Skip to main content

Street vendors 'devoid' of rights in a country run by one who claims to be chaiwala

By Shreshth Virmani*

Sudhirbhai (name changed) is a tea vendor in Ahmedabad and since the time first curfew was imposed he has been struggling to survive. Now when the country has opened up, his earnings are nowhere near the pre-lockdown levels. Earlier he used to make about Rs 500 on daily basis but now it is less than Rs 200. People like Sudhirbhai are still struggling to meet their ends.
The situation is same with majority of the hawkers and vendors all over the country. Kavita (name changed), who is a hawker in a small town in Haryana, says, “Before the lockdown, I used to make sales of Rs 1500 per day and was able to save Rs 500 as profits on daily basis. However, now the sales are less than Rs 700 and savings have reduced substantially. Now, there are no NGOs helping with the food requirements as was the case during lockdown, and extortion by municipal authorities has increased”. 
Street vendors are the backbone of Indian economy and are considered as an integral part of urban retail trade and distribution system for daily necessities. According to the government estimates, street vending accounts for approximately 14 per cent of total urban informal employment in the country. Though, the stringent lockdown restrictions have been lifted, the business for street vendors has still not picked up. With reduced crowd on the Indian streets, they are facing decreased incomes. The life for them was much better before the lockdowns.
Recently, the government came up with PM SVANidhi, or Pradhan Mantri Street Vendors Atma Nirbhar Nidhi scheme, to provide loans to street vendors for upto Rs. 10,000. However, the bank officials have taken opportunistic advantage of illiterate street vendors. 
According to a government estimate, street vending accounts for approximately 14% of total urban informal employment in the country
The president of the Vendors’ Welfare Association at Lanka in Varanasi, Chintamani Seth, says that of all the applications for loans, only less than 30% have received the loans after much struggle and that too at high interest rates from the nationalized banks in Varanasi. 
There is no authority to listen to poor vendors. Further, many of the street vendors have not been allowed to operate at the same places post lockdowns, even if vendors complied with all government regulations on Covid-19 prevention.
It is quite ironical that in a country where the prime minister identifies himself as a chaiwala, street vendors have to undergo difficulties in running their businesses. Their rights are not respected and are most often termed as illegal businesses. Nevertheless, the local authorities and policemen often extort money from the poor fellows to allow them to operate their business. 
The atrocities of local authorities against the street vendors is not new, every now and then street vendors have been exploited. The Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014 was formed with the objective of legalize street vending and protecting the rights of urban street vendors. However, till date the vendors in most pockets of India have not been granted licences to operate in the designated vending zones.
Chintamani says, in Varanasi, local body has colluded with trade unions and local businesses to eliminate street vendors from crowed marketplaces and develop vending zones at remote places in the city with limited footfall. If vendors protest, then they are harassed and beaten up. This is shameful when such activities happen under the nose of prime minister and he describes himself as a chaiwala and lauds of crucial role of street vendors in Uttar Pradesh economy.
We need concrete steps to be taken by government to direct municipal authorities about the creation of vending zones at existing places where street vendors usually operate. Further, they shall be given certificate of vending to prevent local authorities to illegally extort money from them. The prime minister and state chief ministers shall take cognizance of the difficulties that street vendors face and take decisive action against the corrupt officials in the lower levels of government machinery.
--
*Student of Indian Institute of Management-Ahmedabad, dreams for a better India based on equal opportunities for and equality of all communities. Views expressed are personal

Comments

TRENDING

How community leaders overcome obstacles to protect forests and pastures in remote villages

By Bharat Dogra  Dheera Ram Kapaya grew up in such poverty that, unable to attend school himself, he would carry another boy’s heavy school bag for five kilometers just to get a scoop of daliya (porridge). When he was finally able to attend school, he had to leave after class five to join other adolescent workers. However, as soon as opportunities arose, he involved himself in community efforts—promoting forest protection, adult literacy, and other constructive initiatives. His hidden talent for writing emerged during this time, and he became known for the songs and street play scripts he created to promote forest conservation, discourage child marriages, and support other social reforms.

Workers' groups condemn Gujarat Ordinance increasing working hours, warn of statewide agitation

By A Representative   At a consultation organised today by the Asangathit Shramik Hit Rakshak Manch at Circuit House in Ahmedabad, leaders of major trade unions and labour rights organisations strongly opposed the Gujarat government’s recent ordinance amending the Factories Act and the draft rules notified under the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Code, 2020. Around 50 representatives from central trade unions, independent unions, and labour welfare organisations participated in the meeting.

Deaths in Chhattisgarh are not just numbers – they mark a deeper democratic crisis

By Sunil Kumar  For a while, I had withdrawn into a quieter life, seeking solace in nature. But the rising tide of state-sponsored violence and recurring conflict across India has compelled deeper reflection. The recent incidents of killings in central India—particularly in Chhattisgarh—are not isolated acts. They point to a larger and ongoing crisis that concerns the health of democracy and the treatment of marginalised communities.

'Bengali Muslim migrant workers face crackdown in Gurgaon': Academic raises alarm

By A Representative   Political analyst and retired Delhi University professor Shamsul Islam has raised serious concerns over the ongoing targeting and detention of Muslim migrant workers from West Bengal in Gurgaon, Haryana. In a public statement, Islam described the situation as "brutal repression" and accused law enforcement agencies of detaining migrants arbitrarily under the pretext of verifying their citizenship.

Gender violence defies stringent laws: The need for robust social capital

By Dr. Manoj Kumar Mishra*  The tragic death of Miss Soumyashree Bisi, a 20-year-old student from Fakir Mohan College, Balasore, who reportedly self-immolated due to harassment, shocked the conscience of Odisha. Even before the public could process this horrifying event, another harrowing case emerged—a 15-year-old girl from Balanga, Puri, was allegedly set ablaze by miscreants. These incidents are not isolated; they highlight a disturbing pattern of rising gender-based violence across the state and the country.

The GMO illusion: Three decades of hype, harm, and false hope

By Sridhar Radhakrishnan  Three decades of hype, billions of dollars spent, and still no miracle crop. It's time to abandon the GMO biotech fairy tale and return to the soil, the seed, and the farmer. “Trust us,” they said. “GMOs will feed the world.” Picture a world where there is plenty of food, no hunger, fields grow without chemical pesticides, children are saved from malnutrition, and people live healthily.

The myth of population decline: India’s real challenge is density, not fertility

By N.S. Venkataraman*   India’s population in 2025 stands at approximately 1.4 billion. In 1950, it was 359 million, rising sharply to 1.05 billion by 2000. The population continues to grow and is projected to reach around 1.7 billion by 2050.

How natural and organic farming can be a key to combating the climate crisis

By Raj Kumar Sinha*  On July 9, while addressing the “Sahkar Samvad” in Ahmedabad with women and workers associated with cooperatives from Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan, Union Home Minister Amit Shah emphasized that natural farming is essential for both our health and the health of the soil. This is a significant statement in the context of addressing the climate change crisis. Natural farming can play a crucial role in combating climate change. Also known as organic farming, it is a system of agriculture that can increase food production without harming the environment. Natural farming has the potential to reduce carbon emissions by 35% to 50%.

Indigenous Karen activist calls for global solidarity amid continued struggles in Burma

By A Representative   At the International Festival for People’s Rights and Struggles (IFPRS), Naw Paw Pree, an Indigenous Karen activist from the Karen Human Rights Group (KHRG), shared her experiences of oppression, resilience, and hope. Organized with the support of the International Indigenous Peoples Movement for Self-Determination and Liberation (IPMSDL), the event brought together Indigenous and marginalized communities from across the globe, offering a rare safe space for shared learning, solidarity, and expression.