FEAR FACTOR KEEPS PEOPLE AWAY FROM MARKETS

KANPUR September, 24: Erstwhile busy and bubbling streets and markets of the city bore a haunted look today as large number of people preferred to remain indoors. SC’s stay on the pronouncement of judgment in the 60-year-old Ram Janmbhoomi-Babri Masjid title suits yesterday seemingly has not been able to completely restore the sense of security in the common man. It felt like a Sunday as there were very few people on the roads. Most of the markets were open but the shops kept waiting for the customers who were just too cautious to turn up.

Deserted Parade Market

                In order to assess the magnitude of effect of yesterday’s deferment on the busy markets, we went around the city and asked the shop owners of both big and small shops to know their side of the story. We started from Vijay Nagar where we saw gaping shops with very few customers. The shop owners were mostly seen idling away their time. We met Kishore who owns Kishore Footwear in the busy Vijay Nagar Market. He told us that the business was badly affected as people had postponed shopping now due to the uncertain circumstances. The long queues of students waiting to enter the coaching classes were missing and the otherwise busy Aone Market looked quite off colour. Prashant Mishra of New Prashant Studio there told us that the Kakadev market thrived on students but most of the students had gone to their hometowns as a precaution and so the market was looking so drowsy.

                Ravatpur station, our next destination, was almost the same. The booking counter of the station was almost empty and so was the platform. We talked to Ram Narayan Gupta, owner of a small grocery shop near the station who also complained about the lack of customers. Then we went to Parade and on the way saw markets which were seriously in need of customers. At our next stop, Kesarwani Dosa and Fast Food Corner at Parade chauraha, we saw the proprietor complaining to a person about the lack of customers. When asked about the effect that the lack of customers had on his business, he said that the loss must have been around 90%.  He said that the people had not come to the market due to fear. He also said that perhaps the people did not know that the decision had been deferred.

                Moving forward, we came across Star Petrol Pump in front of Christ Church College and met Kishori Lal Yadav, an employee who was casually standing by the machines while all the other employees of the petrol pump sat at some distance gossiping. On talking to him, he said that very few vehicles came today for refueling and most of the time they had been sitting only. He also estimated the loss to be around 85%-90%. A fruit juice shop near the RBI had the owner, Mohd. Mussavir, sitting nearby. He along with his brother Sher Mohammad too complained about the absence of customers. Birhana road’s view, a further ahead, was no different either. The jewelry shops which are always full with customers, notwithstanding the cost of the precious metals, otherwise were feeling the effect too. Irfan Alam of Nice Shoes at Meston Road said that the loss was around 80% as the customers from other cities and towns were afraid to come to Kanpur for their marketing. Other shopkeepers like Raju Singh and Mohd. Iqbal concurred with him. Kishore Kukreja, a wholesale dealer and President of Sports Goods Association of Kanpur estimated his loss of business to be around 90%. He said that people from all over Uttar Pradesh came to his shop but now the outsiders were avoiding the city. The deferment would only deteriorate the situation further and the people have had enough of this he said. He found a supporter in Sajid Shoaib, President of Meston Road Vyapar Mandal who said that it is only the poor public whic h suffers. Meston Road is the most affected market because of its proximity to the sensitive areas he said. He also hoped that the markets would improve during the evening hours when Muslims returned from their Friday prayers.

                All the shop owners we talked to were of the opinion that the deferment had only created confusion in the minds of the people resulting in deterioration in business all over the city. Irrespective of their religion, all of them said that the people have had enough of this issue as it was not going to provide them with their bread and butter no matter who wins the case. They suspected that this condition will go on till September 28 and hoped that the sooner all this ends the better it would be for the people.