National Hawker Federation, Street Vendors

If someone asked you who a Street Vendor is, you might think of the guy Mending Shoes under a Tree or the Local Corner Tea Stall or the Pani Puri stall where you go to quell your chat needs. They are such an everyday part of our city life, we might have even taken them for Granted. Except maybe when we blame them for the disheveled state of the city and stamp them as Illegal. But the fact is that the government has recognised the role of street vendors and even passed a central law for them in 2014.

FootPathi   : Running the Nation

Legally a person who offers Goods or Services for sale without having a permanent built up structure but with a temporary static structure or mobile stall (or headload) is a Street Vendor , but there is more then 4 crore + strong Street Vendors. First and foremost they are Self-Employed.Street Vending acts as a measure of Urban Poverty Alleviation as the Ministry Proclaims. But probably the most important is the role street vendors play in the Economy.They provide a large variety of Goods and Services to the urban setup, from Underwear to Mobile Recharge they Offer Lakhs of Products.Especially to the lower income households in India where 77% of the population has purchasing power of Rs. 20 only. Street Vendors are essential for the survival of a large majority as they provide all the basic necessities a person needs with affordable pricing. On the other side they support a large section of Farmers, Manufactures & Producers. 80% of Vegetables and Fruits are sold by Street Vendors. They sell products made by Small, Medium and Cottage Industries, playing an important role in sustaining Livelihoods of Crores of people. Street Vendor is not just a stall by the Road, they are a Quintessential part of the Indian Economy, Supporting Producers, a distribution network that extends right to our door step. Street vendor is not just a Lady Carrying a basket of Fish on her head, they are responsible for a part of more than 50% of the GDP of India, while at the same time supporting at least 20 crore people’s daily sustenance.

 

 

National Hawker Federation     National Hawker Federation    National Hawker Federation

The National Hawker Federation is an association of Street Vendors across 28 States in the country, with 1,188 Unions, including 11 Central Trade Unions& over 20 International Trade unions abroad.
We have been working on the rights on street vendors for the past 20 years throughout the country.

In a long historic struggle carried out across the country on the blood of Hawkers, Peddlers, Push Carters & Street Vendors in which over 50 Street Vendors had to sacrifice their lives. Through this struggle the NHF could compel governments irrespective of colours to adapt National Policy in 2004, revised National Policy 2009, Model Act for Street Vendors 2010 and after acontempt case in Hon’ble Supreme Court, this resulted in a Historical Judgment of Hon’ble Supreme Court on 9th September 2013. Finally the
Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014.
The seed of the NHF was sown in January 2000 when we convened a national meeting to bolster the demand for a national policy on urban street vending. The meeting took place at the sprawling campus of the Loreto School, Calcutta between 7 and 9 January, 2000. It wasattended by representatives from all walks of life including the hawkers associations from different states, human rights activists, intellectuals and academicians, media, elected representatives of the Parliament, Legislative Assembly of West Bengal, the Mayor of Kolkata, the Government and the Police Representatives. This grand event was followed by a meeting held in 2001 at the Banga Bhawan (New Delhi) organised by the government. In that meeting it was decided that a National Policy on Urban Street Vending would be formulated by involving concerned stake-holders. To add momentum to the process a National Task Force was instituted with five representatives from the NHF. In 2002, we were able to organise a South and South East Asia Conference in Kolkata on the issue of street vending. This conference was a landmark in the annals of our movement. We took three major strategic decisions at the conference. First, we instituted an International Federation of Hawkers and Urban Poor with a global outreach. Second, We declared the 26th May as the International Hawkers’ Day. Third, we came up with the “Calcutta Declaration” formally pledging our continuing struggle against eviction, extortion, and neoliberal policies.

 

   National Hawker Federation

Acts   & Policy

    Our National Leadership & Secretariat

    The conference elected Five Hundred Members National General Council within which Two Hundred One National Working Committee & Central Secretariat State Leadership of which veteran Supreme Court Advocate Mr. Colin Gonsalves as President &
    Mr. Saktiman Ghosh as General Secretary
    . The List of Central Secretariat & State Leadership is given below.

    We Stand for

    We are Associated with

    HRLN

    HRLN, Human Rights Law Network
    They are with us to fight all kind of Legal Battle for Street Vendors in evry front of Legal Front from High Court to Supreme Court, From State to Centre.
    Click to visit.

    APMDD

    We Jointly work with APMDD, Asian Peoples' Movement on Debt and Development for Environment
    Click to visit.

    A L F

    ALF, Alternative Law Forum, they are with us to reserah and jointly work on Policies made by Govt.
    Click to visit.

    NGO FORUM ON ADB

    We work together against ADB's so called Development Policies.
    Click to visit.

    Upcoming Events

    Be Updated with all the Upcoming Activity Scheduled by NHF Central Leadership

    Protest Week from 14th June to 20th June Against Farmer's Issue.

    8 Farmers died in Madhya Pradesh Police Firing.So the Central Leadership of NHF decided to protest against this.
    Download Banner

    You all must aware about the Ongoing Farmers Protest demanding

    1. Immedietely Excuse all the Debts. of Farmers they are Our Feeder,They should not be Hungry.

    2. Swaminathan Commission's Recommendations must be implemented throughout the country

    3. Minimum Support Prices 50% more than the weighted average cost of production.

    NHF organizing important Working Committee Meeting in Delhi.

    National Hawker Federation is going to organise very important Working Committee Meeting in Delhi.All Listed Members must have to Participate.
    Download Circular

    Agenda

    1. National Campaign on “No Eviction & Effective Implementation of Street Vendors Act".
    2. Youth & Women Conference in Hyderabad in month of November
    3. Draft policy for Railway Hawkers
    4. State wise status of Hawkers Act, Rules & Regulations and Schemes.
    All members have to arrive Delhi on 8th July early morning and leave on 9th Evening after 6pm.

    Protest March for Anwar Mandal who Died in Brutal Eviction Drive.

    On June 5th, 2017, A brutal Eviction Drive resulted a Street vendor Anwar Mandal to be grievously injured and met with major accident & DIED on the spot.
    Download Banner          Update Report

    It is Decided to do a Protest march on 9th June for the sake of Justice and immediate action against the authority who drove this illegal activity, at all Urban Local Body & State level body with a pledge to get justice, compensation to the victim, Anwar Mandal and implementation of the central act in Assam and across India.

    We are glad that all the national leaders & our Street vendors of across India have shown their condolences with the late street vendor Anwar Mandal and unity against this brutal act and we all from all over india demanded compensation for the victim and punishment for the authorities. We are getting reports from every state but till now whatever we get we are presenting you all a brief report.

      All India Delegation  

    Saktiman Ghosh adapting 18 years long historic struggle
    carried out across the country with crimson colours of Hawkers & Street Vendors

    Contact Us

    H.O., 16/17 College Street, Bow Bazar,
    Kolkata - 700012
    Delhi.Office,
    4/160, Gali No. 5, Lalita Park, Laxmi Nagar,
    New Delhi-110091

    Mon - Fri : 10:30am → 8pm
    Sat - Sun : 10:30am → 9pm


    Unscientific Growth


    The NHF is an association of street vendors across 28 States, with1,188 Unions, including 11 Central Trade Unions & over 20 International Trade unions abroad.