Street fight for survival: The hawkers of Shillong resist forced evictions

At the heart of Meghalaya's bustling capital, a battle is brewing—not one of guns and grenades, but of livelihoods, legality, and a long-denied voice.

- RAJIB CHAKRABORTY

At the heart of Meghalaya's bustling capital, a battle is brewing—not one of guns and grenades, but of livelihoods, legality, and a long-denied voice. On a humid Monday morning, Shillong's iconic Police Bazar—formally Khyndailad—turned into a flashpoint as the Shillong Municipal Board (SMB) launched a high-stakes eviction drive, targeting street vendors and hawkers deemed "unlicensed."

By 9 a.m., the melee began. SMB officials, flanked by police personnel, combed the sidewalks, inspecting vendor licenses. Those lacking documentation were summarily ordered to vacate. Many complied in silence. Others, particularly women, broke into tears. A few hawkers resisted, sparking tense confrontations and heated verbal exchanges. To some onlookers, it was just another skirmish in the city's ongoing battle against unregulated street vending. But for the hundreds of hawkers who depend on these very pavements to feed their families, it was an assault on their existence.

"THIS IS NOT JUST ABOUT STALLS, IT IS ABOUT JUSTICE!"