Erabot mulls court shield for street vendors
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, May 03 2014 : Contending that Lamphel police have been harassing street vendors selling vegetable items on the northern flank of Dingku Road, senior Congress MLA Yumkham Erabot said court of law would be approached to protect rights of street vendors as well as pull up rogue police personnel.

Speaking to newspersons on the sidelines of a protest demonstration staged today at the trading site of the street vendors, Wangkhei AC MLA Erabot claimed that personnel of Lamphel police station in trying to enforce 'verbal eviction order' insisted that the street vendors cough up Rs 50 each as penalty for exhausting fuel stock of the police vehicle.

Noting that since May 1 the police personnel had been trying to execute the eviction order on the ground that presence of street vendors along the Dingku Road has been affecting vehicular movement consequent to shutdown of Sanjenthong, Erabot said the Supreme Court verdict that street vendors should have alternative place for plying their wares before eviction drive is launched need to be complied with by the Government.

Congress MLA Yumkham Erabot mulls court shield for street vendors

Shutdown of Sanjenthong (bridge) is only a lame excuse to target the street vendors who have been struggling for a decent livelihood for the past many years, said the former Minister who also condemned the police for detaining an individual who took photos when the police team arrived for dismantling the street vendors' temporary structures.

Explaining that the said individual was capturing the scene for future reference in case the Government plans to construct market place for accommodating the evicted street vendors, Erabot also said that the detained person has been released from police custody after a group of street vendors met police authorities.

The MLA alleging that the police team showed up the next day and asked each of the street vendors to pay Rs 50 each as cost of fuel and penalty for not complying with the order to move away from the location likened the police action to extortion from underprivileged section of the society.

Expressing that the action by a handful of police personnel is a disgrace for the entire law enforcement agency, he asserted that formal complaint would be placed before a court of law for necessary action.

According to Y Indrani Devi, advisor of Ima Panthoibi Street Vendors' Union there is no traffic congestion along the Dingku Road inspite of the shutting down of Sanjenthong.

Strongly criticising the police demand that the street vendors pay Rs 50 each for not heeding their order to cease trading activities, she also claimed that the police team could not furnish eviction order but told the street vendors that verbal instruction has been received from higher authorities to shove them away.

Accusing the police personnel of using derogatory languages against the street vendors, Indrani also maintained that the street vendors are ready to follow official order for eviction if the move is justifiable.