Popularity of North Kashmir’s street vendor in South Kashmir

Sameer Ahmad

Anantnag,10 October: Covid-19 pandemic is of course an extreme health emergency, but it brought certain sections in unorganized sectors into focus. Among the unorganized sector, it’s street vendors who got the attention of the government, and a full-fledged scheme was launched by the centre to lend support to the segment of the population who carve out their living out of street vending.
Street vending is a lifeline to lakhs of workers in the organized sector. One of the wonders of street vending is that it has produced some of the top people in different sectors in the country, who have been street vendors in their initial days and over a period of time through sheer handwork have risen to become public celebrities, be it in politics, sports, corporate world or in the entertainment industry.
Here it’s story of a 19-year old boy, Shahid Khan, a resident of Sheri village in north Kashmir’s Baramullah district who is in the profession of street vending in South Kashmir district Anantnag. Shahid was a class 9th student in 2015 when he took to street vending to earn a livelihood and support his family. His father was rendered incapacitated after a brutal injury in the right hand left him crippled.
Even as to be a street vendor was not his aim in life, Shahid compromised his goals and accept the challenge of being a reliable bread earner for his family. However, street vending has never been an easy venture for him as he spells out a lot of struggle associated with this job.
While talking to Arising Street, Shahid explained his ongoing journey as a street vendor. Notably, his aim in life was to become a police officer.

“The struggles associated with my work have become a part and parcel of my life. I have to support my family and there is nothing except street vending that I can do to make ends meet,” says Shahid.
In 2017 Shahid visited in Anantnag town first time with a man who already was working as a vendor in Anantnag who was selling Channa Masala in the streets of Anantnag town. Shahid picked the trade from this acquaintance and today he is very popular in Anantnag town known as “Achanak Hotel”. He runs his street food vending just near Achabal Adda Anantnag and registers a sale of around Rs.2500 per day.
Even as he is contended with the popularity and income he has been generating through his street food vending, he still misses his old days and wanted to continue his studies.
Shahid is not alone in the trade. There are many Shahids who have been forced into street vending to support their families.