Hawkers' Day held
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, August 25 2023: The 42nd Manipur Hawkers' Day was observed today at Manipur Press Club in an event organised by the Manipur Hawkers' Association (MHA) .

During the observance ceremony, floral tributes were offered to departed souls who were part of the hawker community.

Pensions were also distributed to retired members of the MHA following which a minute of silence was observed to honour those who have lost their lives in the ongoing Manipur conflict.

The ceremony was attended by Khogendro Khomdram, Editor, The Sangai Express Manipuri Edition and president Editors' Guild Manipur; Wangkhem Ajit, president, Manipur Hawkers' Association and Bijoy Kakchingtabam, president, All Manipur Working Journalists' Union (AMWJU) as the chief guest, president and guest of honour respectively.

Speaking as the chief guest, Khogendro Khomdram recalled that at the height of Covid pandemic, the media fraternity did not cease work.

However, print media (newspapers) was greatly affected as many stopped taking newspapers due to fear of hawkers spreading Covid-19 and certain localities were fenced causing inaccessibility to deliver the newspapers.

"We are yet to recover from the decline in newspaper circulation caused by the pandemic", he said.

Similar to the media fraternity, hawkers have also faced many adversities.

Certain sections of people tend to target the media and hawkers due to some grievances.

As a result, it would be advisable for the two to work in collaboration with each other, he maintained.

Highlighting the different tastes of newspaper subscribers, he also urged the hawker community to recognize their preferences and deliver the newspapers on time.

In his speech, MHA president Wangkhem Ajit spoke about the activities carried out every year on the occasion of Manipur Hawkers' Day such as distribution of pension and offering of floral tributes.

Bijoy Kakchingtabam stressed on the changes brought across the globe by digitalization.

Comment