Street vendors who could not get a vending space at the temporary Ima Market in Imphal on Wednesday stormed the Imphal Municipal Corporation (IMC) complex in Imphal to vend their goods as a part of their agitation demanding their rightful vending space.
“Please save and protect our rights to live. Vending is the only means of our livelihood,” said Khwairamband Keithel Street Vendors’ Welfare Association (KhKSVWU) president Laitonjam Beda.
According to the IMC notification issued on October 16, street vendors were permitted to vend in the temporary Ima market area in two different shifts from 6 am to 12 noon and 1 pm to 7pm daily on first come first serve basis.
It, however, had imposed a ban on vending on the road sides in and around the Ima market area in Khwairamband, Imphal.
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“We were chased out using violence means by the police and some powerful vendors, while we tried to sell at the temporary market as per the notification issued by the IMC and assurance of officials to provide 120 vending spaces to vendors under the KhKSVWU,” Beda alleged.
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The temporary market is being permanently occupied by those powerful vendors using money and muscle power, defying the IMC order, she added.
Claiming that the vendors under KhKSVWU are all license vendors registered at IMC and they are the only bread earners of their respective families, she appealed to the authority concerned to conduct a screening process so that all the genuine vendors get vending space in an appropriate schedule fixed by the government.
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Also seeking the support of CSOs of Manipur for their intervention to deliver them justice and protect their rights, the president said, “We will continue to take up different forms of agitations at the IMC (whom we considered as our guardian) campus, without any retreat until justice is delivered.”
The agitating vendors also include vendors under the banner of Young Women Street Vendors Association; Ima Leisana Women Street Vendors Welfare Union and Joint Coordinating Committee of Registered Street Vendors Union.
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