Video input: Sahl Qureshi
Video Editor: Deepthi Ramdas
On 15 November, Ahmedabad in Gujarat became the fourth city to ban the sale of non-vegetarian food stalls from its main roads.
In one order, Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) said it would remove any food stalls selling non-vegetarian foods from the city, close to the city’s roads, schools and religious places. The decision was taken citing the ‘traditions’, ‘identity’ and illegal encroachment of Gujarat.
‘We are afraid of officials’
Facing a sudden verdict, the hawkers in Ahmedabad were released into a laur. The President of the Gujarat Street Association, Rakesh Mehria, who is a painful Rakesh Mehria, questions the authorities on the damage done by Street Hawkers.
“They (hawkers) sell eggs and non-vegetarian food, as the authorities return the vehicles seized after 45 days.
Troubled by AMC behavior, a street hawker, Prem Kumar said that at least Rs 30,000 is spent to buy a car and to seize and break the authorities. “After seizing, if we do not claim the car within six months, they sell the car,” Kumar says.
Fourth city to ban food stalls
The decision to ban roadside stalls in Ahmedabad came a few days later after the corporations of municipal corporations in Rajkot, Bhawanagar and Vadodara cities of Gujarat. Civil bodies in Vadodara also ordered shopkeepers and hawkers to cover non-vegetarian food, stating that it could harm ‘religious sentiments of Hindus’.
Most of the migrant hawkers in Ahmedabad are out of employment.
The sudden decision to ban roadside stalls falls on the heels of the gradual covid lockdown, which had already excluded the income of the unorganized sector from the gear.
Kumar says that after the difficult times during the lockdown, our business had just raised.
“If we don’t earn, who else will be? My father is 90 years old, and my mother is 85 years old. How will I manage food for him, education for our children? We already had a difficult time during lockdown.”
Prem Kumar, Street Hawker
Amid concerns, Arun Kumar, another road raises questions on the ‘arbitrary decision’ of the hawker authorities.
“How will we manage food for our family? We do not have our own house. Even if our business is closed, we are paying rent. One of my vehicles has already been seized. They are just asking them to release them for so many documents. We all still have our licenses, they are not listening to us, ”Arun Kumar, ask another street hawker.
What does the government claim
Unlike BJP-run civilian bodies, BJP state president CR Patil allegedly stated that officials in Vadodara and Rajkot were asked by ‘not removing non-vegetarian food vehicles’.
“The decision to remove these food vehicles was the personal opinion of leaders (in municipal corporations). The BJP of the state has nothing to do with this. We will not implement it across the state.
On 15 November, the Chief Minister of Gujarat, Bhupendrabhai Patel said that the prohibition was ‘there was no question of vegetarian and non-vegetarian food’.
“We have no problem who eats vegetarian or non-vegetarian food, but the food sold on these vehicles should not be harmful to health and if they obstruct traffic, the municipal corporation can remove them.”
Bhupendra Patel, Gujarat CM
Published:
