Every day, Srinivas loads his pickup truck with onions and drives around residential areas of Bengaluru with a small megaphone blaring a recorded message, which calls his customers to come out and buy the onions. Srinivas used to work as a construction worker earlier, and due to the pandemic, he started getting lesser and lesser work. With all his savings, he started his business of selling onions out of a pickup truck
However, less than a year since he started his business, Bengaluru Police Commissioner Kamal Pant, in a Facebook live, announced that strict action will be taken against vendors using megaphones or loudspeakers, as it created a “nuisance” in the residential areas. The action taken against the vendors can include the confiscation of the megaphone apparatus and booking them under the Karnataka Police Act, according to RR Nagar Police Inspector Shivanna.
If the police ban megaphones, Srinivas said, it will be extremely difficult for him to do business. “There are several floors in some buildings and if I have to announce using my voice, it won't reach them sometimes. Besides, how long can I shout? I won't be able to do it for more than an hour. If we use megaphones, the residents will be alerted and come and purchase the onions,” he explained. “I understand that megaphones can be loud and cause some disturbance. However, I can keep the volume just high enough that people can be alerted.”
Another street vendor named Mani also said that his business will take a hit if he won't be able to use the megaphone. “If megaphone is banned, then we will have to shout and some may not hear when we are shouting as many are inside their homes doing some work,” he said
Police Commissioner Kamal Pant made the announcement at a Janasamparka programme held on August 21, via Facebook. Janasamparka programmes are regularly held by the commissioner of Police, where the official directly addresses the grievances or answers questions of the public. The prohibition on the use of megaphones and loudspeakers was announced while he was responding to a complaint from a person in the Hemmigepura ward.
"I think this (loudspeaker) is creating nuisance in some areas. It has come to my notice and we will be taking action against such people. Any microphone or amplifier will have to be used with the proper permission of the police. If they are being used without police permission, we will take action," the commissioner said
However, Srinivas alleged harassment from police even if they use any sound amplifier or not. He said he initially tried selling without a megaphone on the side of a street where there was parking. However, according to him, the police didn't allow him to continue his business, and further allegedly harassed him and extracted money from him
“Recently, I was selling fruit during the festival and one policeman demanded that I give him a bag of fruits. This happens and there is not much we can do as they have power. If we retort, they will ask us to vacate from the spot,” he said, adding, “So, even if we use a megaphone or not, the police always harass us.”
Speaking to TNM about this issue, Appanna, the state secretary of All India Central Council of Trade Unions (AICCTU), said, “Street vendors are a historically exploited section of the society. They have suffered harassment from police in many different ways
Apanna further questioned the government’s approach towards street vendors. “During demonetisation, the government asked all street vendors to use technology such as Paytm for business transactions. Now, they don't want vendors to use this technology. It seems like the government wants the street vendors to be technologically equipped only when they want it,” he said.
“These complaints at Janasamparka programmes are given by an elite section who want everything at their doorsteps but don't want to see or hear these people. These small megaphones don't really create a nuisance. If there was a person complaining about this, then they should have also had a street vendor in the Janasamparka programme and listened to his woes,” said Apanna.