Street vendors attempt to storm Assembly

IMPHAL, Dec 19 – Women street vendors today attempted to storm the Manipur Assembly complex when the House was in session this morning.

However, the vendors were held back by the security personnel. Another group of 70 members of the Khwairamband Keithel Lambi Mataida Potpham Phambi Lup (KKLMPPL) took out a protest rally from Thangmeiband DM College Gate here demanding immediate implementation of the National Urban Street Vendors Policy 2009 in the State.

The rallyists, all women street vendors selling clothes and vegetables in and around Imphal city, carried placards and shouted slogans such as, “Implement National Urban Street Vendors Policy 2009,” “Establish Town Vending Committee,” “Street vendors are also people; Do not treat us like animals,” “Street vendors feed their children by selling vegetables,” etc.

The rally was undertaken with the objective of bringing the plight of street vendors to the attention of the Assembly, and with the request to discuss the issue in the House, said Bina, secretary of KKLMPPL.

In September, 2013, the Supreme Court had directed all the State Governments in the country to implement the National Urban Street Vendors Policy 2009 at the earliest. Under the policy, it is imperative upon the State Governments to form a Town Vending Committee, demarcate the market area into vending and non-vending zones, and allow the street vendors to earn a livelihood.

The KKLMPPL strongly condemned the act of the police who hauled up around 12 of their members and then released them in an uninhabited and deserted area of Langol Hills in an attempt to thwart the peaceful campaign.