Staff Reporter
SHILLONG:
The members of Meghalaya & Greater Shillong Progressive Hawkers and Street Vendor’s Association, celebrated their sixth founding day by hosting a two-day programme on June 22 and June 23 at Anton Hall, Laitumkhrah.
In a statement issued in Shillong, secretary of the association Shane Thabah said that more than a thousand street vendors and hawkers and their family members came together for a day-long programme that included a cultural competition called Hawkers Have Talent.
On the first day, organisational training was conducted in Social Analysis and Organisation building for the office bearers of the association. Training was facilitated by Public Health Activist and founder of The Action North Trust, Dr Sunil Kaul.
The programme on Wednesday was chaired by Biolin Pyrtuh, newly elected president of the association. The meeting was addressed by DBS Mukhim, Assistant Food Commissioner and Wanpynhun Kharsyntiew of Meghalaya Domestic Workers Movement.
Kharsyntiew talked about the power of working classes in Meghalaya and exhorted the hawkers and street vendors to strengthen their solidarity with other citizens and working people to defend their rights and as well as to be a part of movements for democratic renewals.
The organisation also expressed their gratitude to their lawyer, Kaustabh Pal, who has helped the association mount its legal challenge to the State’s hawking law which now would be repealed and the Central Law on Hawking would finally be implemented in Meghalaya.