IMPHAL, Jan 20: As celebrated in various part of the country, the National Vendors Day was observed today in the state too jointly organized by the Apunba Manipur Nupi Marup, Friendship Centre Manipur, Roadside Street vendor Association and Manipur Keithel Phambi Association at the Manipur Chamber of Commerce, Dharamsala Imphal, with RK Rajendro, former member of the Manipur Human Rights Commission as the chief guest of the function.
RK Rajendro while speaking as the chief guest blamed the non existence of a proper town planning in the Imphal Municipal areas for the lack of vending spaces around the municipality areas which is a huge problem for the vendors of the state. He also maintained that keeping in view of the population demography of Imphal City, the state government should act out a town planning system, which will help fight the problem of non availability of vending space to a great extent.
He further quipped that the government in trying to beautify and implement the development works around the city have totally overlooked to chalk out a policies to create spaces for street vendors at Khwairamband bazaar areas, which even recognized by the Supreme court through a recent directive.
While declaring the need of the government to consider the maintenance and provision of alternative vending spaces for the street vendors, he added that the street vendors have been in existence for a long time even before the maintenance of proper shops and license by the authorities of the state and it will only add up.
On the other hand, Kuder Singh, secretary Friendship Centre made his observation in the function today that the issue of the street vendor will become of one of the major headache of the state government and it will become a must for the state government to consider to adopt the policy to give a uniform room or place to the street vendors.
In the meantime, president Roadside Street Vendor Association who presided over the function expressed her concerned over the failure of the state Chief Minister to meet the assurance of providing appropriate sites for the street vendors that was given to the vendors in a meeting with representatives of the association.
She further mentioned that, the existing street vendors of Khwairamband bazaar have been facing severe hardships of frequent harassment at the hands of the traffic police and City police around the Khwairamband bazaar by using powers to drive them out charging them for creating traffic jams around the city.
She has further complained that none of the concerned authorities have come forward to help the street vendors even with assurance from the Chief Minister himself.
Later, the observation further adopted three resolutions which included that the government must declare the temporary market area left vacant with the relocation of vendors to the newly opened Khairamband market recently as protected area for the street vendors of Manipur; secondly, that the concerned authority must immediately issue identity card to the street vendors; and thirdly, to adopt National Policy for Street Vendors in Manipur.
The observation further resolved to send the previous three resolutions to the Prime Minister of India and the state Chief Minister through a memorandum.
The memorandum signed by Yambem Ebeni Devi, president, Manipur Keithel Nupi Marup, Kh Kunder Singh, Secretary, Friendship Centre Manipur, Ksh Tamma Devi, President, Roadside Vendors Welfare Association and L Memma Devi, President, Manipur Keithel Phambi Apunba Lup and addressed to the Prime Minister and the Chief Minister seeking commitment for enacting a National Legislation for Street Vendors to ensure protection of their fundamental rights has also been sent today.
The memorandum has further sought the intervention of the Prime Minister with regards to the contravention of the fundamental rights to carry on their business and trade and the protection of the same rights. It has also sought the intervention of home ministry in the protection against eviction without proper resettlement and rehabilitation, confiscation of vendors’ goods, beating of vendors by the police, bribes from vendors and arrests of vendors’ leaders and activists. The intervention of the prime minister to make municipal governance responsive and accountable to the urban poor has also been included in the memorandum.
