Protests by women’s collective stop eviction drive under Kolkata flyover

A women’s collective in West Bengal sent legal notices to local authorities and stopped the alleged “arbitrary and illegal” eviction drive planned for Saturday (August 23, 2025) in Kolkata’s Hastings area.

Through legal intervention and repeated protests, the Muktokantha Mahila Samity, the current eviction drive has been cancelled, but insecurity looms over the residents in the area. 

Kolkata has witnessed multiple eviction drives in the last few months, which have been met with protests from both residents and social workers alike, including in places like Gariahath, Lake Gardens, and other areas. 

In a statement issued on Friday (August 22, 2025), the women’s collective said that the police of the Hastings Thana had visited the residents below the Hastings bridge multiple times since August 19 and had asked the people to move from the location. 

“On 21st August, 2025, police personnel returned and informed us that on 23rd August, 2025, a police van would arrive to forcibly remove us and separate us into shelters for men and women,” the release said. They condemned this and said that amid the ongoing heavy rain and no concrete plan of rehabilitation of the residents, the authorities should not evict the people. 

Kahkasha Shakil, Vice President of the women’s collective, said that they were able to deter the eviction drive on Saturday (August 23, 2025). “We sent legal notice to the Kolkata Municipal Corporation, Kolkata Police, and the Kolkata Mayor. But the police were roaming in the area in the morning and intimidating the residents that they will be removed soon,” Ms. Shakil said. 

She also said that the police in the area have said that illegal activities are frequent in the area and hence the eviction drive. 

Sources at the Hastings Police Station confirmed with The Hindu that the eviction drive scheduled for Saturday (August 23, 2025) has been cancelled until further notice from local authorities. The senior police officer refused to make further comments on the reason behind the eviction notice.  

Citing the Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act, 1971, the group said no eviction can be carried out without a written show-cause notice, hearing, and order from an Estate Officer—none of which has taken place. They also stated that in case displacement is unavoidable then legal process should be followed a “transparent, participatory, and humane rehabilitation plan” must be in place to ensure a humane approach to the problem. 

Human rights activist Ranjit Sur, general secretary of the Association for Protection of Democratic Rights (APDR), said that such eviction drives are condemnable. “They do this to remove the evidence of poverty from the public eye, but do not have any holistic plans for rehabilitation and eviction without rehabilitation is illegal,” Mr. Sur said.