Editor,
Apropos the article by Patricia Mukhim, “Hawkers may have the rights but what about responsibilities”, (ST 17, June 2016), firstly I do agree that the footpaths and the roads in Shillong have become a problem for pedestrians as the writer has argued. But this issue is not just a problem for the Shillong pedestrians. It is also a problem for the so called hawkers from their perspective. Who are these people who are categorized as hawkers? I ask this question because it seems to be missing in the column. They just don’t spring up from somewhere but they are the vast sections of people in the country who are victims of crony capitalism and its selfish economic policies that has made their survival on this earth a nightmare .These hawkers are part of our society and they have never chosen to be hawkers but are compelled to.
These hawkers as we see them every day would sit or stand on a given small space withstanding the heat, wind and the rain. That is why I disagree with the writer in her words to, “open a shop”, because these hawkers don’t have the means to do it if you go strictly by what it means to open a shop. Therefore the hawkers have chosen to operate in their own viable way of selling their goods so that they may survive and feed and educate their families. In fact many young educated students today come from these hawkers’ families. Therefore to dream of Shillong as a developed , systematic and a clean city with this section of people- the hawkers being thrown out because they are nobody’s responsibility is something that I don’t agree to.
Secondly, the writer’s argument in blaming the Govt for not being the victor in the court room and the role of the law in India particularly in Meghalaya, made me think that yes the rule of law here is disgusting and disheartening be it with the judiciary or the administration. One cannot also deny that often it is the high and mighty- the creamy layer who manipulate the rule of the law. For instance, in the Wah Umkhrah issue which the writer has pointed out , the Court stay order, from my perspective is not the victory for the encroachers or the low income tenants and also some hawkers who live there on rent even though they are projected as winners, but it’s actually the owners of the land who are wealthy business families who are the real winners. I would imagine if permission to construct a Five Star hotel is given to the owners these tenants and hawkers would have been kicked out by now.
If the writer is so concerned with the rule of the law and the many issues she has mentioned then what about the law and the rights of the hawkers and the weak state law that is trying to deny them their rightful place as guaranteed by the Constitution? This is why I have mentioned that the rule of law here is disheartening and therefore the state law is being questioned.
Thirdly, the writer emphasizes on the space to be given to the hawkers where she is pessimistic about and also further challenges the ” Socialists” who are sympathising with the hawkers to offer space to them near their homes. I disagree with her because the need for the hawkers is not the space but the market and it is through the market that they earn so as to meet their basic needs.
Fourthly, it is true that the writer has mentioned that there is an ideology that backs up the hawkers movement in Shillong i.e the leftist or socialist ideology. But it is also interesting to note it is not just one but two ideologies involved in this issue, the one that backs the hawkers and the other that opposes it – the capitalistic ideology . It is therefore heartening to see that the hawkers’ pain and struggles have found a place in the socialist ideology .The hawkers have found allies who will help them to find bread – the very thing they long for and at the same time they have to face the brunt as the capitalistic, the fascist rulers are asking them to go somewhere else – to disappear and eat cakes instead.
The writer concludes her column calling for a Govt that enforces the law on those individuals and sections of people such as the hawkers who are victims of a biased system. I am shocked at this suggestion and I thought for a while and told myself that Darwin has said it well ,”Survival of the fittest.” Well for the Shillong city will it be, ” Survival of the Elitist”.
Though I have not been participating in the hawkers’ movement yet but this issue has always been on my mind as I see them on the road every day. This Issue cannot be solved in just a day or two or by prescribing a formula because so many related issue are entangled thus resulting in multiple problems. So why blame the hawkers? Let us try to understand their problems. That is our responsibility.
Yours etc.,
Rev N.B.Diengdoh.
Shillong-4
KHADC delaying development?
Editor,
The Chief Minister’s statement that the KHADC has been delaying in issuing No Objection Certificates for getting various developmental projects ahead is true. This comes in the wake of the Prime Minister’s direction to all Union Government Ministries that states have to clear pending projects or else they shall be liable for cancellation and those projects be given to other states. Most of our rural areas especially in parts of Garo hills, West Khasi hills and Jaintia hills do not have access to proper and motorable roads and the public representatives seem contented to allow such neglect so that they can keep promising the moon to their electorate. I have been to a number of places where one would have to trek for almost three to four hours on foot. We can well imagine how those in emergencies have to bear the difficulties. Now with the ADCs getting direct funds from the Central Government it is important that MDCs’ initiate projects in improving their constituencies. Development can never reach our rural folks if road connectivity is absent and we hope the CEM KHADC himself knows this better.
Yours etc….
Dominic S. Wankhar
Shillong-3