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Correspondent | Quaid Najmi

30 March 2026 at 2:46:20 pm

WR serves closure orders to iconic Wheeler book stalls

Mumbai: In a move that has sparked both commercial and cultural concerns, the Western Railway (WR) has ordered at least 55 iconic AH Wheeler (AHW) stalls across its Mumbai Central Division to shut shop from March 31 and vacate their premises within 72 hours, sources said. The directive follows the expiry of the five-year contract granted to these stalls from April 1, 2021. A notification issued on Saturday by Assistant Commercial Manager Yajush Acharya directed concerned station...

WR serves closure orders to iconic Wheeler book stalls

Mumbai: In a move that has sparked both commercial and cultural concerns, the Western Railway (WR) has ordered at least 55 iconic AH Wheeler (AHW) stalls across its Mumbai Central Division to shut shop from March 31 and vacate their premises within 72 hours, sources said. The directive follows the expiry of the five-year contract granted to these stalls from April 1, 2021. A notification issued on Saturday by Assistant Commercial Manager Yajush Acharya directed concerned station superintendents and station managers to ensure that all 55 Multi-Purpose Stalls are cleared and handed over in ‘good condition’ by April 3. Citing norms in the order, it said contractors must remove all goods, fixtures and fittings, and settle pending dues, fines or bills before vacating. Failing compliance, WR warned of consequences including takeover of the premises, locking them up, and even disposing of any remaining goods or furniture without liability. Massive Uproar However, the move has triggered resistance from Wheeler stall operators, many of whom have been running these stalls for decades. An agent managing a prominent stall at a south Mumbai station termed the decision ‘arbitrary’ and alleged that the Railways intended to repurpose these prime locations. “We have challenged the move in the Bombay High Court and are awaiting an urgent hearing. Our plea is to grant us an extension. We suffered massive losses during the Covid-19 pandemic when suburban services were shut or restricted for months,” the agent told The Perfect Voice, requesting anonymity. ‘Knowledge Portals’ For lakhs of Mumbaikars, the bookstalls are more than just retail counters – they have been a part of the city’s daily rhythm. Generations of commuters recall grabbing a morning newspaper, a weekly magazine, or a last-minute novel to kill time during their travel. Before the era of mobile telephony, these stalls served as ‘knowledge portals’ – stocking newspapers in multiple languages, magazines, periodicals, school-college guides, books to crack competitive exams, literary or fiction novels, and even children’s books and comics like Phantom, Indrajal, Amar Chitra Katha and more. Old-timers recall how one could walk up to a Wheeler stall and ask for an obscure title, and the vendor would even go to the length of procuring it if he didn’t have it in the store. ‘If you couldn’t find a book anywhere in the city, try Wheelers - you were almost certain to get it,’ was the reputation the stalls enjoyed. A retired banker-cum-bookworm, V. Nadkarni, told The Perfect Voice that in the 1970s, he would save a few rupees every month to buy his favourite novels from Wheeler stalls. Over the years, he built up a small home library of over 500 books, which he cherished after retirement a few years ago. Wheeler cultivated on-the-move reading habit Founded in 1877 at Allahabad (now Prayagraj) station by French entrepreneur Emile Eduoard Moreau, his British partner Arthur Henry Wheeler and others, the brand grew into a nationwide institution, once operating at over 500 railway stations. During the British era, it stocked works by top leaders like Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru, alongside literary giants such as Rudyard Kipling. Wheeler shops also started the ‘Indian Railway Library Series’. Post-Independence, the chain was taken over by one of its subsequent partners, TK Banerjee, in 1950, and the family continues to run the show. Though Indian Railways ended Wheeler’s monopoly in 2004 and later allowed diversification of the goods they sold in 2020, the stalls retained their distinct identity as literary-cum-cultural hubs that helped cultivate a reading habit amid the hustle and bustle of rail travel.

Knives out in legislature

Updated: Mar 21, 2025

Disha Salian

Mumbai: Death of celebrity manager Disha Salian in 2020 once again rocked the Maharashtra legislature on Thursday. While cabinet ministers Nitesh Rane and Shambhuraj Desai demanded that Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aditya Thackeray be arrested in the case, BJP MLA Amit Satam in the assembly and another BJP member Chitra Wagh in the council demanded that the report of SIT to probe Salian’s death be made public.


Incidentally, amidst repeated disruptions in both the houses, some members from the treasury benches were seen speaking in favour of Aditya Thackeray, while Shiv Sena (UBT) members like Adv Anil Parab were seen supporting the BJP members’ demand that the report of the SIT probe be made public. In addition, there were allegations and counter allegations and personal accusations among members from the treasury and opposition benches which led to heated debate on occasions.


The opposition termed the attempts from the treasury benches to link Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aditya Thackeray’s name in the case, as a ‘conspiracy’.


“I think this matter has gone to the court. We have no idea what he (Disha’s father) has said, but Aaditya Thackeray is a mature leader, a young leader. The Bharatiya Janata Party is conspiring to defame him by putting pressure on him. We don’t need to answer to this conspiracy. The court will answer,” Ambadas Danve said.


Earlier in the day, when the house gathered for the business, Minister of State for Home appraised the assembly of the status in this case. “SIT has been formed to probe in the case. Their report has not been received as yet. However, the government shall act according to directives from the court,” the minister told the house.


Another BJP minister Nitesh Rane, however, said that since Satish Salian has levelled allegations against an MVA minister, that leader be treated like a common person and that everybody should be treated equally before the law. Shiv Sena minister Shambhuraj Desai too supported the demand. “Since the allegations are grave, the person in question should be immediately arrested and the case be investigated,” he said.


Later, while speaking to media in the legislature premises, Rane asked Uddhav Thackeray to come clean on the issue. “If they say that we are politicizing the issue, Uddhav Thackeray should also tell the people why he had called, not just once but twice, to the then union minister Narayan Rane urging him to save his son?” Rane said.


He also accused the opposition of shying away from coming clean on the issue. “If they feel that we are not telling the truth, they should say so in the house. But they are shying away from doing so. Bhaskar Jadhav, who is always aggressive, was nowhere to be seen when this issue came up in the house. Sunil Prabhu too escaped the house under the pretext of a phone call. I challenge them to say that whatever I said on the issue is wrong,” Rane said.


He also said that Aditya Thackeray should resign on moral grounds till his name is cleared in the case.


BJP MLA Amit Satam demanded that the details of the SIT probe be made public so that the people would know if the probe is headed in right direction.


Interestingly, while the ruling parties were targeting the opposition in the case, senior BJP leader Sudhir Mungantiwar surprised all with his unexpected support to Thackerays. “I do not have any evidences in the case. But if her father has made any fresh allegations that needs to be investigated thoroughly. The assembly can discuss the issue at length tomorrow. In the meanwhile, members like Rane, who seem to have some evidences in the case should hand them over to the investigating agencies and help the probe,” he told the house.


Shiv Sena’s Sanjay Gaikwad and Sheetal Mhatre too toed the line and demanded that more and more evidences should come forth.


Similarly, when members of treasury benches were pushing for revealing the details of the probe till date to the public, Shiv Sena (UBT) member Anil Parab supported the demand. “Doing that shall conclusively prove the innocence of Aditya Thackeray,” he said.

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