An open letter to PM Modi on his ‘pakoda' statement
Mr. Prime Minister,
In a TV interview recently, you asserted that a person is earning Rs. 200 a day selling pakodas is also an employed person. Many people took offense to this statement, claiming that your promise to generate one crore jobs is a hoax.
While we appreciate the fact that you recognize street vending as employment, the harsh realities under which street vendors carry out their livelihood has been lost in your statement. Street vending is an independent and dignified profession. We are proud to be street
vendors.
However, we cannot take away the context in which we have become street vendors. It is out of distress of migrating to a city, of drought in villages, agricultural crisis reeling in this country, and more importantly lack of employment options that we have resorted to treet vending.
Moreover, education has become a costly affair for millions of people in the country. In fact, you are further distancing it from the people by decreasing the budget outlay for education, which you presented yesterday. The poor in this country cannot get an education, but there are no job options for those educated either. And even when we want to earn a decent livelihood of street vending, we face
harassment and threats of evictions from various authorities on a daily basis.
Even when the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihoods and Regulating Street Vending) Act, 2014 was passed by the UPA II Government, very few State Governments have implemented the legislation. The Act grants a right to livelihood to us street vendors and is intended to provide solace to us from all the harassment. However, we continue to be left out of public spaces; police officers demand hafta, municipal authorities threaten to evict us, residents call us dirty, that we obstruct traffic, and other
such unreasonable allegations are made against us. It has been four years since the Act came into force and four years since you have been the Prime Minister of India.
If you thought this was an honorable profession, why do we continue to be perceived as a nuisance? The Lieutenant General of Delhi ordered massive evictions, in blatant violation of the 2014 Act. Why has no action been taken against any authority across the
country for trying to evict vendors? What have you, Mr. Prime Minister, done for us street vendors? When you sat in opposition to the UPA Government, you vehemently opposed Foreign Direct Investments in Retail – against Walmart and Target entering our country. However, you have now approved 100 percent in single-brand retail. This will no doubt harm small businesses, including us street vendors. To add insult to injury, your ‘smart cities' project is ensuring complete evictions of street vendors.This project is not only affecting our livelihood, but is taking away our right to shelter as well. The smart city has become synonymous with evictions of street vendors and slums. Your vision of development does not include us, sir. Instead, your policies are increasing the number of dispossessed people every day. There is no respite for us from poverty. So, where is our acche din? When you demonetized the Rs. 500 and Rs. 1,000 currency notes, us street vendors were the most affected. You want to make India cashless.
Do you expect our customers to swipe money into our phones for a dozen banana? In addition to this, you've introduced GST. It is wiping out small usinesses who source small items for us to sell.
Sir, we do not want a ‘Smart City,' we do not want a ‘Digital India,' we do not want ‘Make In India' or your ‘Swacch Bharath,' if it doesn't allow municipal workers, construction workers, slum dwellers, and street vendors to live with dignity. We want public education, public health system, and public housing! You are shirking your responsibility to provide us all of this and are instead privatizing our entitlements. Yes, it is employment if a person sells pakoda on the streets. But, do not use us as an excuse for your inability to provide jobs to the citizens of this country, and going back on your promise. On the contrary, we street vendors stand on our abilities
and hard work.
We will fight against anyone who takes away our rights!
Yours Sincerely,
Bengaluru Jilla Beedhi Vyapari Sanghatanegala Okkuta
Contact: 9880316961, 9880595032, 9686757053
Email: bvokkuta@gmail.com
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VHP warns of statewide stir in Karnataka against move to ease cattle transport law
Udupi (Karnataka) (PTI): The VHP on Saturday demanded the immediate withdrawal of a proposed amendment to the Karnataka Prevention of Slaughter and Preservation of Cattle Act, 2020, accusing the state government of weakening a law that has deterred illegal cattle transport.
The organisation's Go Raksha Wing, Karnataka South, has also announced district-level protests on December 8.
According to officials, the existing law mandates a bank guarantee for securing the release of vehicles seized for alleged illegal cattle transportation.
On December 4, the state Cabinet proposed an amendment enabling the release of such vehicles on an indemnity bond instead.
Addressing reporters in Udupi, VHP leader and Prantha Goraksha Pramukh Sunil K R, said the government's move amounted to "sympathy for cattle lifters" and claimed that it was part of broader actions "targeting Hindus".
He argued that the law in its current form is stringent and has played a crucial role in reducing incidents of illegal cattle transport and theft.
Under the Act, vehicles involved in offences can be surrendered and, upon conviction, permanently seized by authorities. "Diluting these provisions will embolden offenders," Sunil said.
The VHP leader warned that easing the process of vehicle release would not only encourage violators but also result in rising cruelty against cattle.
Sunil further claimed that the strict enforcement of the 2020 law had brought down cases of cattle-related offences significantly. Rolling back these provisions, he said, could reverse those gains and would lead to an increase in illegal transport.
He reiterated that the government must reconsider its decision and preserve the integrity of the existing law.
