Bulldozer Government Is Running The State : Manik Dey At Hawkers’ Union Conference.

Agartala, Tripura, 23rd of August, 2026 : With the initiative of the Tripura State Hawkers’ Union organized the 5th State Conference at the hall of Bhanu Ghosh Smriti Bhavan, Melarmath, Agartala, Tripura on Sunday (23rd August, 2026).

A total of 177 delegates from various subdivisions across the state attended the conference. At the beginning of the programme, CITU’s red flag was hoisted by Makhan Acharya and  the leaders paid floral tributes at the martyrs’ memorial.

Later, the conference proceedings began at the venue with the formation of the presidium. A condolence resolution was read out, followed by a minute of silence in memory of those who had passed away.

Addressing at the event CITU State Committee President Manik Dey said that around 8.5 crore hawkers across the country are facing severe hardship. He alleged that the government is adopting policies favouring big capital and corporate interests, thereby threatening the livelihoods of small hawkers and leaving lakhs of them unemployed. He further alleged that the government has become an instrument against workers and said that the Centre’s labour codes are causing serious harm to working people. According to him, the rights secured by the working class through long struggles are being curtailed under the new labour codes, leaving workers with virtually no rights.

CITU State Committee President said that the Hawkers’ Union is an important organisation with direct contact with the people. There was once a large number of hawkers, but due to the anti-hawker policies of the Central and State governments, a significant number of hawkers are now losing their livelihoods.

“The BJP-led Central Government is causing harm to the people by freely handing over the country’s public assets to big capitalists and corporate interests. He said that CITU and several other left-oriented workers’ organisations have been jointly carrying out a major movement across the country”, said Manik Dey.

He also said that in the nationwide Jail Bharo movement on August 10, workers, farmers and ordinary people delivered a strong message to the government. He also claimed that the historic protests by students in Delhi and various parts of the country eventually forced the Union Education Minister to resign. According to him, this is only the beginning of a new chapter in the movement.

Highlighting the event, He remarked that during the Left Front government’s tenure in the state, numerous sheds, stalls and large markets were constructed in markets, towns and Agartala city to support the livelihoods of hawkers and small traders. He claimed that at that time, the government did not evict hawkers without making alternative arrangements, and there were no incidents of using bulldozers to remove hawkers in the state under the Left Front rule.

He further said that in 2016, the Left Front government enacted a law in the interest of hawkers.

Addressing the conference, CITU State General Secretary Shankar Dey said that hawkers, through their direct connection with the people, can help guide the public in the right direction against the government’s alleged anti-people decisions. He alleged that the BJP government is taking away the rights and benefits achieved by working people through long struggles, while lakhs of small hawkers are struggling to make ends meet.

He further alleged that the government is ruling the country and the state in an authoritarian manner and claimed that the labour codes have been introduced in the interests of big capitalists and corporate houses. He said the government must be compelled to withdraw the labour codes through sustained struggle. He also alleged that the government is pursuing policies aimed at weakening or abolishing MGNREGA and the TUWEP scheme.

Seventeen delegates participated in the discussion on the report. The conference formed a new 59-member State Committee, while a 15-member secretariat was also constituted. Mihir Dey and Debabrata Dey were elected as the President and Secretary, respectively.