will file a case on Wednesday and sales will not take place on Monday and Tuesday. Further, the officials should give a valid explanation as to why they would shift us to Koyambedu.”   

Flower Bazaar police maintained that the police personnel were deployed just to help CMDA officials. “It is our duty to protect officials and there was no clash between us and the vendors,” a police official explained, wanting to remain unidentified. Around 200 police personnel were utilised to prevent untoward incidents.

Members of the general public have criticised the officials saying that eviction  has become a routine affair. “Officials seldom come here, and they initiate eviction without giving any clear information,” said A Natarajan, a tea stall owner near Broadway Flower Bazaar. He had so far witnessed 40 such incidents. A few vendors wondered why the officials did not seal cracker and thread shops in the area. 

Attempts to contact CMDA planners about the cause of the crackdown were in vain. “I am not authorised to speak to the media,” was a terse response from one of the CMDA top planners. 

Police said the encroachers were basically small vendors, who sell fruits, vegetables and household items along the pavement behind Flower Bazaar police station, and set up shops on bus stops, thereby hindering free flow of traffic, besides causing inconvenience to pedestrians. A notice had been issued to the hawkers  and vendors to vacate the spot well in  advance, which the officials say was ignored by them.