Hawkers demand ‘right to livelihood’

SHILLONG: The hawkers’ community in Shillong has demanded the State Government to strengthen its laws in line with the Central law to protect the “right to livelihood and right to life” of the street vendors.
The hawkers, who came together under the banner of Greater Shillong Progressive Hawkers and Street Vendors Association, organised a public meeting here on Thursday in collaboration the Thma u Rangli (TUR), a “progressive people’s group”, to air their grievances before the State Government.
They also submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister Mukul Sangma.
Speaking to media persons after the meeting, TUR convener Angela Rangad said that the street vendors in Shillong have faced police and municipal brutality for long and have even been criminalized.
“This has to stop as hawkers are not stealing or begging,” she asserted.
Rangad said that the State law for hawkers is weak and till date there is no vending committee in the city to discuss the problems of the street vendors.
“Until and unless they are able to   amend the law in line with the Central law, vendors will continue to sit wherever they can to earn their living,” Rangad said adding that the onus is on the State Government to ensure that there is no illegal eviction of hawkers and confiscation and destruction of their goods.
She argued that congestion in Shillong city is not due to hawkers but the ever increasing number of vehicles. In the memorandum  the hawkers also demanded a policy to restrict the growing number of vehicles in the city.