Hundreds of street vendors and hawkers rallied at Jantar Mantar on Wednesday, protesting unlawful evictions and the destruction of their livelihoods. The National Hawkers Federation (NHF) accused authorities of violating the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014, which mandates town vending committees and reserves 2% of urban land for vendors.
“This is an attack on our constitutional rights,” said NHF General Secretary Shaktimaan Ghosh. “The 2014 Act ensures our right to earn, but it’s being ignored.” The NHF wrote to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, criticizing flawed vendor surveys, exclusion of mobile vendors, and abusive enforcement tactics.
The letter demands an end to vendor harassment, restoration of town vending committees, recognition of weekly markets, and a national monitoring committee to enforce the Act.
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Mohammad, a cobbler near Minto Road, shared his ordeal: “I paid a Rs 5,000 fine in 2025 for no reason, up from Rs 500 in 2021. They keep seizing my tools, though I ensure I’m not blocking anyone.”
Supreme Court advocate Kamlesh Kumar Mishra, representing NHF, said, “Vendors are vital to daily life, yet treated as illegal. Delhi hasn’t implemented vending plans in 11 years, resorting to bulldozer evictions instead.”
Yakub Mohammed, NHF Rajasthan secretary, added, “The law reserves 2.5% of urban land for vendors, but it’s given to corporations while we’re evicted as encroachers.”
The NHF plans to file a Supreme Court petition and hold a nationwide protest on November 24, dubbed Anti-Eviction Day. “If surveys aren’t fixed and evictions don’t stop, we’ll fight on the streets and in court,” Ghosh vowed.
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