Despite a decade-old protective law, municipal authorities in Devas and Indore continue to seize livelihoods with impunity. A ground report by the National Hawker Federation.
In the bustling lanes of Devas and Indore, where the aroma of street food mingles with the dust of commerce, a silent war is being waged. The combatants are not soldiers, but street vendors—the backbone of India’s informal economy. Their adversary? The very authorities meant to protect them.
A decade ago, in 2014, the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act was passed with great promise. It was a landmark legislation designed to protect vendors from harassment, recognize their right to livelihood, and bring order through inclusive planning. Yet, as a recent ground survey by the National Hawker Federation (NHF) reveals, for thousands of vendors in Madhya Pradesh, the law remains a hollow piece of paper. Their reality is one of daily fear, humiliation, and loss.
The On-Ground Reality: Confiscation, Not Protection
Over the past two days, NHF human rights activists Usha and Palak Chauhan led a survey, moving from Lal Gate to Jhela Devi and Vikas Nagar in Devas, and speaking to 125 vendors in Indore. The stories they collected were tragically uniform.
“We started our day at Lal Gate,” recounts activist Usha, “and within minutes, we heard the same plea: ‘They come, they throw our things like garbage, and take our goods away.'”
The “they” refers to the enforcement squads of the Municipal Corporation, often called the “Renewal Gang.” Vendors describe these officials arriving without warning, conducting themselves not as regulators but as raiders. Goods—vegetables, clothes, utensils, the entire inventory of a micro-enterprise—are seized and carted off to storage facilities in Rajipura, rarely to be seen again. No receipts are given, no due process followed.
“The law says they must regulate us, not eradicate us,” says Palak Chauhan. “But here, regulation means confiscation. Their stuff is taken to Rajipura, and it’s a black hole. They don’t get it back.”
The Human Cost: More Than Just Goods Lost
The harassment transcends economic loss. It is a profound assault on dignity and safety. Activists documented an incident from a recent Sunday, where in the chaos of a municipal drive, a woman vendor was reportedly hit by an official’s vehicle, and her child fell to the ground. Such narratives of physical risk and trauma are commonplace, painting a picture of an administration that views its most vulnerable citizens as obstacles to be removed, not people to be served.
“The Nagar Nigam people treat us like we are doing something illegal,” one vendor told the survey team, his voice a mix of anger and resignation. “We have been here for 20 years. This is our only skill. Where do we go?”
The Irony of the “Unauthorised” Survey
In a stark irony that underscores the systemic disconnect, the NHF’s data collection effort—a simple act of listening to citizens and documenting their grievances—was itself labeled an “unauthorised survey” by some local authorities. This reaction is telling. It reveals a resistance to accountability, to having the lived experiences of vendors formally recorded and presented. It suggests that the problem is not just one of poor implementation, but of active reluctance to acknowledge the law’s mandate.
The 2014 Act: A Promise Betrayed
The Street Vendors Act was built on progressive principles. It mandated the formation of Town Vending Committees (TVCs) with significant representation from vendor groups, the conduct of surveys to issue certificates of vending, and the creation of designated vending zones through a participatory process. Grievance redressal committees were to be established.
In Devas and Indore, as in many parts of India, these structures are either non-functional or exist only on file. Vendors are entirely outside the system—unregistered, uncertified, and therefore, in the eyes of the local constable or municipal officer, “illegal.” This legal limbo is the root of their vulnerability.
The Way Forward: From Harassment to Inclusion
The findings from Devas and Indore are not an isolated report. They are a microcosm of a national crisis. The National Hawker Federation’s demands are clear and urgent:
- An immediate end to violent evictions and arbitrary confiscation of goods.
- The return of all seized materials to vendors.
- The immediate and sincere implementation of the 2014 Act, starting with the formation of functional, representative TVCs.
- Disciplinary action against officials who use excessive force or violate procedural norms.
- A formal dialogue between vendor associations, the NHF, and municipal and state authorities.
The street vendor is not a problem to be solved, but a partner in the city’s ecosystem. They provide affordable goods, create employment, and animate public spaces. The challenge of urban planning is to integrate them, not eliminate them.
As the sun sets over Vikas Nagar, the vendors pack up, not knowing if their spot will be theirs tomorrow. The law of 2014 promised them that certainty. It is a promise that the state of Madhya Pradesh, and indeed India, must keep. The alternative is not just the loss of livelihoods, but the erosion of the rule of law and the very idea of a just, inclusive city.
The National Hawker Federation continues its documentation and advocacy efforts. Stand with the street vendors. Demand implementation of the law.
#StreetVendorsAct #RightToLivelihood #StopVendorHarassment #NationalHawkerFederation #UrbanRights #InformalEconomy
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