NCW team gives a miss to street vendors
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, January 10 2014 : Even as the visiting team of National Commission for Women (NCW) interacted with representatives of the three women markets of Khwairamband, they did not bother to meet any of the street vendors.

Taking strong exception to the alleged discriminatory attitude of the NCW team, the Road Side Vendors Welfare Association, Khwairamband Keithel asserted that problems and issues of women vendors can never be understood fully by interacting with representatives of only the three Ima Keithels.

The NCW team including Chairperson Mamta Sharma, Members Nirmala Sumant Prabhavalkar, Laldingliani Sailo and Chairpersons of the State women commissions of the North Eastern States barring Mizoram and Sikkim interacted with women vendors of the three Ima Keithels at Classic Hotel today.

But no representative of the street vendors of Khwairamband Keithel were invited to the interaction programme.

Whereas the number of licensed vendors remain more or less constant, the number of street vendors has been increasing every year thereby posing a serious challenge.

Cops cracking down on road side vendor

For occupying road sides, street vendors are subjected to all kinds of harassment on daily basis in the form of shooing and scattering of their merchandise, detention, confiscation of goods by police.

They have no protection from rain, heat or cold.

Again, they are exposed to nauseating stench coming from nearby garbage mounds.

In spite of these harsh realities, the State Government has done nothing for the welfare of street vendors.

Whatever directives given by the Prime Minister to the Chief Ministers for welfare of street vendors have been swept under carpet in Manipur.

Nonetheless, NCW Chairperson Mamta Sharma told The Sangai Express that they would look into the problems and issues of women street vendors.

Road Side Vendors Welfare Association, Khwairamband Keithel president Tamana said that it is street vendors, among all vendors, who have been enduring gravest difficulties.

The NCW team's visit to Imphal is most welcomed but meeting only the representatives of the three Ima Keithels, leaving out street vendors, can never be a complete exercise.

On the other hand, Mamta Sharma while speaking at the interaction programme remarked that the three Ima Keithels are symbols of women empowerment and economic independence.

The Ima Keithels are not just commercial centres but also political platforms, she said.

On their part, representatives of the three Ima Keithels petitioned the NCW team to reduce monthly tax of market plots which jumped from Rs 15 per month to Rs 90 per month sometime back.

Making entrances in all directions of the market complexes, repairing of leaked roofs, keeping off street vendors from the vicinity of the three markets and extension of loan facility at low interest rates were some of the appeals made by the vendor representatives.