A fresh political confrontation has sparked off with the eviction drive conducted by the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) across several railway colonies and slum settlements in Siliguri.
The campaign, launched after the declaration of the West Bengal Assembly election results on May 4, has seen railway authorities issue written notices, make public announcements through loudspeakers and conduct surveys in areas occupied for decades.
The exercise has affected settlements spread across municipal wards including 4, 5, 6, 18, 24 and 28, besides pockets around New Jalpaiguri (NJP) station.
According to local sources, nearly 100 slum clusters have come under the scanner. Many residents claim their families have been living on railway land for decades and now face uncertainty over their future.
Ironically, several protesters alleged that many of the affected families had shifted their political allegiance over the years, from the Left Front to the Trinamool Congress and later to the BJP, but are now returning to the Left-led movement seeking protection against eviction.
On Monday, hundreds of residents, led by the CPI(M), staged a demonstration outside the Railway Engineering office at Tikiyapara and submitted a memorandum demanding an immediate halt to the eviction drive until rehabilitation is ensured.
“We are not against development. Our only demand is rehabilitation first, then eviction,” said Saman Pathak, CPI(M)’s Darjeeling district secretary and a former Rajya Sabha member.
He said the party had earlier submitted a memorandum to the Siliguri Sub-Divisional Officer on July 9 but alleged that the railway authorities had continued the exercise.
Invoking Article 21 of the Constitution, which guarantees the right to life, Pathak argued that thousands of families cannot be displaced overnight without a proper rehabilitation plan.
“Many of these residents possess voter identity cards, electricity and water connections. Municipal holding numbers have been issued in several places. There are schools and even polling stations in these localities. Stakeholders must be informed about the proposed development projects and rehabilitation must be ensured before any eviction takes place,” he said.
Recalling the Left Front regime, Pathak claimed that rehabilitation had preceded earlier eviction drives, citing the establishment of Hawkers’ Corner and Vivekananda Mini Market for displaced vendors in Siliguri.
Residents echoed similar concerns.
“We should be given time and rehabilitation before being asked to leave,” said Shila Paswan.
Another resident, Rebati Mondal, said her family had been living in the area for nearly 25 years. “We are poor people. If our homes are demolished, we will become homeless,” she said.
An agitated resident, Apurba Sarkar, blamed the political change for the situation. “We voted for the BJP, and now we are facing eviction. Bulldozers are coming, announcements are being made, surveys are underway, but nobody is talking about rehabilitation,” he alleged.
Railway officials, however, maintain that the exercise is part of a larger infrastructure development programme. Though declining to be quoted officially, senior officials at NJP (New Jalpaiguri) said they were implementing directives from higher authorities.
“We are helpless. The instructions have come from the top. Large stretches of railway land have been encroached upon, delaying several planned development projects for years. After the change of government, efforts are now being made to implement those projects and secure railway property,” a senior railway official said on condition of anonymity.
NJP, one of eastern India’s most important railway junctions and the gateway to the Northeast, is undergoing a major redevelopment project. Railway officials said the eviction drive is linked to station modernisation and other infrastructure projects requiring vacant railway land.