Sri Vijaya Puram, Sept. 01: Preparations for the proposed visit of a Parliamentary Committee have once again brought into focus the inconvenience faced by roadside vendors in the Gandhi Park area, with stalls being removed from locations they ordinarily use for their daily business.
According to local vendors, the removal of roadside stalls has become a recurring practice whenever VIP movement is scheduled around Gandhi Park. Vendors said they are routinely asked to temporarily vacate the roadside areas below and around the park to ensure that the surroundings remain clear during such visits.
Following the latest action ahead of the Parliamentary Committee’s proposed arrival, several vendors removed their stalls from the Gandhi Park area and shifted to a small open space located opposite the park. Vendors said this space has generally been used as a temporary alternative whenever they are asked to vacate the roadside during VIP movements.
However, this time, the vendors were reportedly instructed to remove their stalls from the alternative space as well. During the action, one or two stalls were reportedly lifted and placed on a truck, while other vendors were asked to immediately relocate their establishments.
The vendors were reportedly given around 30 minutes to clear the area and move their stalls elsewhere.
The incident has raised questions about the manner in which public spaces are managed during VIP movements and whether the visual presentation of an area for visiting dignitaries is coming at the cost of convenience for ordinary island residents who depend on small-scale vending for their livelihoods.
For the vendors, these are not merely temporary structures but sources of daily income. Repeated displacement, even for short periods, can mean loss of business during the hours when they would otherwise be serving customers.
While maintaining cleanliness, order and an appropriate environment for official visits is a legitimate administrative requirement, the recurring removal of small vendors also highlights a larger question: how can such arrangements be made without disproportionately affecting people whose livelihoods depend on these public spaces?
The vendors said they are accustomed to temporarily moving their stalls when VIP movements take place, but the latest instruction to vacate even the space opposite Gandhi Park has left them with fewer immediate alternatives.
At present, the vendors are in the process of dismantling and relocating their stalls to other locations.
The episode has once again brought attention to the everyday inconvenience that can accompany VIP movements in the islands. For local residents and small vendors, the concern is not necessarily about accommodating official visits, but about whether the burden of maintaining a particular aesthetic or appearance for such occasions is repeatedly being transferred to ordinary islanders.
As VIP visits and official movements continue to require temporary changes in the use of public spaces, the experience of these vendors raises a pertinent question: Can the administration maintain the required standards for official visits while also ensuring that local livelihoods and everyday public access are not unnecessarily disrupted?
