Mumbai: Former Bandra fair stallholders threaten to go on hunger strike

Former stallholders protest amid the announcement of lottery winners at the Basilica of Our Lady of the Mount on Monday

Protesters threatened to go on a hunger strike after the numbers of lottery winners, who are eligible to run stalls outside the Basilica of Our Lady of the Mount during the weeklong Bandra fair, were announced on Monday. However, they didn't get permission from the police to carry out the hunger strike on church premises.

The controversy erupted on August 11 over the tenfold increase in the rent paid by those running stalls during the fair. Former stall owners also protested against a tendering system introduced last year, which opens the doors to people other than those traditionally operating stalls. Due to the protest by around 150 stallholders who have been selling their products for several generations, the church lowered the rent from R3,000 to R900 per square foot and then to R550 per square foot plus GST.

Archbishop's letter

In a letter to Fr Vernon Aguiar and Fr Sunder Albuquerque, the acting rector and vice-rector of the church respectively, on August 22, the Archbishop of Bombay mentioned that the process for allotment of stalls by lottery, as followed last year, is to be observed. Once all this year's accounts are completed, he will appoint a committee of experts to study the matter in detail and make recommendations for next year. The Mumbai church started an online system to fill up the forms for allotment of stalls on August 23 while physical forms were distributed simultaneously.

On Monday, church authorities said they received 122 forms. Till 2023, there were around 150 stalls, but this year they kept an open space where six to seven shops would have stood for fire prevention. One shop's space was reserved for drinking water and another for the police.

Fr Albuquerque announced the names of the lottery winners amid protest. "Two years ago, we paid around Rs 150 per square foot and last year we paid R350. Even though this year's rent is almost four times the original figure, we were ready to pay. Despite that, the church didn't end the tendering system and announced the names of those who filled up forms online," said Rupesh Gomes, who is leading the protest. He added, "The authorities have alleged we are renting stalls to other people, but is there a system to check whether these new people [lottery winners] will run their shops?"

Another protester said, "None who filled up forms online and whose names were announced here were present. We do not know these people. How can the church allow these people without checking their background? We have been protesting here, but the church wanted to allot stalls to new people."

No change in allotments

Fr Albuquerque told mid-day, "Out of 150 stalls we received 122 forms, including 118 online. Still, a few stalls remained with us. We were begging the protesters to fill up the forms. Chances were high that most of them would have gotten stalls. But despite explaining our issues, they are not listening. We are following the due procedure for allotment and there will be no change."

Sept 8
Day Bandra fair begins