G20 Preparation Pushes Street Vendors in India to Livelihood Crisis

Street Vendors in New Delhi Struggle as G20 Summit Approaches  

New Delhi, India – Street vendors in New Delhi, the capital of India, are facing hardships due to livelihood challenges as the upcoming G20 summit of major 20 countries is set to take place from the 9th to the 10th of next month.

After being displaced during the COVID-19 pandemic, street vendors in New Delhi are once again finding themselves displaced, this time in the preparations for the G20 summit. The fear of being moved from their locations is causing distress among vendors who are uncertain about their future.

According to The Times of India, these street vendors' predicament was highlighted on the 22nd of the month. Among them, 60-year-old Raji Kumari ventures out every morning at 9 AM, setting up her stall near the city's National Zoological Park pathway to sell popcorn and potato chips.

Raji Kumari, who became the breadwinner after her husband's passing years ago, lamented, "I've been vending near the zoo for 30 years, but now I've lost my cart due to the G20 summit. Many other vendors have also lost their carts." She added that she had been selling snacks without her cart for the past two months, experiencing a significant drop in monthly earnings to 8,000 to 10,000 rupees (approximately $129 to $161).

The anxiety of not knowing when they might be forced to relocate is shared by many other street vendors as well.

Om Prakashi (45), a vendor who sells tea in a large residential complex called Dilshad Garden in eastern New Delhi, expressed, "Street vendors faced severe hardships during the COVID-19 period, and now we are confronted with a new threat – the G20 summit." He questioned, "We don't harm anyone, so why aren't we allowed to operate? Why aren't the authorities protecting our rights?" Recently, vendors gathered in the city to demand strict implementation of laws protecting their rights.

These laws were established in 2010 following the Commonwealth Games held in New Delhi, where the Indian government, citing security concerns, evicted hundreds of vendors months before the event. Subsequently, in 2012, the government enacted policies to protect street vendors considering their vulnerable situation.

The legislation encompasses the protection of livelihood rights for street vendors across India, allocation of designated spaces for carts, and regulations for carts. Local authorities are required to form vending committees to verify vendors' identities, issue identity cards, and maintain records. Dharmandra Kumar, the chairperson of the Street Vendors Joint Action Committee, stated, "All vending carts in the city have been assigned spaces and cannot be moved until the verification process is completed." He further added, "However, despite verification not being completed in New Delhi, many vendors are being evicted from various places due to the G20 summit."

Representatives from street vendor rights groups have called for swift government action to ensure compliance with relevant laws. They are demanding that all vendors who were displaced during the COVID-19 pandemic and the G20 summit preparations be allowed to return to their rightful places.