By N Hynniewta
The Government has allowed the opening of permanent stalls in Iewduh from the month of June 2020, through the District Administration in co-ordination with the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council and the Syiem of Mylliem. Enforcement personnel of these three authorities, join hands to ensure that health protocols issued by the Government are strictly followed. Though very few stalls are opened on alphabetical rotation, customers and consumer’s visit was thin while the enforcement personnel were busy the whole period of opening, patrolling all the rows of different stalls.
Street vendors and hawkers also expressed their right to open their business. We all know and are aware of their rights to set up makeshift stalls only at sites identified by the Government but vendors and hawkers tend to overdo their business and indulge in illegal encroachment into spaces meant for the convenience of the general public. During this lockdown due to this strange virus, many establishments, schools, business activities, etc. are closed down for about a hundred days. During this period the hawkers should have looked for alternatives. Plenty of jobs are available and there are many households particularly in Shillong and even in the suburbs of Shillong as well as the Districts headquarters which are in need of helpers like baby-sitting, house-keeping and many other domestic works. Working mothers are complaining that domestic helpers are not available to help them look after the household activities while they are at work. In the villages too, farmers need labourers in their farm lands for tilling and ploughing the fields, paddy transplanting, weeding and ultimately harvesting of crops etc. The complaint is that, there are no labourers available which cause a problem for the farmers to keep up with the seasonal timing of agricultural/horticultural activities etc. All the potential labourers, for performing these activities have migrated to Shillong for easy vending on the footpaths and public thoroughfares.
The problem of hawkers now lies with the Government. When hawkers started their business in unauthorized areas occupying the footpaths, any open spaces and even in the middle of the road as they do in Motphran, the Government ignored it and is too lenient and meek to take action against their illegal encroachment on footpaths, etc. Hawkers are allowed to continue their activities for years together. After a long period of time they became established and settled in their businesses. It is difficult to evict them and there are NGO’s and organizations who support and encourage them instead of counselling and helping them to avoid such illegal encroachment in public places. In fact the Government through the Departments of Social Welfare, Sericulture, Industries, etc. should assist them in vocational activities, giving them training and even providing them with financial assistance in businesses like weaving, handicraft, bamboo craft and even agricultural and horticultural activities.
In Gangtok, Sikkim, when hawkers start occupying the road sides and footpaths for business, they are evicted within minutes. So there is no scope for the hawkers to establish their trades. Some years back the Government of Meghalaya through the Urban Affairs Department has undertaken the beautification of Khyndailad and Motphran, imitating the European Cities in our State, which is almost a BPL State, where hawkers dictate terms and conditions to the Government. We do not see any impact of this beautification where several crores of rupees spent have gone to waste. The tiles laid down there have started peeling off one by one. Khyndailad has become dirtier and more crowded day by day. Hawkers occupy the entire sidewalks, leaving very little space for pedestrians to walk on. I would say that the beautification of Khyndailad is like applying those expensive perfumes from Paris on a dead woman’s face.
Then the over-bridge at Motphran was dismantled, causing difficulties for pedestrians as this area has become more crowded. Hawkers are multiplying every day. When the over-bridge was dismantled no one protested, thinking that the Government has a better idea of building a modern one as part of the beautification of Motphran but now even the drains have not been repaired. It has become a forgotten scheme. In fact that over-bridge was very useful for pedestrians entering Iewduh.
Now, let us discuss the rights of pedestrians and commuters. For too long pedestrians and commuters are being treated like third class citizens. Actually footpaths are meant for pedestrians only. Hawkers have no right to set up any kind of trade or business on footpaths. Hence, it is high time for the Government to reclaim the footpaths all over Shillong on behalf of the pedestrians. The footpaths from Motphran along G S Road to Umsohsun on both sides of the road should be free from hawkers. There are instances where hawkers themselves crowd the entire footpath and even block it, making it difficult for the pedestrians to walk safely. Most of the time pedestrians have to walk on the main road alongside vehicles which is dangerous. Thankfully no accident has occurred so far.
Coming to public transport, commuters too, have the right to travel conveniently as per motor vehicle rules and according to the specified capacity of the vehicle, be it a bus or a taxi. All these years, commuters are being asked by the taxi driver or a bus conductor to squeeze in, in every available space both in buses and taxis. People are treated like commodity even while buses and taxis indulge in overloading, thereby violating the standing rules of the Transport Department. There are instances in which taxis refuse to ferry passengers with heavy luggage because the trunk of the taxi is full of large speakers of music system. I wonder if installing of such heavy music system is included in the Permit issued by the Transport Department because this causes great inconvenience to the commuters. It is understood that bus and taxi permits are issued in the interest of the public. Here it seems permits are issued in the interest of the transport operators. It is also noticed that, auto rickshaws in Shillong are fitted with doors like cars to facilitate overloading. They carry 6 – 7 passengers and the windows are decorated with black curtains so that traffic police do not see how many passengers there are inside. Ironically cars are not allowed to paste dark film on windows.
When we travel in the cities of India we don’t see an auto rickshaw with doors. The question is whether the rules permit this and whether this is done with the permission of the Transport Department.
The Mawlai bus stop occupied by hawkers about three decades ago or more at Motphran may be reclaimed and a proper bus shed may be constructed. Further, a taxi stand may also be identified for the interest of the commuters. Overloading in buses and taxis may be checked from time to time by a competent mobile court as being done previously. Overloading in buses and taxis is very dangerous since the heavy load makes it difficult for the drivers to control the vehicle. Then again there is the case of taxis plying to the suburbs of Shillong like Mylliem, Mawngap, Smit, Nongkrem, etc., all carrying eight to nine passengers, four in the front seat including the driver and five in the back seat; that too in a Maruti 800. How do we expect the driver to control the vehicle?
In this Pandemic things are going on as per rules; footpaths are relatively clear and spacious, safe and convenient for pedestrians and commuters travel conveniently with loading as per rules but now with more relaxations after the lockdown, hawkers have started their unruly activities again. Even food items like fish, chicken, junk food, etc. are being sold in the open, on the main road and without proper cover. How does the Food Inspectorate approve of this? Is there any guarantee that food items sold on the road or roadside are safe for human consumption? A thorough inspection and supervision is required immediately.
Government ought to be doing it’s duty without the need for citizen to point out its lapses. Government is mandated to exercise its power and authority and to correct all these wrongs on a war footing.