By Kyrsoibor Pyrtuh
The Khasi & Jaintia Hills have had their own piece of history vis-à-vis the freedom struggle and the aspiration of the indigenous community for self-rule and self-determination. Between the period 1923 and 1949, the Hynniewtrep people were sharply divided on the political solution. Although, the debate is still on that the Hynniewtrep community could have bargained for more autonomy on the basis of the Instrument of Accession, it can also be construed that the community is now well placed and better off within the framework of the Indian Constitution.
Interestingly, in Shillong, there has been a noticeable enthusiasm among the majority of people, especially among the Hynniewtrep community, to celebrate the freedom on August 15. In residential localities, including those predominantly inhabited by indigenous community, residents are upbeat about Independence Day and the Tricolour flag is seen hoisted atop the roofs, roadside walls and poles, days before August 15. Such a scenario would have been unimaginable twenty-five or thirty years ago.
Political status aside, what is more pressing for the people of Meghalaya and the Hynniewtrep community in particular, is the increasing problem of poverty, landlessness, income inequality and marginalization. Reports had shown Meghalaya’s per capita income among the lowest in the country. The State is plagued with low salary syndrome and this has further pushed the citizenry to the margins. Low income can lead to increased stress, anxiety and even depression. Financial limitations also lead to isolation, social exclusion and can even distort the close knit cultural and social fabric of the community.
Everything is Broken: Bob Dylan was apt when he penned the song, “Everything is Broken”. The song paints a picture of a world overwhelmed by brokenness. The song reveals a breakdown and that everything is broken; “broken cutters, broken saws / Broken buckles, broken laws.” This implies not only physical decay but also a collapse of order and justice. This brokenness extends to social structures and personal interactions from “broken lines” and “broken strings” to “broken words” and “broken voices”. The song also evoked a deep sense of loss and hopelessness when the singer describes about the “broken hearts” and “broken bodies”. India’s freedom encapsulates economic freedom and empowerment, whereby its people must be free from the clutches of poverty and injustices. However, India today is overshadowed by painful narratives about hunger, income or economic inequality and poverty. The Country is also marred by racial and religious prejudices. In democratic nation like India, it is the bounded duty of the State to strive for the welfare of the people and to ensure that social and economic justice is given to the people without discrimination.
Since the early 1990s, the Government of India’s tall claims about liberalization, shining India, good governance and now the double engine style of ruling the nation, have not been able to solve the basic problem of food, clothing and shelter. Education and employment remain grave issues for many states. Women, indigenous communities, minorities, migrant labourers and the poor continue to suffer social discrimination, economic exploitation and disenfranchisement. Hindu fundamentalist groups are on the rise and the recent incidents of violence, hate and bigotry against Christians and Muslims is a pointer towards transforming India into a majoritarian state.
While Hindu fundamentalist groups, may be boasting of the brute majority and experimenting their Hindu Rashtra, there are millions of citizens in this vast country, including in Hindu majority State (s), who do not have access to safe drinking water, primary health care and universal elementary education. Only a few of the privileged class and some in the Upper Middle and Middle class population are better off and are enjoying the bulk of the wealth and resources of the country. Indeed we are living in a divided and broken nation.
Street Vendors: Meghalaya’s Marginalized and Who are They?
Recently, the unjust and illegal relocation of street vendors and hawkers at Khyndai Lad had generated heated debates in sundry social media platforms and newspaper outlets as well. Points and counter points have been brought to the fore depending on one’s position on the subject matter. In the context of Meghalaya, Bhogtoram Mawroh had given a compelling definition in his article published in 2016, “The street vendors/hawkers come from the very poor and marginalized section of the society, whose consumption is very low, i.e., they have low demand. This section constitutes almost half of the state’s population. Therefore, an increase in demand among this section will increase revenue significantly. Demand will increase once the purchasing capacity increases which has to follow an improvement in their socio-economic status. This again can happen when the livelihood in which they are engaged in is supported.
Unlike the upper class whose consumption transcends state boundaries, the consumption of this section is restricted to the local economy. Also, many of them have links with the rural economy which also gets boosted because rural products find a wider market. This again boosts rural demand. All of these will eventually enhance revenue generation and make the state financially healthier. With improving socio-economic status, the street vendors/hawkers can improve their business and become future investors into the state economy. Unlike investors from outside the state, the benefits of investment will remain within the state. Therefore, the street vendors/hawkers are not the problem, they are in fact the solution in many ways than one can possibly imagine…”
The Struggle, the Law and Unlawful Implementation: It is imperative to describe the timeline and chronology of the struggle for the right to livelihood by the street vendors and hawkers in Meghalaya. Since June 2016, the Street Vendors and Hawkers came together as a collective under the Meghalaya & Greater Shillong Progressive Hawkers and Street Vendors Association (MGSPHSVA), to demand for the implementation of the Central Law, i.e, The Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation) of Street Vending Act 2014, in letter and spirit. They understood that this is a good law for the protection of their livelihoods and to regulate their businesses on the streets, pavements, walkways etc as prescribed by the Law.
On 21 December 2018, in the meeting with officials of Urban Affairs, the representatives of the MGSPHSVA, had made a power point presentation on the plan for street vending detailing the time and space management and existing city profile of street vending, and also suggested various vending zones. This vending plan is based on the premise that the plan for street vending cannot be done in isolation but has to be done in consonance with city planning which includes parking, pedestrian walkways and ensuring accessibility to the disabled.
In August 2022 the Honourable Meghalaya High Court had disposed of all the cases/matters related to street vending and hawking. In its final order issued on 24 August 2022, the Meghalaya High Court observed that the State was contemplating to adopt the Central Statute. The State had formally done so and had also made rules for the implementation of the Central Law on street vending.
Following the order of the High Court, the Street Vendors and Hawkers under the umbrella organization, the Meghalaya & Greater Shillong Progressive Hawkers and Street Vendors Association (MGSPHSVA), had been cooperating with the Shillong Municipal Board and Meghalaya Urban Development Department in implementing the law ever since.
The process of implementing the Law began on October 2022, in which the Provisional Town Vending Committee (PTVC) was constituted and the MGSPHSVA had elected four representatives to the PTVC. The members of the Association have been actively participating in the meetings and rendered full cooperation during the in-situ survey of street vendors and hawkers. However, from the beginning there were attempts to thwart the process which ultimately culminated in the unlawful and unjust relocation of Street Vendors and Hawkers which took place on 23 July 2025. This has resulted in mental distress and economic hardships on street vendors, especially those 106 plus longstanding and genuine street vendors who have been deliberately denied the certificate of vending.
From Empathy to Emancipation: The Meghalaya & Greater Shillong Progressive Hawkers and Street Vendors Association has rightfully decried the forceful relocation of street vendors from Khyndai Lad to MUDA Parking Lot on July 23 2025. The action had deliberately undermined the law and is in complete violation of due process, the High Court order dated July 3, 2025, and the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014.
The unlawful evictions had left over 106 surveyed Vendors and others with no place to vend and they have been deliberately denied of the Certificate of Vending. The aggrieved vendors are now protesting in-front of MUDA Complex at Khyndai Lad demanding immediate rectification and granting of vending certificates.
Therefore, on the eve of Independence Day, I would like to remind our fellow citizens that “the street vendors and hawkers are those citizens who are living on the margins and they need not only our empathy, but most importantly they need to be emancipated from poverty, uncertainty, anxiety, exploitation and enslavement.
In solidarity with the marginalized.