Street vendors warns of intense agitations

IMPHAL, May 18: The Khwairamband Keithel Lambi Mataida Potpham Phambi Lup (KKLMPPL) comprising of around 2000 women street vendors has submitted a memorandum consisting of four demands to the state Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh today.

The memorandum stated that the women street vendors are facing much hardship and are not able to feed their children. "We are not able to sell our wares in peace as for around two years we have been chased away, tortured and beaten like cattle saying that we are not allowed to sell wares around Khwairamband Keithel but instead to sell them at Sana Keithel," the memorandum stated.

Appealing that they should be permitted to sell wares at Khwairamband Keithel, the Lup of street vendors said the torture and causing of panic to them should be stopped immediately so as to ease their hardship.

A lasting policy should be adopted so that a suitable place is arranged for them to make them able to feed and school their children, it said. The announcement of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in 2009 to the states’ CMs to adopt programs for street vendors should be converted into actions, the memorandum added.

The last point on the memorandum warned that intense agitations will be launched in case the concerned authorities fail to take action.

A press statement from the KKLMPPL also appealed to let them sell wares for some hours a day.

It said, the Prime Minister, recognizing the hardship of the street vendors selling wares around Khwairamband Keithel, had announced in 2009 to provide suitable place for them.

If the government do not listen to the demands of the Lup, the KKLMPPL statement said it will stage mass hunger strike from May 20, 2013.