K.R. Market vendors go on bandh over new parking arrangements
A view of K.R. Market in Bengaluru on Tuesday. | Photo Credit: SUDHAKARA JAIN The iconic K.R. Market in the heart of the city wore a deserted look on Tuesday, with empty carts, fewer customers, and an eerie silence at a place where the buzz never ends. The scene was the result of a bandh called by the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha and Green Brigade (KRRSGB). The bandh was organised against the recent parking arrangements at K.R. Market, with protesters arguing that the changes have severely disrupted the functioning of the market and have affected farmers, traders, and street vendors. For many street vendors, the issue goes beyond logistics and directly threatens their livelihoods. They alleged that civic officials had asked them to vacate their original vending spots and relocate inside the market, which would also require them to pay more money. Lakshmi, a flower vendor, said, “They (the corporation) destroyed the place where we earn our livelihood. How do they expect us to buy a spot inside and then sell there? We will incur …
