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| Wednesday, 24 December 2003 |
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Throttling the poor and paying the rich by Tharuka Dissanaike It was strange to see the Police guarding Christmas trees. But that's how it was at Town Hall last Sunday. Half a dozen policemen stood watch over piles of freshly cut Cyprus trees preventing vehicles from parking on the side of the road to purchase these trees, an essential ingredient for Christmas in most homes. "How are we to sell the trees that were transported all the way from Nuwara Eliya?," lamented a seller. "There is no traffic on Sunday, at least they should allow parking today." Now, this is not to make a case for chopping down cyprus plantations in the up-country to make decorative trees for the season. Nor is it an attempt to argue against enforcing traffic rules. But one has to consider, the Christmas-tree seller is doing his job. He is trying to make some profit out of a seasonal need (a necessity, some would argue). Cut trees have short shelf life and naturally, they have to be sold out by the 24th. By enforcing traffic rules on a lazy Sunday afternoon, the business was being well and truly throttled. If the Police have to come in such numbers to prevent vehicles from parking for Christmas tree purchase, they could have made more productive use of their time by looking for an alternative place to relocate the tree selling. We tend to underestimate the function and the role of the informal economy-especially in a city like Colombo. Rules are designed, made, and enforced to keep out the informal sector or keep them at bay. But we rarely offer alternatives to the people whose lives are disrupted by these rules and action. Remember the drive against pavement hawkers? Hawking goods on the pavement meant for pedestrian movement is not necessarily a good thing. But then again, who among us has not enjoyed the occasional pavement-shopping, the colourful array of stuff, the bargaining and the low prices? We enjoy it but agree with the authorities that pavement hawkers are a nuisance and should be chucked into tiny box-like cubicles in a ridiculous high-rise building nearby. This concept invariably fails- look at the Deans Road market and Borella Junction. Pavement hawking is not a disgraceful social ill or even a third world phenomenon. In Bangkok, pavements are full of shops and shoppers. Pedestrians manage to walk through the shopping. May be their pavements are wider, since no pedestrians are seen walking on the highway. Even in countries like Sweden, the pavement is used to display wares, open out restaurants and such. Pavements are not sacrosanct, they can be used for many purposes. It is difficult to imagine why our town-keeping authorities do not think of a more practical plan than trying the tried-and-failed method of evicting these hawkers. After all, they do perform an important function in the city (not all of us can afford the glittering malls). Many pavement hawkers are city dwelling as well, and therefore rate-paying; the Municipalities have a duty to see that they are able to conduct their legitimate business in a comfortable fashion. While authorities battle minions in a misguided effort to make the city look like Singapore maybe? Important breathing lungs of Colombo are being parcelled out to private entrepreneurs for a song. Colombo has very few green areas for recreation, in contrast to its spread and population. Suburbs close to Colombo are worse off, due to very rapid urban development without much thought for 'lungs' or recreational spaces like playgrounds and parks. The Galle Face is Colombo's saving grace. The sea-view esplanade, now reduced in area after recent developments, serves as a vital gathering/recreational spot for hundreds of people on a daily basis. Now the area has been leased to a private company to market and develop into an entertainment park for a mere Rs. 9 million. Although the company maintains that the park will be open to the public, Galle Face may not have the same free atmosphere. It was the one place that was truly open-to-all in the city. From beggars to kite sellers, to lovers to kids to grandparents, Galle Face was a place, which everyone considered theirs-to enjoy. We can only hope that all these ingredients will be retained in the future 'development' of the esplanade, which has always been state property for the last 114 years. But then, who will protest if the rules change? |
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