Guwahati: The thriving metropolis of North East India, Guwahati, has always boasted of a rich cultural heritage and an enigmatic charm that permeates its bustling streets.
But surviving in a post-pandemic, high-inflation economy, and a lack of good employment opportunities has proven to be tough for several people working in the unorganised sector and the city’s hawkers are no different.
Despite contributing immensely to the well-being of urban and rural populations by providing goods and products at cheaper rates and also generating several employment opportunities, they receive little to no support from the government.
Shahanoor Rehman, a vendor selling juice, underscores the difficulties of securing a job. His personal journey reflects the plight of educated individuals. He says, “Despite completing my higher secondary, I was unable to find any job and so I had to move to the city, hoping to find one.” Seeking other job opportunities, he was compelled to turn to street vending as a means to support his family. This is not the story of Shahanoor alone; it equates with that of many more individuals who flock to the city hoping for better opportunities.
The freedom and flexibility it offers, though uncertain, become attractive options for those struggling to make ends meet. This entrepreneurial approach enables them to earn a living by selling goods and services without the constraints of formal employment.
Escalating number of street hawkers
As Guwahati has expanded in size, it has also attracted thousands of people looking for better employment opportunities, and this has resulted in an explosion of sorts of hawkers. A GMC official, explaining this phenomenon, said, “Most (hawkers) are from outside the city. The unemployment in their respective areas forces them to move to cities to earn their living and hunt for better opportunities.” However, the city itself may not have enough formal employment opportunities to accommodate everyone. As a result, these individuals resort to street hawking as a means of survival.
Operating in an unregulated and often informal market has its own struggles. Hawkers are vulnerable to exploitation and harassment, which affects their physical and mental well-being. Moreover, the lack of formal recognition and regulatory ambiguity often expose street hawkers to evictions, confiscations, and bureaucratic hurdles, thereby creating a sense of insecurity in their profession. Add to that competition, weather conditions, and changing consumer preferences, and it becomes clear that hawkers almost never have an easy day.
But perhaps the biggest issue is obtaining a licence and/or permit to sell on the streets can be a cumbersome and costly process for these vendors. If not the authorities, the exorbitant deposit rate of physical stores, which acts as a financial constraint for them, is beyond the means of most street vendors. Abul Hussain, who owns a carpet stall on the streets of Laktokia said, “The deposit is too high for us (over Rs 5 lakh) to own a store and run our businesses.”
Sanjay Shah, who has been selling puri sabji near Fancy Bazaar for the past 30 years, emphasises the deep-rooted connection he has with his business. Despite his dedication, he encounters obstacles, such as having to pay a daily parking fee to secure a space for his stall. This expenditure, while necessary to continue his livelihood, adds to his financial burden. Consequently, these street vendors are left with no choice but to operate on the streets, where they face various uncertainties.
The lack of allocated vending zones means hawkers rely primarily on the sidewalks to occupy the space for their various businesses. No doubt, their presence contributes to the local economy, but the setting up of temporary stalls on the sidewalks and parking zones also has a flip side, which leads to congestion and sanitation issues, causing a hindrance to the movement of pedestrians.
Therefore, they often face the risk of eviction by GMC officials. As they operate in public spaces, the authorities ask them to vacate certain areas from time to time, leading to disruptions in their business.
Noor Mohamed, who sells bangles and beauty accessories, shared a recurring challenge faced by street vendors in Guwahati. He recalled the days when they were evicted, “On certain occasions or when guests arrive in the city, authorities ask us to remove the stalls. This disrupts my daily earnings and causes a significant impact on our livelihood.”
A similar incident was narrated by Shon Ali, who sells fruits. He faced a predicament when the stalls, including his, were dismantled under the Jaynagar flyover. Such incidents can cause considerable distress to vendors who heavily rely on specific locations for their businesses.
According to GMC officials, migrants and street hawkers put immense pressure on the authorities to identify the exact number of these hawkers and allocate fixed vending zones. They are of the view that the zones would only cater to a certain population size, but as this keeps on exceeding due to the rapid migration, allocating zones without a proper survey poses a serious challenge. “If we provide vending zones to the registered vendors, new ones might come in, and that acts as a hindrance to proceeding further with the vending zones.”
They added that the survey to calculate the exact number of street vendors around the city has been taken up by the All India Institute of Local Self-Government, a Delhi-based NGO. They collected biometric details of street vendors as a part of the survey. As of now, 5600 vendors have been identified based on the survey, which has been completed in 37 of the 60 wards in the city.
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The officials added that under the National Urban Livelihood Mission, a central scheme–Prime Minister Street Vendors’ Atma Nirbhar Nidhi–aims to strengthen the vendors by providing them loans up to one lakh. To date, 10,000 loans have already been disbursed.
“Once the survey is completed, we will have an idea about the exact number of street vendors who are presently operating in the city, and accordingly, we will be trying to designate the vending zones,” the official added.
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