Lall Bazaar sees red, shuts down in protest against GMC ‘highhandedness’

…MG MARG EXTENDS BANDH SUPPORT

GANGTOK, 25 May: MG Marg became the venue for angry expressions of dissent and anguish today with the confrontation which played out in Lall Bazaar spilling over to the business centre a flight of steps above. Lall Bazaar shut down and in a domino effect, business establishments at MG Marg also downed shutters as a group marched through calling for a protest bandh against alleged highhandedness of Gangtok Municipal Corporation councilors. The Sunday haat was disrupted and even though the vegetable stalls were allowed to be opened later in the day, business for the day was as good as lost.

The fracas played out for a better part of the day and included the arrest and release on bail of GMC councilor, Udai Lama even as FIRs were filed by both, the councilors and Lall Bazaar traders against each other.

The problem began from Lall Bazaar, where councilor Udai Lama and Deputy Mayor, Shakti Singh allegedly demonstrated extreme authoritarian attitude and highhandedness against the shopkeepers there. Today being a haat day, this affected not only the general public but also tourists and those vegetable vendors who come in from the villages on Sundays to sell their produce. Tourists, who have been thronging to Sikkim in the thousands were also inconvenienced with all shops and restaurants coming together in protest to down their shutters.

Lall Bazaar hawkers and shopkeepers have allegedly been targeted by the councilors for the past couple of days with surprise checks at inconvenient hours, as early as 6 a.m., some of the people have alleged. The “harassment” has been going on for the past few days; however, today it is reported and alleged by some hawkers and shopkeepers that the councilor/s even kicked around some of the wares and used abusive language which is totally unbecoming of an elected representative.

“They have been checking the market and the traders since 6 a.m.; today they even kicked some of the goods around and were abusive,” echoed several traders.

Matters came to a head when Mr. Lama allegedly pushed around a hawker. In a show of unity, all hawkers and shopkeepers of Lall Bazaar came together to shut down the market place and take out a protest rally. Soon the news and emotions reached MG Marg and all business people, sharing the concerns and as a group marched past demanding that shops be closed in protest, shut down as well.

“Can anyone justify this?” asked a businessman in MG Marg referring to the alleged action of the Councilors; “Why are they suddenly so concerned about documents and papers of hawkers and businessmen?” asked another. The rally of Lall Bazaar shopkeepers and hawkers spilled onto MG Marg where there was a swelling of all affected with sloganeering as well.

Soon, the DC-East, AK Singh and SP Manoj Tiwari arrived and managed to pacify the aggravated traders by calling them to the thana to lodge a complaint if they wanted to. The accused party comprising the Deputy Mayor and councilor Udai Lama were also called to the Thana. The assurance given by the administration proved to be comforting to the traders who then took their rally back to Lall Bazaar.

SKM MLAs of Gangtok, Arithang, Upper Tadong, Syari and Sangha also intervened in the matter which was resolved after the Deputy Mayor admitted that they had crossed the line and said that inspection of the market place would now onwards be carried out by the GMC Commissioner, Bazaar Officers or Bazaar Inspectors. It was further stated that in case such inspection is conducted by a councilor then it would be done in coordination with the concerned MLA.

Arithang MLA, Shyam Sundar Pradhan under whose constituency the market area falls, said that the business community has the right to live with dignity and alleged that the GMC councilors have been harassing the public. Further adding that such attitude will not be tolerated in future, he assured that adequate police force will be deployed in the area every Sunday and Saturday.

The market however remained closed today affecting the vegetable vendors who had come from the villages. There was a brief fracas between them and the other shopkeepers who had shut down the market and it was agreed that the vegetable vendors be allowed to resume their trade. However the most affected would have been the tourists since all they could do was occupy the benches at MG Marg, with the central bazaar area remaining shut.