Nagaland street vendor leaves veggies for sale with ‘jar of trust’

Kohima: In a pleasant surprise amid the nationwide lockdown over COVID-19 pandemic, a street vendor from Kohima in Nagaland laid fresh green vegetables for sale just outside a closed shop — with all hope and trust put in a jar. Notably, the Kohima administration has banned street vending to encourage social distancing and minimise gathering of public in the market and other areas.

Following the extension of the nationwide lockdown, normal lives continue to remain crippled with many living on a hand-to-mouth existence.

However, a street vendor in Kohima aced the concept of social distancing and still (seems to) managed to earn a living by putting on sale a bunch of harvested organic vegetables on the street while staying at home, putting his trust and hope in a bottle of jar meant to store the money that people may pay.

Although the street vendor could not be identified by EastMojo, the vegetable stall laid on the street along the old CM residence junction at Minister’s Hill area cannot go unnoticed. With a handwritten note that says “Rs 20” for a bunch of green edible leaves, a jar has been kept aside for customers to drop the amount.

Kevisa Khamo, a resident of Kohima who happened to buy few bunches of fresh green vegetables, exclaimed: “I was overwhelmed when I saw it. It is a pure act of trust and honesty.”

With unreported cases of robbery happening in Kohima, this particular act gives hope for people to trust and help each other despite not meeting face to face.

Earlier on April 20, the Kohima district administration ruled out that “no street vending will be allowed”. The order said that only wholesale shops selling perishable goods will be allowed to open (no retail sale allowed) at the following locations — BOC, Super Market, High School, on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays between 7 am to 2 pm along with all other exempted categories.

It ordered the respective areas to collect the perishable goods from the designated location on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays between 7 am to 2 pm for retailing in their respective areas.