Kolkata Hawkers: A Chronicle of Deprivation, Discontent and Struggle

The book is based on a socio-political survey, conducted in 2006-07, on the street hawkers of Kolkata metropolitan area. It views Kolkata hawkers as constituting a large political society whose members sell their political allegiance to one party or the other in exchange of overall protection. This protection is crucial for the survival of the hawkers, given the lack of a legal legitimacy of their trade and the consequent vulnerability. In this background, the book gives an account of the socio-economic profile and political orientation of the hawkers and their continuous struggle for existence.