Raman Sharma
Jammu, Jammu-based RTI activist Raman Sharma has demanded strong, visible, and enforceable legal safeguards for migrant workers, street vendors, and hawkers, particularly those from Jammu and Kashmir, following recent incidents of alleged harassment reported from various cities and states across India.
Referring to videos and media reports circulating on social media, Sharma stated that J&K-based hawkers and vendors, including shawl sellers from Jammu & Kashmir and seasonal traders, have allegedly faced intimidation, eviction, and humiliation on the basis of religion, language, ethnicity, or state of residence.
The RTI activist described these incidents as deeply disturbing and contrary to India’s constitutional values. He emphasized that the Constitution of India guarantees every citizen the right to move freely, reside, and practice any profession or trade anywhere in the country.
“No political party, organisation, group, or individual can assume the role of a self-appointed authority to regulate the movement or livelihood of Indian citizens,” Sharma said, adding that public spaces and markets cannot be governed by prejudice or fear.
Drawing parallels with existing safeguards, Sharma stated that just as Anti-Ragging regulations protect students and the POSH law safeguards women at workplaces, migrant workers and vendors require a dedicated statutory protection framework against harassment, mob intimidation, and arbitrary action.
In separate letters to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, Sharma has requested that they raise this sensitive issue with the Union Home Ministry and the Chief Ministers of other states where such incidents are frequently reported, so that coordinated measures are implemented to ensure the safety, dignity, and livelihood of J&K migrant workers.
“Protecting the vulnerable is not charity; it is a constitutional obligation and a test of India’s unity and fraternity,” Sharma asserted.
