Vendors at Shankhumukham cry foul over month-long shutdown

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Ive been running this ice cream cart at Shankhumukham beach for the past 18 years. I started street vending to raise my child - this is my only source of income. Yet, both the Centre and the state neglect us. Every time theres a programme, we are chased away. Dont we have the right to earn and live with dignity? asks Geetha (name changed), a street vendor. According to local trade unions, nearly 150 vendors operate along Shankhumukham beach, supporting around 500 families. But with the Navy Day celebrations scheduled for December 4, the city corporation has directed all vendors to suspend operations from Friday, leaving many uncertain about their future. I had a surgery recently, and my husband is bedridden. If I dont open my toy cart, well have no means to survive. A month-long shutdown means starvation for families like ours, said Suja (name changed), who sells toys at the beach. Many vendors allege discrimination, claiming that while their carts are being cleared, nearby restaurants are allowed to function uninterrupted. They are only targeting us because we are poor. The beach has been in ruins for years. Now suddenly theres money and interest to beautify the place, said another vendor. M Krishnamurthy, representative of the Vazhiyora Kachavada Thozhilali Union (CITU), said traders at Shankhumukham have been living under constant threat of eviction. Authorities say we dont pay taxes, but thats not true. We pay tax on every raw material we buy - from gas cylinders to daily supplies. The government gives relief to fishermen when the sea is rough, but no such support is extended to vendors, he said. For us, November to January is the peak season. Losing business during this period will push many into poverty, he added. The Town Vending Committee has identified 101 vendors for rehabilitation. Around 15 beneficiaries have been allotted shops in the new food street with 18 shops. The project to give uniform carts for all vendors have also been scrapped and now the authorities are planning to revamp the existing carts owned by the vendors in a uniform manner. On Wednesday the food street was inaugurated by ministers and the mayor amid much fanfare. However, vendors alleged that the event was an election gimmick, as the shops are yet to receive water connections, lease agreements, or keys. On the day of inauguration many street vendors were asked not to open their shops, traders alleged. The construction of the food street was completed six months ago. We were told we could shift only after signing an agreement - but we still dont know the deposit amount or rent. With elections approaching, we fear this will be delayed indefinitely, said one of the vendors who was allotted a shop. The National Urban Livelihood Mission (NULM) under the City Corporation is also planning a vending market at Shankumugham at an estimated cost of Rs 65 lakh. Officials said the project was conceived earlier this year and will be rolled out immediately. An NULM official said the delay in opening of the new food street was due to ongoing disputes with the vendors. Many vendors refused to vacate the entrance area, which is a designated no-vending zone. The access to the food street was also blocked. Additionally, finalising the beneficiary list took time. We have shortlisted 101 vendors through a detailed vetting process, but several are still unwilling to relocate, the official said.