Women vendors from neighbouring Assam selling fresh vegetables in Dimapur. (Morung Photo)
Morung Express News
Dimapur | May 7
From dawn to dusk every day, the women vegetable vendors at Circular Road here work. When they are not in the market, they are busy with household chores. Hailing from different parts of Assam, every morning the women fetch diverse varieties of fresh vegetables and other food items and come to Dimapur to sell them.
Working more than 8 hours a day, whatever they earn is used for their household expenses, children’s education, and future securities. With the least prospect to earn back home, they obtain their items at subsidised rate in Assam and travel all the way to sell them here.
“I spend Rs 100 by auto and sometimes Rs 80 by bus plying back and forth from Assam to Dimapur to sell my vegetables,” says Kadom, a Karbi woman briskly totting up accounts.
Street vendors are an integral part of urban economies. However, for these women, everyday is a struggle. Working outside, their items are exposed to heavy rains, extreme heat or cold. They somehow manage to sell their vegetables earning a meagre profit.
Suntali Gurung, a mother of five, travels 10 miles from Assam everyday with her vegetables. The only bread earner in the family, Suntali was a maid earlier but was unable to sustain her family through her income. Thus, she started selling vegetables. However, her income is not enough to pay for her children’s education. “I take credit from moneylenders’ and pay bit by bit through my earnings,” shares Suntali.
Street occupation also adds vibrancy to urban life and also accounts for a proportional form of informal non-agricultural employment. These vendors generate revenue for the city through payment of certain kind of taxes. Yet, they face many challenges every day.
Surviving as a street vendor also requires certain amount of skills. Competition amongst them to gain access to customers is strong. They must be able to negotiate effectively with their customers. “Sometimes, it takes days to realise a profit. There is so much competition and then there are unforeseen expenses,” Suntali says, pointing at her vegetables.
“Instead of ideally sitting at home, I started this business a year ago to help my husband and also support our family. With the little investments, I somehow save it for our future securities,” shares Deepali Sangma whose husband is a church pastor and is somehow able to pay for their children’s education.
Although they live a hard life earning their daily bread, the women express contentment in their works.
(With inputs from Akhrienuo Kire who is currently an intern at The Morung Express)
