Hawkers express concern over their livelihood

FROM A REPORTER

SHILLONG, Dec 7: Irked by the non-stop eviction, aggrieved hawkers today had a face to face standoff with authorities concerned at Motphran and claimed to have every right to occupy the space.  “If we are not allowed to run our business in the particular spot, we have been doing business for years, it will better for the higher-ups to kill us all,” one of the hawkers said here on Wednesday. Around 41 hawkers mostly elderly Khasi women confronted the district administration including the magistrate and police officials in desperation for fear of losing their livelihood. “We are forced to sell our goods in the street for we have to survive and ear our livelihood and feeds our children,” another hawker stated, adding that she had earlier sent a letter to the Deputy Commissioner to justify that they are running their shops under the jurisdiction of the Hima Mylliem and they also pay their taxes to the Hima everyday and not to the municipality.  “We have been here for many years, some for more than 20 to 24 years, and now we are faced with this extreme hardship and have no other altertives,” she said.