Shillong, Sept 4: Hawkers in the city on Monday observed candle light vigil to protest against the murder of a street food vendor, Anjana Sinha.

Showing solidarity, hawkers cutting across religious and ethnic lines shut their businesses and accompanied the family of Anjana during the cremation procession.

Sinha, who used to sell food items at Khyndai Lad for the past 13 years, was brutally murdered at Keating Road on September 3, after she shut her shop at about 1 am and had gone to store her goods.

In a statement issued here, the Meghalaya And Greater Shillong Progressive Hawkers and Street Vendors Association strongly condemned the criminal act and urged the authorities to conduct speedy investigation to ensure that justice is meted out to the young woman.

Association general secretary Shane Thabah said that the vulnerability of hawkers and vendors was made amply clear by this incident wherein compulsion to eke out a living means that hawkers need to work long hours.

Hawkers risk their own lives to cater to others and to ensure the city is safe especially at night for tourists and locals alike, he said.

According to him, the state ought to guarantee the right to work, dignity and security of all its citizens including hawkers as enshrined in the Constitution.

Thabah further stated that the implementation of the Central act on street vending is urgently needed to ensure proper support and rights to hawkers including safety from forceful evictions, safe storage facilities.