Bengaluru: Actor Prakash Raj, filmmaker Kavitha Lankesh and writer-activist Vijayamma are among more than 500 citizens who have urged govt to immediately halt the ongoing eviction of street vendors in the name of creating “safe footpaths” and walkable cities.In an open letter addressed to chief minister DK Shivakumar and Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) chief commissioner Maheshwar Rao, the signatories demanded that vendors already evicted be allowed to return to their places of business.The letter, dated July 8, said the ongoing drive was selectively targeting street vendors while cars continued to occupy footpaths. It argued that the govt should address illegal parking and poor pedestrian infrastructure rather than pit pedestrians against vendors.Other signatories include physicist Prajval Shastry, architect Prem Chandavarkar, writer Rahamath Tarikere, theatre artist Lakshman KP, AS Prabhakar of the Federation of Untouchable Nomadic Communities, writer Rupa Hassan, UN special rapporteur Ashwini KP, KV Bhat of the Joint Confederation of Trade Unions and senior advocate B T Venkatesh.They also sought a comprehensive survey of street vendors, implementation of the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014, constitution of town vending committees (TVCs), and consultation with vendor representatives on matters affecting them.The signatories alleged that the evictions violated provisions of the Street Vendors Act, including requirements for completing surveys and issuing vending certificates, recommendations by TVCs before declaring no-vending zones, 30-day written notices and due procedure before seizure of carts.Questioning the discrepancy between the estimated 1.5 lakh street vendors in Bengaluru and claims that the city has only 27,000 vendors, the letter said around 80,000 vendors had received loans under the PM-SVANidhi scheme. It said the discrepancy raised questions about the survey process and could leave many vendors outside legal protection.The letter also highlighted the dependence of 1.4-2 million Bengalureans on street vendors for affordable daily necessities. It argued that street vending can contribute to safer public spaces, particularly for women, and cited the Justice Verma Committee’s recommendation that vending be encouraged around bus stops and footpaths to improve safety.The letter was initiated by public health and labour researcher Anusha B, student Adithi, Design Beku’s Dr Padmini Ray Murray, women’s rights activist Madhu Bhushan, CIVIC Bangalore’s Kathyayini Chamaraj, AISA’s Sharanya Eshwar and public policy professional Rakshith.
