Protests Erupt in Kozhikode as Palayam Market Traders Reject New Relocation Site

Kozhikode’s Palayam market became the epicenter of intense protests as hundreds of traders and laborers rallied against its relocation to a new complex at Kalluthankadavu, set to be inaugurated by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. The demonstrators, waving black flags and chanting slogans, expressed outrage over the new site’s smaller shop sizes and its distance from the vital Palayam bus stand, which they argue will harm their businesses. The relocation, a long-debated urban development project, has exposed deep divisions, with opposition trade unions decrying the lack of consultation in the decision-making process.

In contrast, CPI(M)-affiliated traders’ organizations championed the shift, organizing a rally to the Kalluthankadavu complex, which they praised as modern, spacious, and equipped with advanced facilities. Boasting over 300 shops—double the number at the original Palayam site—they highlighted the potential to alleviate chronic traffic congestion in Kozhikode’s city center. The new facility, developed under a public-private partnership, aims to modernize the market’s infrastructure, but critics argue it prioritizes larger businesses, with prime ground-floor spaces allegedly allocated to bigger traders or companies, leaving small vendors with less desirable upper-floor units situated above a covered drainage canal.

The protests underscored significant grievances among small traders and laborers, particularly those involved in loading and unloading at Palayam, who fear job losses at the new complex. Demonstrators, representing various trade union groups aligned with the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF), accused the Kozhikode Corporation of bypassing stakeholder input, a contention rooted in years of unresolved disputes since the relocation plan emerged in 2009. Tensions escalated as protesters clashed with CPI(M) supporters, requiring police intervention to maintain order during the emotionally charged demonstrations.

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As Chief Minister Vijayan prepared to inaugurate the ₹100 crore facility, the controversy highlighted broader challenges in balancing urban progress with the livelihoods of traditional market communities. Kozhikode MP M.K. Raghavan fueled the debate, alleging a hidden agenda to transform the Palayam site into a corporate township. With the new complex now operational, the coming weeks will be critical in determining whether dialogue can address the protesters’ concerns or if further unrest will disrupt Kozhikode’s economic and social fabric.

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