Women street vendors demonstrate for ‘living’

Pothashang News Service: Imphal, July 11, 2018: Women street vendors vending along the footpath of Khuman Lampak in Imphal west today staged a sit-in demanding to stop harassing them and to immediately commence construction of the market shed promised to construct by the government.

Ngangom Premabati, president of Ima Panthoibi Street Vendors Union, said all of sudden our vending sheds were destroyed without giving information on Monday.

As the market shed promised to be constructed for us has not been constructed we have to trade on the roadside for living, she added.

 “We come out on the street to feed our children and send them to school. We are harassed frequently. The government should stop harassing us,” said the vendor leader.

 They have scattered and damaged all our selling items inhumanely, she added.

We have submitted innumerable memoranda to the government during the Congress regime as well as when BJP led government comes.

We have met chief minister Biren Singh on the first day of Meeyamgi Numit. We were told to meet MAHUD minister Shyamkumar saying that fund has been sanctioned for construction of a market for us in Imphal, said Premabati.

Shyamkumar gave positive reply. But still no positive action has been taken up to construct our market shed. We will continue to vend, said Premabati. .