Police foil street vendors' demonstration
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, May 04 2011:
Police dispersed a large number of women street vendors who came to submit memorandum to Governor Gurbachan Jagat demanding vendor space at Khwairamband market.
Holding placards inscribed 'don't violate Right to Life for street vendors', 'we don't want vendor space at Lamphel', 'don't add more woes to our misery' etc, the womenfolk emerged from the MPP office complex and proceeded towards Raj Bhavan.
However, police dispersed the womenfolk before reaching the Governor's residence by firing several tear gas shells and took some of the agitators into custody.
Later, speaking to reporters, a representative of the Khwairamband Bazar Vendors' Nupi Yaipha Lup expressed strong reservation against the Government for not allotting space at Khwairamband market.
According to her, the street vendors are the long sufferers and also the bread earners of their respective families.
She informed that the vendor association had already submitted a memorandum to the Governor on May 2 last.
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As no positive response has come so far, she added, the womenfolk decided to submit another memorandum today.
According to the memorandum that could not be handed over to the Governor's office, it mentioned that the women street vendors are from below poverty line (BPL) families, and maintain their respective families with the meagre earnings from street vending at Khwairamband market.
It also said Lamphel Supermarket, where the Govt is allotting space for street vendors is not appropriate for trading.
The memorandum added that the street vendors would not be able to earn enough profit to maintain their families at Lamphel.
Above all, Lamphel Supermarket is a place where Government's plan to make it a market place had already failed in the past, the memorandum added.
It also demanded the Government to sort out the exact number of street vendors.