NG TV ENGLISH EXCLUSIVE
ROMI & AAVI
HAWKER REMOVAL IN KOLKATA & WEST BENGAL — LIVELIHOOD VS PUBLIC SPACE
ROMI: Aavi, have you heard? Kolkata’s hawkers are again in the middle of a “remove me if you can” situation!
AAVI: Again? Kolkata has two permanent things—Rabindra Sangeet and hawkers occupying every possible corner!
ROMI: Oho! Very funny. But this isn’t just comedy. The issue is serious. The administration has been pushing for removal of illegal encroachments and clearing footpaths and roads.
AAVI: Correct. But tell me one thing, Madam Debate Queen—if you remove the hawkers, where will thousands of people earn their livelihood?
ROMI: And if you DON’T remove illegal stalls, where will pedestrians walk? On the clouds?
AAVI: Kolkata pedestrians have already mastered advanced-level road crossing. Footpath? What footpath?
ROMI: Exactly! That’s the problem. Hawkers are part of Kolkata’s character, but pedestrians also have rights.
AAVI: Hmm… So you want hawkers removed?
ROMI: I want illegal encroachment removed. Big difference!
AAVI: Wah! Madam has suddenly become a constitutional expert!
ROMI: Better than you becoming a roadside economist after two cups of tea!
AAVI: Tea is serious business. Especially from a hawker’s stall.
ROMI: See? This is where the debate becomes complicated. The same hawkers we complain about are also the people selling us our morning tea, snacks, clothes, vegetables and household items at affordable prices.
AAVI: Exactly! For many families, hawking is their only source of income.
ROMI: But there should be regulation—proper vending zones, identification, designated spaces and clear pedestrian pathways.
AAVI: So basically, “Hawker thakbe, footpath-o thakbe!”
ROMI: Finally! One sensible sentence from you.
AAVI: Screenshot this moment.
ROMI: But West Bengal’s challenge is bigger than Kolkata. From busy city roads to smaller towns, encroachment, traffic congestion and livelihood issues are all connected.
AAVI: And every time an eviction drive begins, another question pops up—“Where will these people go?”
ROMI: Exactly. Removing someone’s livelihood overnight without a rehabilitation or relocation plan can create another crisis.
AAVI: But allowing unchecked encroachment creates a crisis for pedestrians, traffic and emergency services.
ROMI: So the answer isn’t simply REMOVE or DON’T REMOVE.
AAVI: It’s REGULATE!
ROMI: Look at you! Today you actually said something intelligent.
AAVI: Don’t get emotional, Romi. Tomorrow I’ll go back to being useless.
ROMI: That’s reassuring. Consistency is important.
AAVI: Final verdict?
ROMI: Clear illegal encroachments, protect genuine livelihoods, create organised vending zones and keep public spaces accessible.
AAVI: In short—“Hawker bhi bache, Kolkata bhi saje!”
ROMI: And pedestrians?
AAVI: They get the footpath.
ROMI: Miracles do happen!
AAVI: Only on NG TV ENGLISH!
ROMI: ROMI OUT!
AAVI: AAVI OUT!
BOTH: “Debate chalu rahega… Kolkata chalta rahega!”
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