Blind hawkers face tough times

The ban on hawkers near railway stations has hit at least 1,000 families whose their bread winner is visually impaired.

There are at least 1,000 blind hawkers who sell either stationery or daily needs to commuters. There are some blind hawkers who sit at railway bridges and sell folders, card holders and other items including nail cutters, chains with locks and also key-chains.

After the stampede at Elphinstone Road station and Bombay High Court orders on the issue of hawkers, hawkers have been banned from selling goods within a distance of 150 metres from railway stations.

The National Association for the Blind (India), which is working in the field of rehabilitation of the blind since 1952, has demanded permanent small shops or designated places for blind hawkers on platforms at all railway stations in Mumbai.

Honorary secretary general of the NAB Satyakumar Singh has said that the government should these hawkers unemployment allowance. He also said that the related right-based Act of 2016 has clearly stated that the government should pay unemployment allowance to blind persons in such cases. "Blind hawkers should be provided suitable small shops at every platform and railway station so that they can sell their goods," he said.

Pallavi Kadam, executive director of the NAB, that many of these blind hawkers are educated and a few are even post graduates. 

However, since they are used to this business, they are finding it difficult to meet their daily needs.

Keshav Sawai, a blind hawker, said, "I stay at Malwani and sell goods at Borivli station. I was a worker at Indu Mill and since 2006 I am hawking. My daughter is married and son is bedridden, and I am the only bread winner in the family."

Another hawker, Ramesh Savant, said that there is an issue of security of blind hawkers and that is the reason the government should provide them designated places for selling goods at stations.