Blind street performers stage sit-in against crackdown at Maitighar (photos)
KATHMANDU: Visually impaired individuals who have been earning their livelihood by singing on roadside pavements have staged a sit-in protest at Maitighar Mandala since Monday, alleging crackdowns against them.
Organized by the “Street Pavement-Based Self-Employed Blind Entrepreneurs Group,” the protesters accused authorities of attempting to remove them from street spaces without providing any alternative means of income or employment.
Holding placards and chanting slogans such as “Living under sun, rain, dust and smoke is not our choice but compulsion; we will not leave the streets without alternatives,” the demonstrators demanded guaranteed livelihood rights from the government.
The protesters stated that they will continue their sit-in until proper alternative employment arrangements are ensured, stressing that they cannot be forced off the streets without viable economic options.
Photos:
-Saroj Basnet
