Street vendors from north Kashmir’s Sopore staged a protest against the authorities, saying that they have been unjustly denied the opportunity to earn a livelihood while calling for the estab-lishment of a designated operating space to alleviate their struggles.
A group of aggrieved vendors converged at the Press Enclave in Srinagar, wielding placards and chanting slogans in support of their demands. Their frustration was palpable as they voiced their grievances, citing what they perceived as a lack of concern from the authorities, which has left them grappling with severe challenges.
Meraj-ud-Din Dar, a street vendor, spoke pas-sionately about the dire circumstances they cur-rently find themselves in. “We are 500 in number, all of us suffering, along with our families. My father has been conducting business in the same spot for the past 50 years, and I have followed in his footsteps for the last two decades,” he added.
He emphasized the hardships they are enduring, stating, “We are unable to even pay our children’s school fees. —KMS