“Kumari Aunty,” a street vendor in Hyderabad’s Madhapur IT district, has experienced both the positives and negatives of being a vendor in recent days. Thanks to social media, she gained online popularity and became known for her delicious non-vegetarian treats. However, her success also led to traffic issues and the police asking her to move her stall.
Kumari Aunty had been running her food stand for 13 years, and her stall gained more attention after videos of her curries and fries went viral. The large crowds outside her stall caused major traffic jams, leading the traffic police to ask her to find a new location. She sought justice from vloggers and influencers when the police came to evict her. Despite other stalls being taken down before, she was the only one asked to move this time.
Her plea on social media gained significant support from the public, including Chief Minister Revanth Reddy. He instructed the state police chief and the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation to allow her to stay at her current location. Crowds celebrated the reopening of Kumari Aunty’s food stall.
She recently returned to her stall, where she asked YouTubers and others to let her run her business and make a living without any further disruptions. She expressed that enough was enough.
Kumari Aunty’s story highlights the power of social media in both helping and causing challenges for street vendors.
