Imlisanen Jamir
The streets have become one of the most important urban spaces that define the ethos of a community, a melting pot for the bustle of urban existence, like the one in ramshackle Dimapur. A large component of that spirit consists of street vendors engaged in an informal service sector that caters to a lot of us in a largely underappreciated manner.
Last week, the Dimapur Municipal Council (DMC) issued a terse order declaring the Clock Tower Area—a hotspot locale for street vendors—as an ‘open vendor free zone.’ The order directed that all ‘foot-path vendors’ immediately stop selling goods at the foot-path around the Clock Tower Area. ‘Action would be initiated against anyone found violating the order,’ it cautioned.
And that was about it. Three sentences putting an end to a flurry of trade in an area that has allowed several women and youth to engage in some form of gainful employment.
The quandary here has several components. Along with the question of whether the order in itself is justified, there needs to be clarity on the reason behind the order; the extent to which it affects those engaged in street vending, and whether the council proposes alternative arrangements to a service sector that employs a significant number of people.
Citations of public nuisance, littering, traffic hazards and food health and safety concerns are some of the legitimate and sane concerns in arguments for such an order. There are also some that border on the edge of indifference.
Officially however, there has been no recent disclosure of neither the reasons for the order nor of any rehabilitation option for those vendors affected by the order. What this will eventually lead to is vendors shifting their base to another site, compelling people in the subsequent area to cite the same reasons for their removal. And on and on it goes, until apathy to the issue results in nothing being accomplished.
Also, concerning the particular area in question, unceremoniously shooing off street vendors from foot paths with entrances to ostentatious multinational food chains does stink a bit. But hey, that could just be a coincidence. Or at least one would hope so.
In Dimapur this community of traders sell everything from fresh vegetables to prepared foods in the ‘Clock Tower Area.’ Street vending puts people to work, creates opportunities for self-sufficiency, and has the potential to enrich the communities in which vendors operate. If properly organised and guided, vendors can also contribute to the town’s coffers through streamlined and regulated taxes and can activate underused spaces, bringing new life to communities and making them safer, more enjoyable places to live.
Yes, a lot of the concerns are genuine, but these require serious municipal policy and planning. It requires addressing those concerns by adopting clear rules for responsible vending and robustly enforcing against bad operators.
Simply evicting the hawkers without any constructive rehabilitation schemes will not only be short sighted but a shameful treatment of an important trading community in the town.
Comments can be sent to imlisanenjamir@gmail.com
