In a heartening display of community solidarity, the residents of Sivasagar town have come together to rebuild the livelihood of an 80-year-old street vendor, fondly known as Kancha Da, after his makeshift shop was evicted by the Sivasagar Municipal Board for infrastructure development.
For decades, Kancha Da has been a beloved fixture on Boarding Road, in front of the Natya Mandir, operating a small cart selling toffees, chickpeas, and other snacks. His presence made him a familiar and nostalgic figure for generations of students from Sivasagar Multi-Purpose Higher Secondary School and surrounding primary schools. However, recent municipal work for drainage construction and road widening necessitated the clearance of the footpath, leaving the octogenarian without his source of income and forced to sit on the pavement.
Witnessing his plight, a group of concerned local youths took immediate action. The team, which included Advocate Rishilima Sharma, entrepreneur Nilam Kakati, and youth activist Abhinav Dutta, devised an innovative and mobile solution. They pooled resources to purchase a new bicycle and ingeniously fitted it with a large, stable flat stand, storage frames, and a colourful umbrella, creating a secure and functional mobile shop. The community went further, stocking the shop with initial inventory of goods for him to sell.
“Kancha Da is part of our childhood memories. Seeing him struggle on the footpath after so many years of service to our community was heartbreaking. We felt it was our responsibility to help him continue his livelihood with dignity. The bicycle cart will allow him mobility and a secure place to operate within municipal guidelines,” said Ayush Gogoi, one of the initiative’s leaders.
Overwhelmed by the kindness, Kancha Da was moved to tears, unable to speaka as he was handed over the shop on Tuesday. His reinstated shop, now perched proudly on its new bicycle stand, has become a symbol of local compassion. The act of the local community has resonated deeply across the town.
