Street vendors protest, urge for appropriate policy
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, July 05 2014 : Urging for the twin demands of enacting an appropriate street vendor policy and enforcement of the Street Vendor Act 2014, street vendors of Khwairamband Keithel today staged a protest demonstration at Moidangpok.

The protest demonstration was staged in denunciation of the physical assault on 70 year old Thangjam Yaimabi of Moidangpok by a licensed vendor of Purana Bazar on July 2 on the charge of selling vegetables on road side.

The protest demonstration was also aimed at highlighting the common grievances of street vendors likes assault and harassment by police and licensed vendors, scattering of goods, detention etc.

Speaking by the sideline of the protest demonstration staged under the aegis of the Khwairamband Keithel Lambi Mataida Potpham Phambi Lup, the group's president Moirangthem Bina said that street vendors are ubiquitous in every city of India.

Vending goods on streets is not illegal.

Even the Supreme Court has already issuing a judgement directing all concerned not to harass street vendors.

Street vendors protest, urge for appropriate policy

At the national level, the Government of India enacted the National Street Vendor Policy 2004.Moreover, the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act 2014 has been enforced all over the country since May 1 .

However, the Government of Manipur is yet to formulate any policy for the street vendors of Khwairamband Keithel who are completely dependent on this profession for their livelihood and education of their children.

The State Government is neither complying with the Supreme Court directive nor has it enforced the Street Vendors Act 2014 .

Governor VK Duggal had a face to face interaction with the vendors of Khwairamband Keithel sometime back and members of the National Commission for Women paid audience to the woes and complaints of the vendors of Imphal city.

However, no one has ever bothered to talk with the street vendors about their plight and grievances.

On the contrary, street vendors were shooed away when any VVIPs past through the streets of Imphal city.

This is an open discrimination between street vendors and licensed vendors.

Saying that many licensed vendors have also been vending their wares on the streets of Khwairamband Keithel, Bina urged the concerned authority to identify the genuine street vendors.

She said, "Street vendors occupying the surrounding streets of Purana Bazar were driven away by the licensed vendors of Purana Bazar on June 29.But who authorised them to drive away street vendors?" .

The State Government should not commit the folly of pitching licensed vendors against street vendors.

General secretary of the organisation Ningthoujam Bina said that abolition of street vendors' occupation amounts to gross human right violation.

Pointing out that both licensed vendors as well as street vendors are struggling for livelihood, Bina suggested all the street vendors and licensed vendors to work collectively in order to redress all their difficulties and inconveniences through Government machinery.

Saying that street vendors are also citizens of the country, Bina appealed to the Government to treat street vendors with due respect else the Government should come up with a formal declaration barring street vendors from voting.

Continuous harassment and ill-treatment of street vendors would amount to inviting for a third Nupi Lan, Bina warned.