Date: 24 December 2025
The National Hawkers Federation (NHF) expresses its strongest condemnation and outrage over the brazen assault, harassment, and issuance of religious edicts against poor and vulnerable street vendors in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, by self-proclaimed vigilante groups.According to verified reports, several hawkers selling Santa Claus caps and other festive items ahead of Christmas were unlawfully threatened, aggressively interrogated about their religious identity, and ordered to stop their trade. These actions were carried out in the name of enforcing a so-called “Hindu Rashtra,” a concept alien to the secular democratic framework of India.
An Attack on Livelihood and the Constitution
This incident is not merely an act of local hooliganism; it is a direct and calculated assault on the fundamental rights guaranteed by the Indian Constitution. It violates:·
The Right to Livelihood: These vendors, already struggling at the margins of the economy, were simply earning their daily bread. Targeting their trade based on the festive items they sell is a cruel denial of their basic means of survival.· The Right to Equality and Freedom of Religion: Harassing citizens and demanding they declare their faith to conduct business is a gross violation of the principles of equality and secularism that bind our nation.·
The Secular Fabric of India: Such acts deliberately poison the communal harmony of our society and attempt to push the country into a regressive, medieval mindset where economic activity is dictated by religious dogma.Targeting the Weakest, A Cowardly ActThe NHF notes with anger that these fringe elements exhibit a classic bully mentality. They dare not confront large establishments, malls, or corporate entities selling similar festive goods. Instead, they cowardly target the most vulnerable sections of society—the street vendor, the working poor—who lack the resources to fight back individually. This exposes the anti-poor and anti-national character of such vigilantism.
A Disturbing Pattern in BJP-Ruled Odisha
This incident in Bhubaneswar is not isolated. It is part of a deeply disturbing pattern observed in several BJP-ruled states, where the livelihoods of minorities and the poor are weaponized to enforce a toxic communal divide. The NHF views this as a sinister attempt to sabotage the nation’s secular character and economic freedom of its most marginalized citizens.
Our Demands
The National Hawkers Federation demands:
1. Immediate and strict action from the Odisha state government and central authorities to identify and arrest all perpetrators involved in this harassment.
2. A firm public assurance and concrete steps to guarantee the safety and security of all street vendors, ensuring they can conduct their trade without fear or intimidation, regardless of the festival or season.
3. A high-level inquiry into the incident and the groups behind it, to prevent such unconstitutional acts from recurring.
Solidarity and Call to Action
The NHF stands in unwavering solidarity with the affected vendors in Bhubaneswar. We welcome and acknowledge the support shown by the Trinamool Congress and other democratic forces in this hour of crisis.We call upon all democratic-minded citizens, political parties, trade unions, and civil society organizations to unite in defending the rights of the working poor and in safeguarding India’s secular, constitutional ethos.
Our local units in Odisha are actively mobilizing and will extend all possible legal, organizational, and on-ground support to the victimized vendors to ensure justice is served.In defense of livelihood, secularism, and the Constitution!
Shri Shaktiman Ghosh
General Secretary
National Hawkers Federation
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