NEW DELHI — The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued binding directives to all state governments and Union Territory administrations, mandating that street vendors, hawkers, and small traders must not face arbitrary displacement, harassment, or unlawful seizure of merchandise during the forthcoming festival period. Released in the lead-up to Navratri, Diwali, and Chhath Puja, the instructions call on civic and police authorities to actively accommodate traditional artisans and micro-traders, protecting their livelihoods while bolstering local artisanal enterprise under the Union Government’s ‘Vocal for Local’ framework.
The intervention follows proceedings initiated on complaints highlighting “unnecessary and inhumane” eviction drives conducted by municipal corporations across urban centres. Hawkers and roadside sellers—including potters, traditional sweet makers, flower vendors, and rangoli pigment merchants—were reportedly targeted for abrupt removals under the pretext of clearing emergency access corridors for fire engines and ambulances, while facing extortion, irregular challans, and punitive fines. Having originally taken cognisance of the grievances in October 2025, the rights watchdog re-emphasised that micro-commerce during festive peak times cannot be arbitrarily curbed.
The Commission ruled that while emergency public safety access and fire regulations must be maintained, authorities are obligated to arrange viable, accessible alternate vending zones whenever temporary relocation proves unavoidable. Municipal and law-enforcement personnel have been strictly cautioned against summary seizures of goods, with directives requiring that any enforcement action remain strictly compliant with procedural law and proportionate to vendor welfare.
To ensure immediate compliance on the ground, the NHRC directed the circular to be disseminated across all District Magistrates, Municipal Commissioners, and Superintendents of Police, further ordering administrative bodies to expedite complaints related to extortion and bureaucratic harassment. State administrations and Union Territories have been given until October 18 to file their comprehensive Action Taken Reports before the Commission
