Street vendor: Traffic hazard or service providers?

Street vending is perhaps one of the oldest mode of marketing local products and goods. Street vendor has to be respected as it is one of the oldest retail activity. Entrepreneurs showcasing their items for sale in lavish showrooms is of a recent trend. Prior to that street vendors prevailed and it was the only form of marketing the products. Street vendors constitute one of the largest business activity carried in India thus cannot neglected. Its a free country and everybody has a right to market their product in their own style (Hawkers right to trade on pavement Sodan Singh v. New Delhi Municipal Committee, guaranteed under 19(1)(g) and Art21 of the Constitution) . Vendors caters all kind of goods from edibles to home dcor to, home-made products to traditional small scale product hence their significant role is to be applauded. Street vendors in India occupy a special place, as they attract a bunch of tourist every year. The Mumbais Zuhu beach will lose its charm if we deduct the vendors away from the place. In small towns in the absence of the concrete malls vendors dominate which in short helps the locals residents. Street vendors are there in every part of the world and their essence is they cater to the locals, plus the price charged is affordable and does not pinch the wallet. If we have a look at todays market scenario the vendors constitute a major part and hence their presence cannot be denied. In a largely populated country like India where a major part of the population are illiterate and unskilled, the sole bread and butter is earned through street vending where no technicality is involved. The rural folks of India who end up coming to metros with the hope of a big city life take up street vending as primary occupation to settle down. It is pretty evident that we try to ape the West and in this drive we consider the vendors to be a traffic hazard or a nuisance. It is believed that if street vendors are subtracted we might equate to the glamour of Dubai. It is a ridiculous idea and synonymous with the phrase building castle in the air. The street vendors unfortunately are not protected rather they are the regular victims of the atrocities of the local police or local goons. They earn a meager amount on a daily basis and share it either with the police or the local hooligans, a cruel sight to be witnessed. The various Bills passed by the different Commissions miserably failed to stand up to their expectations. It is passed and not put into effect or yet to be passed by the parliament. The major drawbacks can be found in the licensing process too. The licenses are not issued to the vendors and if issued the police reap benefit from the vendors by issuing it. Absence of concrete rules and regulations and no sign of social security is another reason responsible for the disheveled outcome in a vendors lifestyle. They are shattered in the process due to lack of understanding of their issues and absence of privileges, only support given to them is short-termed solutions without any support from the government.

However to give an optimistic feel to this debatable topic the recent declaration from National Association of Street Vendors of India [NASVI], will celebrate the day of 20 January every year as Vendors Day to foster solidarity among street vendors and remind policy/law makers and administrators its glorious existence. Their noteworthy existence in the economy of our country can be appreciated by celebrating for their achievement on this day. Further vendors will occupy 40% of the Statutory Town Vending Committee(TVC) under the Central Government, to implement policies and laws benefitting street vendors. To give effect to it Model State Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Bill,2009 is circulated among State Governments. To sum up, in a country like India where unemployment is considered as a deadly disease, street vendor has reasonably played a pivotal role by encouraging and epitomizing the idea of self-employment. Hence labeling them as a traffic hazard is not the solution. A little invasion into our current economy will give a clear picture that they are one of the best service provider. It encourages to promote local goods and a podium for the economically cursed section of the society.