THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Eviction as well as relocation of the roadside booksellers under any sort of development cannot be justifiable, said noted dancer Neena Prasad. She was addressing the people who gathered to express their solidarity with and offer support to the book vendors near the Public Library who are under pressure to be relocated from there, near their book stalls on Saturday.
The gathering was organised by the Centre for Film Gender and Cultural Studies and ‘Aksharam’ magazine.
“This sort of action from the side of the authorities can’t be justified. These sheds with books are not just a shopping zone, they are part of our heritage also. Even in foreign countries, there are plans to protect these types of ventures which are also implemented,” said Neena.
PuKaSa district secretary Vinod Vaishakhi, ‘Aksharam’ online chief editor K G Sooraj, SFI state president Shijukhan and C P Aboobacker were also present.
As part of the gathering, folk songs and poems were also rendered. Though the organisers had planned to form a human chain as part of the programme, the idea was later dropped owing to heavy rain. Around seventy supporters had gathered for the programme, that lasted around three hours.
With only one day left for the 23-day respite given by the district administration officials for the book vendors to leave from the current spot to end, they are still under pressure. According to the agreement they had signed on July 13, they have to leave the spot on or before August 3. In the agreement it was mentioned that the vendors themselves would find out a proper a place to relocate their goods.