By Arbind Singh

It is an alarming fact that today, the urban poor are taking their own lives in despair at their economic situation. The Government of India has created the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission to make our cities "economically productive, efficient, equitable and responsive", but from the point of view of the poor - of the street vendor - the cities are creating economic deprivation and becoming more inequitable.

The Government of India had adopted the National policy for Street vendors in 2004, which was then endorsed by the UPA Government in 2005. The National Policy on Street Vendors is the means by which the livelihood of the ten million street vendors is to be protected and enhanced. Unfortunately, there has been no implementation of the National Policy for Street Vendors. Instead, the urban poor are facing circumstances more desperate than ever before. So difficult is their plight that they have begun taking their own lives. Gopal Krishna Kashyap, the leader of a group selling parathas in Patiala, died in January 2006 in flames, with over 200 people and a TV camera watching him. He had been displaced to "beautify" the city during the Indo-Pak games in 2004. He and his group had been promised, but never given, alternative sites.

Abdul Rafeeq Khan burnt himself to death in the premises of the Lucknow Municipality in May 2005, after many street vendors were displaced to accommodate a contractor. Pappu Rathore burnt himself to death on the Gwalior streets in January 2006, a year after he had been removed and could find no alternative employment.

The situation is getting worse, with several courts ordering "clearing" of all streets. For this reason, NASVI called for May 11th 2006 to be marked as National Vendors' Martyr Day and called on the Central Government to give teeth to the National Policy by enacting suitable legislation, in consultation with genuine organisations and representatives of street vendors. In response to our demands, the Central Govt organised a national seminar on 12th July. The seminar discussed methods to give more teeth to the National Policy and also the question of legislation.

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