New feather in NASVI cap

Indian street food vendors to get global spotlight at World Street Food Congress in Singapore

New Delhi, 24 May:  Earning prestige and recognition for its unflinching commitment and work for the street vendors, the National Association of Street Vendors of India (NASVI) has got a new feather in its cap with Makansutra, a Singapore based street food promotion company, and the Singapore Tourism Board inviting a team of Indian street food vendors to join the World Street Food Congress (WSFC) in Singapore from 31 May to 9 June with their best culinary items.  

The eight street food vendors who would be a part of ten member NASVI delegation led by Sangeeta Singh, the manager, street food programs of NASVI include Narayanswami and Akbar  of Dharwar and Bhaskar Urs and Ashok Kumar of Mysore in Karnataka, Gulab Singh and Rajan of Delhi, and Ashok Shah and Vijay Kumar of Patna in Bihar. The WSFC would have 40 corners with street food masters from 32 countries.

Alongside the ten day long international street food carnival, the World Street Food Dialogue would also take place in Singapore on 3-4 June. The dialogue would have presence of more than 50 key speakers including NASVI national coordinator Arbind Singh. Mr. Singh would be speaking on ‘India's Quest to Legitimize Five Million Street Food Vendors, Future Potentials & Vision of NASVI’. The speakers would share, discuss and present on the ways to preserve, professionalize and create new opportunities for street food vendors across countries.

Addressing a press conference here in the national capital along with the team of street food vendors set to fly for Singapore, NASVI national coordinator Arbind Singh said, “It would be a great opportunity to participate in such a wonderful street food advocacy event with a team of selected Indian street food masters.  We hope to gain a lot in terms of exposure, cross learning, professional planning and wider linkages with hosts of key actors involved in promoting the street food across many countries”.

Mr. Singh announced that NASVI would form a national company of street food vendors soon to brand their products. The food vendors would have their own shares in the company and linkages would be developed with the formal financial institutions and the mission driven individuals.

Mr. Singh said, “Many a countries protect and promote street foods as street food enterprise contributes immensely to local economy and tourism. The concept of traditional street food has acquired new dimensions in developed countries, with food streets/ food centers emerging as new tourist attractions.  Evidences also suggest that the street food prepared with safe handling of ingredients and water contain more nutritional values in comparison to the foods served in hotels and restaurants.”

He added, “Though street food culture pervades almost all countries of developed regions, the Asian street food is considered as the best in the world. However, India lags behind several south-east Asian countries.  Our cities trail in the race because there is usually no support from formal institutions to improve street food enterprises or protect them from external influences. The usual response at policy level is generally poor.  We never pause to think that promoting street food and cementing the identity of street food vendors is closely linked with preserving and promoting the social- cultural diversity of place and region, and making economy and society equitable and just.”

Mr. Singh said that the most important challenge is to sensitize the policy makers and other stakeholders on key advantages of promoting street food. The country needs a comprehensive National Policy on Protecting and Promoting Street Foods. The cities  need wider and wider consultations, camps and capacity building measures among street food vendors, health department functionaries,  executives of tourism, transport and railways as well as municipal authorities, police administrators and civil society actors.  Creating Street Food Courts in all cities and towns, and celebrating the  social-cultural diversity of India through showcasing vibrant culinary traditions in events like Street Food Festival are  long felt need of the cross sections of society in fast urbanizing India.

Talking about the details of Indian street food vendors’ participation in the WSFC, Sangeeta Singh, Manager, Street Food Programs, said, “While Mr. Narayanswami with Akbar and Mr. Bhaskar with Ashok would be dishing out lips smacking Chicken 65 with steamed rice, and tamarind and lemon rice respectively, Mr. Ashok with Vijay would be making thunder with Liiti Chokha and special garlic soaked mutton rice. Mr. Gulab Singh with Rajan would make his presence felt with his special Bhelpuri with potato crisps having seedless dates and amchur and Pao Bhaji.”  All food vendors would be travelling abroad for the first time, she added.

“In last three years, we have undertaken sustained street food advocacy campaign.  Organizing successful Street Food Festival is a major component of this street food advocacy.  We believe   that nothing represents the rich tapestry of India’s multi-cultural fabric better than the street foods. The street food is not just palatable, inexpensive and convenient, but also is a large source of employment generation for thousands and thousands of informal workers”, said Sangeeta Singh who has been the soul and brain of successful street food festivals organized by NASVI in Delhi in last three years.

The ecstatic street food vendors who would be leaving Delhi on 26 May morning for Singapore shared how they journeyed over the years coping up with the adversities created by the municipal bodies, police forces and health department people. “We have the acumen and brilliance to develop ourselves as successful street food entrepreneurs. The only barrier is lack of support from government side”, said Bhaskar Urs of Mysore.

Ranjit Abhigyan

Program Manager

NASVI

9650941320

The list of key speakers lined up for the World Street Food Dialogue

KF SEETOH, Founder of Makansutra, Singapore.
Accorded Singapore's Food Ambassador by Singapore's President Mr. SR Nathan, also hailed as the Guru of Grub by CNN and host of TLC's The Food Surprise!

Arbind Singh, National Coordinator, National Association of Street Vendors of India. 

Well known development activist and social entrepreneur, also recipient of Skoll Foundation Award in 2011.  He has played significant role in center staging the agenda of inclusive central legislation in favour of street vendors of India. Organizer of series of Street Food Festival in India

ANTHONY BOURDAIN, USA - Chef, author, TV show host
Author of bestselling book Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly, and host of CNN's Parts Unknown and hit TV shows Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations and The Layover

BRETT BURMEISTER, USA - Managing Editor and co-owner of Food Carts Portland Ate at his first food cart in 1991 and never looked back - logged roughly 1000 visits to street vendors in Portland and beyond

JOHNNY CHAN, China - TV show host 5 million people watched him eat the streets over 30 cities in China

IAN KITTICHAI, Thailand - Thailand's first international celebrity chef. The first Thai national to become the Executive Chef of a 5-star hotel

PAULINE LOH, China - Managing Editor of The China Daily
Published two well-received cookbooks - Love, Food and Dad & Company

CLAUS MEYER, Denmark - Gastronomic entrepreneur
Recently established a foundation whose mission is to help disadvantaged individuals and communities through culinary projects

JAMES OSELAND, USA - Editor-in-chief of Saveur, America's most critically acclaimed food magazine (under his leadership, the magazine has won over 35 national awards),and acclaimed author of Cradle of Flavor (one of 2007's best books by Time Asia and the New York Times)

VO QUOH, Vietnam - Top Vietnamese chef and editor
Editor-in-chief and owner of three Vietnamese cuisine magazines: Mon Ngon Viet Nam, Gia Dinh Vao Bep and Vietnamese Delicious.

RICHARD TAN, Singapore - Divisional Director, Hawker Centers Division at the National Environment Agency. His team is responsible for implementing hawker policies, managing about 16,000 hawker stalls in the 107 hawker centers around Singapore

SIMON TAY, Singapore -Chairman of the Singapore Institute of International Affairs Public intellectual and private advisor to major corporations and policy-makers

IWAN TJANDRA, Indonesia
Best known for his successful food chain, Eat&Eat, the themed food court founded in 2008 that has changed the dining landscape across Java Island

DANIEL WANG, Singapore - Ex-Commissioner of Public Health/Director-General of Public Health

BONDAN WINARNO, Indonesia - Indonesia's celebrated culinary expert. Head of "Jalansutra," an online community for food lovers in Indonesia

WILLIAM WONGSO, Indonesia - Indonesia's culinary expert
Restaurateur, food consultant, critique and TV show host