BJP's ‘Atmanirbhar Chaha’ stalls in Mumbai on verge of closure under BMC action

Of the over 100 flourishing stalls, more than 50 shut down recently, while the remaining shop owners live in fear of imminent closure.

The Atmanirbhar Chaha stalls, established to sell tea and snacks and promoted by the Mumbai unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are on the verge of closure following the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) hawker-free drive after the party-led regime took charge of the civic body earlier this year.

Conceived by former BJP OBC Morcha chief Narendra Gaonkar, the initiative gained momentum after the Covid-19 pandemic, with over 100 party workers being allotted stalls in prime locations such as south and central Mumbai. (ANI)

Of the over 100 flourishing stalls, more than 50 shut down recently, while the remaining shop owners live in fear of imminent closure.

The brand -- Atmanirbhar Chaha – took its name from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Atmanirbhar Bharat slogan. Conceived by former BJP OBC Morcha chief Narendra Gaonkar, the initiative gained momentum after the Covid-19 pandemic, with over 100 party workers being allotted stalls in prime locations such as south and central Mumbai.

However, like the late Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray’s early initiative of vada pav stalls across the city to help the sons of the soil make a living, the present one also has no legal bearing.

Therefore, the party’s plan to expand the scope to 400 stalls has been dashed by BMC action, triggering resentment among BJP workers.

Sujata Modi, 58, who sells small meals such as upma, khichdi and sheera near the Tata Memorial Hospital, Parel, faces frequent action and fears she may have to shut shop soon.

“BMC has stepped up action since March after the new administration came to power. Each time the civic body or police removes my stall, I not only lose my daily income of around ₹1,200 but also incur losses by discarding perishables. After my husband, a dedicated BJP worker, and I lost our jobs during the Covid-19 pandemic, this stall provided us livelihood,” she said. “We are facing such action despite my husband being a dedicated BJP worker associated with MLA Kalidas Kolambkar, and engaging in community outreach during the pandemic.”

Gaonkar, now a member of the state BJP working committee, pointed out that the initiative was inaugurated by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis in 2018. “The number of existing stalls has been reduced to half because of the action by a civic body that is under our own party’s control. “We are surprised that action is not being taken against other illegal hawkers, while these stalls run by sons of the soil are being targeted,” said Gaonkar

A senior BJP leader from the Mumbai unit said the action against the stalls was part of the party’s broader vision of creating a hawker-free Mumbai.

“We have requested the stall owners to be patient for some time. We will try to accommodate them once hawking zones are marked and hawkers are regularised under the new policy. We are also trying to get them registered on the Centre’s e-Shram portal, where labourers from unorganised sector can access social security benefits. The action is being taken against all illegal hawkers adhering to a high court order,” he said.