Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, October 23 2008:
Taking up the cause of the evicted road-side women vendors of Khwairamband market, Human Rights Initiative has filed a complaint with the Manipur Human Rights Commission contending that the eviction amounts to deprivation of the rights to work of the poor womenfolk coming to the market from all over the State in search of their daily livelihood.
Addressing a press conference in this connection at its Wangkhei Thangapat Mapal office today, executive director of Human Rights Initiative Lc Jinine Meetei said that the issue of street vendors is not of the State alone and there are around 4 crores street vendors in whole of India.
All these street vendors are being provided proper places by the Governments and other authorities concerned.
Over and above this, the Union Ministry of Urban Development and Poverty Alleviation had issued an office memorandum in 2001 making it clear that no street vendor should be evicted before providing an alternative place for them, he pointed out.
However, in complete disregard of this order and other existing norms, the State Government and its related authority Imphal Municipal Council evicted street vendors in and around Khwairamband Market, thus depriving them of their rights to work, Jinine contended.
Maintaining that the street vendors are illegal from the legal point of view, Jinine went on to say that eviction without providing an alternative place or levying taxes/fee on daily and weekly basis by the Government is also equally illegal.
It may be noted here that the indefinite general strike being called by the evicted street vendors of Khwairamband Market area since October 19 in pursuance of their demand for providing an alternative place is still on paralying normal business transanction.
Filing the complaint, Human Rights Initiative has urged the Manipur Human Rights Commission to take up rightful action to stop human rights violation of the economically deprived women coming from varies area of hill and valley districts of Manipur.
The complaint further noted that even though maintenance of Imphal Municipal Market area and better traffic regulation have its own importance but the question of rights to work, food and livelihood has more fundamental importance in comparison to beautification and conformable traffic movement of Imphal town.