Hawkers missing from Lajpat since I-Day, shoppers say might move to K-Nags, Sarojini Nagar

Like every year, hawkers and street vendors at popular markets such as Lajpat Nagar, Janpath and Sarojini Nagar, were asked to remove their stalls one week prior to Independence Day. Keeping security measures in mind, hawkers at all three markets had to remove their stalls. While hawkers at Sarojini Nagar and Janpath have already come back to their spots, the situation looks bleak for the more than 500 hawkers at Lajpat Nagar.
On August 8, when the police asked hawkers and vendors to remove their stalls, they agreed, but when they came back on August 16, they were told that they can no longer put up their stalls at Lajpat’s Central Market. Shopkeepers say that the entire area of Lajpat Nagar-II and Pushpa Market are non-squatting zones. However, hawkers and street vendors question this sudden eviction.
Will go elsewhere to shop now: shoppers
When we visited the market recently, that familiar hustle bustle that Lajpat is known for was missing, it was deserted and looked nothing like the market we know. "When we entered the market, it was empty. We thought that we’ve either come too early or that something is wrong. But we had come at 1pm, and were shocked to find that the street vendors have been removed. We’re college students and we don’t buy things from stores. From the time we’ve come here, we’ve just been roaming around and haven’t bought anything. We might go to Sarojini Nagar now," said Megha Sharma, a student of Vivekananda Institute of Professional Studies (VIPS). Meghna Gupta from Ramjas College said, "I read the news and didn’t believe it. But recently, my friend went to shop at Lajpat Nagar and she told me that there are no hawkers and street vendors around. With girls, especially college students, the market is very popular. If the hawkers are removed permanently, I don’t think I will visit the market again. I might shop at Kamla Nagar or Janpath now."
Devika Gupta from Miranda House said that she often visits the market with her friends. "In a month, we ensure that we visit the market at least twice. We have our favourite stalls which get us the latest loot. But ab pata nahi kahan se lenge," she told us.
Amandeep Kaur, a resident of Faridabad who was at the market, said, "I usually buy a lot of stuff for my kitchen here. These hawkers sell kitchen items at decent prices, so I like buying things here. But aaj koi mil hi nahi raha hai."
No-squatting zone ke baare mein pehle kyun nahi bata gaya?: Street Vendors
Kiran, the head of the Footpath Traders Association, Lajpat Nagar, associated with the National Association of Street Vendors of India (NASVI), Delhi, tells us, "We’ve been here for a long time. We’ve had our patris here for the last 25 years, so how come this matter has come up so suddenly? Inhone thode din pehle hi yeh board lagaya hai ki yeh non-squatting zone hai. Agar aisa kuch hai toh humein pehle kyun nahi bataya gaya? Sabko apna fayda chahiye, isiliye pehle ek bhi patri nahi lag rahi thi August 16 ke baad. Par ab ek-do din se kuch shops ke aage patri lagne lagi hain kyunki woh patri waale paise de rahe hain shopkeepers ko."
Jitender Bahadur Singh, who has been selling garments at Central Market for the last 20 years, contends, "We cannot be evicted until the review by The Town Hall Committee is completed. According to the law, if a vendor is occupying a non-hawking zone, then the committee will allot the hawker an alternative site. But tab tak aap kisi ko aise hata nahi sakte. Humari dal-roti issi se chalti thi, ab humare paas kuch nahi hai. Humein kam se kam `60,000 ka loss hua hai."
According to the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014, the Town Vending Committee will conduct a survey of all existing street vendors within the area under its jurisdiction, and a subsequent survey shall be carried out once every five years. The act further states, "No street vendor shall be relocated or evicted by local authorities from the place specified in the certificate of vending, unless he has been given thirty days notice for the same in such manner as may be specified in the scheme.'
Silu Singh, a street vendor, says,"Dukaan waalon ko humse bahut problem hai – un logon ne hi hatvaya hai. People buy more things from us because we sell the same things at cheaper prices, and this affects their business. Our regular customers are coming to us and asking, ‘Bhaiyya, dukaan kyun nahi laga rahe hain?’ We have no answers. Aap logon se poochho toh woh humara sath hi denge."
Though vendors don’t have an option now, hawkers still try to sell some things when the police isn’t around. "Hum toh bas yahin road pe khade hoke samaan bech rahe hain. Jaise hi police aati hai, bhaag jate hain. Aur kya karein?" says Amresh Kumar, a hawker at the market.
Some street vendors are also selling their goods like hawkers at comparatively cheaper prices. "Abhi aisa time hai ki jo bhi kama sakte hain, kama rahe hain. We are selling things by standing on the roads. Jaise hi pata chalta hai ki koi checking ho raha hai, tab samaan hata dete hain ya bhaag jate hain," says Ram Narayan Yadav.
Customers complain to us about the hawkers: Shopkeepers
A massive bomb blast had taken place in Pushpa Market on May 21, 1996, in which 13 people had died and a high level enquiry was ordered by the then Lt Governor. In the enquiry report, it was recommended that no squatters be permitted in the area. On December 1, 2000, while passing orders, the Supreme Court had considered the response of the Lt Governor’s office and had accordingly declared that no squatting will be allowed in Pushpa Market.
The judgment was passed by the Supreme Court on the recommendation of the Lt Governor in 2000, keeping in mind the 1996 bomb blast. So shopkeepers claim that as per orders, no squatting should be allowed in the area. Yoginder Dawar, president, Central Market Shopkeeper’s Association, tells us, "These hawkers and street vendors have illegally occupied the area. Yeh non-squatting zone hai, yahaan hawkers and street vendors hone hi nahi chahiye. 1996 blast ke baad yahan kisi ko allow nahi kiya gaya hai, par yeh log do-chaar saal se fir baithne lage hain."
He adds, "The market gets congested because of these people. Our customers complain that there is no space to walk. Yeh log badtameezi bhi karte hain logon ke sath. Humare customers humein yeh sab bolke jaate hain."
A shopkeeper in the area says, "Humein toh dikkat hoti hai. Yeh log aake baith jate hain, aur na koi dukaan mein aa pata hain, na hi koi road pe chal paata hai. It’s also our responsibility to ensure that no hawkers are illegally occupying the market, so we’re doing our part in this."
What the police says
Cops at Lajpat Nagar police station tell us that the eviction drive has been conducted in the market area as part of the encroachment removal action. This eviction drive is for illegal vendors. However, Lajpat Nagar cops say that these drives are not conducted on a regular basis, but only when they receive orders from their superiors.
When we tried contacting the Deputy Commissioner of Police (South-East District), he didn’t respond to our calls or messages.
Inputs by Niharika.Lal@timesgroup.com