GUWAHATI, Feb 12 � Indigenous women vegetable vendors who have been struggling for market space under most unfavourable conditions on Tuesday again demanded of the authorities concerned to implement the provisions of the National Vendor�s Policy and give them the right to live and work with dignity.
A memorandum in this connection was submitted to the Deputy Commissioner, Kamrup (Metro) from the Brihattar Guwahati Khudra Bebasayee Sanstha, a union formed for and by the vegetable vendors, and the Society for Social Transformation and Environment Protection, a non-government organisation.
Apart from insisting space for women vendors in Ulubari registered under the union, the memorandum also has demanded vending license to all the vendors and reduction of the security amount to a reasonable rate affordable by the poor indigenous vendors.
The need for reservation of space for the indigenous women vendors who come from distant places to sell local vegetables at Ulubari has been long felt. And concerted efforts to push the demand of the indigenous women gained momentum when eviction drives became more frequent since the construction of the flyover.
�Since construction of the flyover, we have been continuously evicted and harassed,� said Kanchoni Teron of Sonapur. She sells her vegetables on the Ramkrishna Mission Road.
Prior to city development and existence of GMC market regulations, the tribal women had been running their business at Ulubari which used to be known as the �Garo Bazaar�. But unfortunately this market did not have a recorded history. In 1995, these women were evicted from their place of vending on account of the flyover. They settled themselves on road side of Kachari Basti on the way to B.K Kakoti Road, Ulubari. Harassment of police continued. In 2006, the women settled near Samshan Ghat, B.K Kakoti Road. In 2007 they were evicted again.
Continued harassment has made these indigenous women strong enough to come together as Brihattar Guwahati Mahila Sag-Pasoli Bebasayee Sanstha to fight for their right to survival.
