The National Association of Street Vendors of India (NASVI) on Sunday announced a nationwide protest on Wednesday to protest the Union government's decision to allow foreign direct investment in retail trade.
In a statement, association convener Arbind Singh described the decision as a “sinister design'' to disrupt the livelihoods of street vendors and small retailers. He said it would only create a new class of middlemen and not benefit small farmers and consumers. The government had not been paying heed to the demand for secured space from street vendors and they continued to be pushed around. The decision would only further threaten their livelihood.
