The Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC) had issued a notice to Girgaum and Chira Bazaar to vacate the 100-year-old fish market land for the construction of Colaba-Bandra-SEEPZ Metro 3 project. But the fisherwoman got aggressive over the notice and stated that they are not going to leave the place in any condition. Along with this, they took their scythe and declared a ‘scythe movement’ against the government and MMRC on Friday.

For the construction of Metro 3, several residential and commercial buildings in Girgaum are going to be demolished to make way for the Colaba-Bandra-SEEPZ project. However, MMRC does not have a proper rehabilitation plan for the people in the area and so, from the beginning, the people have not been able to place their confidence in MMRC and have opposed the project. Similarly, the fisherwomen of Girgaum have clearly stated that they have no intentions of giving away the land of fish market to MMRC. Thus, these fisherwomen are protesting through the Chira Bazaar Fish Sellers Union.

The 100-year-old fish market is a source of income for more than 200 fisherwomen and due to the MMRC project, these fish sellers will be left with no fish market. Preeti Davne, the Vice-President of the Chira Bazaar Fish Seller Union stated,

For years we’ve been selling fish here and all of a sudden they (MMRC) expect us to move to other places. This will affect our livelihood adversely and hence, we are against giving the land of the fish market to MMRC.”

She added that the officials are giving them the ground floor of Thakurdwar Municipal School and they are not satisfied with it. They are conducting the scythe movement to protest against this decision of MMRC.

While the fisherwomen are strongly protesting against MMRC, political party Shiv Sena has backed the protest by the fisherwoman. Pandurang Sakpal accompanied by Shiv Sena activists took part in the movement and said that the fish sellers’ occupation is in danger and MMRC hasn’t taken appropriate measures to assist the fisherwomen and so Shiv Sena would not let MMRC drive these people away from the land.

When Mumbai Live contacted MMRC senior officer Ramanna, he refused to make any statements.