Street vendors’ association backs AAP demonstration // Kejriwal left with no option, says Yogendra Yadav
NB: The 'mainstream' media is in full disinformation mode, presenting the AAP agitation as totally unreasonable. Should not those who suffer the daily extortion of the Delhi police should be given a hearing? A colleague asked guava sellers on the NOIDA-Delhi border why their fruit was expensive - they said each vendor had to pay Rs 100/- to the police. With 15-20 vendors in that small zone, the daily take was 1500-2000. This is the situation all over the city. Doesn't this affect prices paid by consumers? Similar extortion is imposed on auto-drivers, buses, truck-drivers etc. Wasn't the bus in which 'Nirbhaya' was raped & murdered in December 2012 plying without a proper permit? As for the practices in the DDA offices regarding sale, transfer and free-hold certification, perhaps not a single transaction can happen without demands for 'speed money'. Is all this possible without the knowledge of senior officials? Is there not a widespread belief that SHO posts are auctioned according to how lucrative they are? If the MHA is presiding over all this, then is not the Union Government answerable for the state of affairs? Is there any sign at all that it will take steps to stop the system we all know as 'hafta'?
But the AAP is justified in agitating for police accountability. Suspension of officials suspected of wrong doing is appropriate - a person being investigated cannot continue to exercise authority in the duration of the inquiry. The propaganda campaign and shrill headlines in the 'mainstream' media will only promote the impression that they act on behalf of vested interests. Dilip
Hafta is normal, agitation against it is anarchy. An example of mainstream wisdom.
A well-entrenched system is known as 'normality'. Protest is ignored. 'Mainstream' parties which organise regular demonstrations and vigilante actions (including murder) in the name of religion and 'hurt sentiment' are now very worried about anarchy. It seems the 'mainstream' is run by controlled mobs and mafia. RTI activists are killed. (Maharashtra tops the list for such killings & Gujarat occupies one of the top slots) Gram Sabha meetings on land alienation are intimidated. For ordinary poor and middle class citizens, the status-quo is itself a condition of calibrated criminality. As long as they remain non-violent & respectful of human dignity, the AAP is entitled to launch democratic protest. (It has been alleged that some of their activists and senior leaders have misbehaved. They must take these accusations seriously and make amends)
Street vendors join protest by Ministers to press for control over Delhi Police
“While addressing supporters, Kejriwal did not forget to mention concerns of street vendors”
The National Association of Street Vendors of India (NASVI) on Monday extended its support to thedharna by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his Cabinet colleagues, who are seeking action against “erring policemen”. The association has accused Delhi Police personnel and municipal inspectors of extorting money from street vendors in the Capital. NASVI activists joined the Ministers’ protest to press for government control over the Delhi Police. “Street vendors carrying placards and wearing headgear reading ‘Delhi Chief Minister Surge Ahead, Save Street Vendors from Extortion by Police and Municipal agencies’ participated in the dharna . While addressing supporters, Mr. Kejriwal did not forget to mention the concerns of street vendors,” a NASVI office-bearer said.
“The NASVI has now intensified its nationwide campaign demanding passage of the Street Vendors’ Bill in the coming Parliament session; strict compliance of the Supreme Court order mandating no eviction of vendors till proper settlement; stoppage on rampant extortion by the police and the municipal inspectors and registration of all street vendors under the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana,” he said.
Responding to the call, street vendors in several cities held demonstrations on Monday, organised sit-ins and meetings. In the Capital, anti-extortion meetings took place at several markets, including Karol Bagh, Acharya Niketan in Mayur Vihar, Sarojini Nagar, Tilak Nagar, Shahdara, Patparganj, Mandawali, Okhla, Nizamuddin and Vasant Kunj. At a meeting in East Delhi, NASVI national coordinator Arbind Singh exhorted the street vendors to fight against alleged extortion by beat constables and municipal inspectors. Last week, street vendors held a demonstration at the Delhi Police headquarters and police offices in Vasant Kunj to stop their forced eviction and extortion.
NEW DELHI: Arvind Kejriwal had followed due process to bring crucial issues to the Centre's notice, but it had refused to act. This had left the CM with no option but to sit on dharna, AAP spokesman Yogendra Yadav said on Monday. "This is unusual. The CM is on a protest in his own city for fulfilment of certain basic demands. Delhi Police is useless, corrupt and not answerable to Delhiites. Women are the biggest victims of this apathy," he said. Speaking at the dharna, Kejriwal talked of the Sagarpur incident. A woman had approached minister Rakhi Birla for help against her in-laws, he said. Birla wrote to the police on January 11, but no action was taken. On January 13, the woman was burnt and she named three people. But only her father-in-law was arrested. People went back to Birla for help and when she spoke out, the opposition criticized her.
In the case of the Danish woman's gang rape, the Delhi government had asked the LG and the home minister to fix responsibility and suspend the local SHO. Again, no action was taken. In the third case, the Khirki Extension RWA had written repeatedly to police about a drug and sex racket. When no action was taken, residents approached law minister Somnath Bharti who took a PCR van to investigate the complaints. In the Khirki Extension case, AAP shared complaint letters from two groups to the police. On December 2, 2013, Shree Shiv Mandir Sansthan wrote to the commissioner to say foreigners living in the area were involved in drug trafficking and other illegal activities. They reported the matter to SHO Malviya Nagar and the DCP on November 26. Similarly, the Khirki Village RWA wrote to Bharti this January 14 to complain against sex trade in the colony.
AAP said they were compelled to protest after the Centre refused to take Kejriwal seriously. "We asked for the suspension of five policemen. The home minister refused. We said at least transfer them till the investigation is on... we were told that only a probe will be conducted. What is the point if even a CM is not heard by the Centre? Isn't Delhi Police answerable to Delhi's people?" said Yadav.
In the case of the Danish woman's gang rape, the Delhi government had asked the LG and the home minister to fix responsibility and suspend the local SHO. Again, no action was taken. In the third case, the Khirki Extension RWA had written repeatedly to police about a drug and sex racket. When no action was taken, residents approached law minister Somnath Bharti who took a PCR van to investigate the complaints. In the Khirki Extension case, AAP shared complaint letters from two groups to the police. On December 2, 2013, Shree Shiv Mandir Sansthan wrote to the commissioner to say foreigners living in the area were involved in drug trafficking and other illegal activities. They reported the matter to SHO Malviya Nagar and the DCP on November 26. Similarly, the Khirki Village RWA wrote to Bharti this January 14 to complain against sex trade in the colony.
AAP said they were compelled to protest after the Centre refused to take Kejriwal seriously. "We asked for the suspension of five policemen. The home minister refused. We said at least transfer them till the investigation is on... we were told that only a probe will be conducted. What is the point if even a CM is not heard by the Centre? Isn't Delhi Police answerable to Delhi's people?" said Yadav.
