The hawker menace...Part 1

The Supreme Court of India has decided to keep some hawking zones in Mumbai (and other places). It seems to have appointed a 3-member committee to decide which areas should be hawking zones and which should not be. Great!!!

I do not know what the exact legal meaning of hawking is nor do I know the legal definition for a "hawking zone". If it is the same as what we see happening practically, it seems that some great minds think that a "pavement" is meant to be used for hawking. In other places in Mumbai, there is no pavement. This means that hawking is to be done on the streets. Another brilliant decision. Let's change the definition of a street, road and pavement. Instead of using them for travel and for walking, we should change the defintion to include hawking as well.

The Supreme Court was of the opinion (some years ago, at least) that hawking should be allowed for "daily needs". Again, I do not think "daily needs" has a very precise meaning. If you take a look at the goods that the hawkers are selling they include electronic items (from China) to dresses and anything in between. I do not think "electronic items" like an FM Radio qualifies as a "daily need", unless the decision makers think that listening to cricket commentary and Hindi film songs is an activity as important as breathing and eating that people will die without it. Get a life...

As in the case of the slums, I am dead against hawkers and hawking (on the streets and pavements). Although I openly patronize some of these hawkers, I do so only because of them selling good stuff. However, I maintain that they are not a good thing to have. This might seem like a contradiction - but the contradiction stays. I firmly believe the law must enforce the necessary restrictions on the sellers and that the buyers do not have a role to play. Some people may argue that the buyers encourage the hawkers by buying from them. While that may be correct, I do not believe much can be done against that. Consider this: Let's say a prominent shop sells pirated CDs. This shop is well established and is not a "hawker-like" store. Is it the buyer's responsibility to check the authenticity of the CDs or is it someone else's? Get the point. No. Okay one more try: Let's say the general public is not allowed to enter a certain area. Will putting a notice in a corner help or will it be better by enforcing this by building a fence around the area? No, still don't get it? What the hell. This is my opinion. Feel free to have your own. :)

Here's what the hawker menace is all about:

• The hawker's shop spills out onto the street from the pavement...there is simply no place to walk on the pavement. As a result, people have to walk on the streets causing problems to the smooth flow of traffic and risking getting hit by a vehicle.
  
• In most cities and towns in India, the corners at road intersections need to be clear so that there is no obstruction to the view while driving. In Mumbai, there is no such restriction followed. Hawkers prefer to build shops at corners. This obstructs views on the corners (traffic coming out can't see around). This can be a major hazard and many accidents have taken place because of this.
  
• Garbage generated from the hawkers selling eating items is dumped on the road. Plates and dishes are washed on the street itself. This is a nuisance in itself, but could also spread diseases.
  
• Cooking (gas) on the streets is a relatively new phenomenon - and a big hazard. There is not one fire extinguisher available with the hawkers. If there is a fire or a blast, ordinary innocent people walking in the area will be put to great risk.
  
• Chinese stalls are the worst offenders as they mess the whole place up. Within a few days of coming up, the area around the Chinese stall will be completely black with soot and oil (and other sauces).
  
• Allowing hawking is not fair for genuine shop owners that have bought a proper shop and are paying huge taxes for everything they sell. Most hawkers put their stalls in a way that obstructs the view of the shops. The buyer obviously will buy from the hawker rather than the buyer - not only because of easy accessibility, but also because the hawkers are able to sell at cheaper rates (no taxes for them!). Okay, this may not apply to expensive items like TVs or videos.

To be continued.