Eviction will mean end of our livelihood, say hawkers

Mariyakka Bai speaks calmly, without any indication that she is a woman who has faced much more than she could bear in life. Only when you pry further will she open up.

“Both my children are suffering from thalassemia. They need regular blood transfusion. I need at least Rs 6,000 for their monthly medical needs. Though I am a street vendor, I have taken care of them. But officials should let us continue our trade. Because that’s the only thing left for me now,” said the street vendor who sells vegetables near Mysore Bank Circle.

She shared her troubles on the sidelines of the International Hawkers Day programme. “My elder son is 13 years old, the younger son is 10. Rashtrottana Parishat’s blood bank has helped us with free blood transfusion. I get some of the medicines free in government hospitals. But each iron tablet costs Rs 40. All my earnings are spent on the children’s medication,” a teary-eyed Mariyakka said.

“My husband abandoned us one-and-half-years ago when he came to know about the children’s health issue. I am living in a rented house near my mother’s house in Dasarahalli. My parents have lived their life selling things on the roadside for the past 30 years. With no other option, I have continued the vocation to sustain myself and my children,” she said.

Fifty-six-year-old Gowramma said she sells bananas near Vijayanagar. “I can do this for next two or three years. I am worried about what I will do later when I become too old for this. I need some security too,” she said.