ILP agitation dampens spirit of shoppers, traders
SHILLONG: With a week to go into this year’s Durga Puja celebrations starting with Sasti on October 10, puja shoppers have started to throng the city’s commercial hub Police Bazar. But this time the shoppers are hit by multiple problems as ILP agitation and its aftermath like bandh, road blockades and picketing followed by inflation, continues to bedevil shoppers who are finding it difficult to make ends meet.
Looking at the market scenario, that precedes this festival, the mood is mixed. The ILP agitation and targeting of shops in the city’s commercial hub had affected the spirit of the shoppers and traders – some of whom have already declared a flop show this time. If it was the incessant weather last year that took a toll upon shoppers then it is the ILP agitation that is playing spoilsport this time. “The bad weather of last year could not prevent shoppers from shopping then but the petrol bomb incidents have dampened the mood this time,” said a renowned garment store owner from Police Bazar.
Many have expressed their distress at the inflationary trends with onions going up to Rs 80 a kilogram and all other vegetables touching the Rs 80-100 mark per kilogram. Said one puja shopper, “Now we have to make a choice between spending on new clothes or save for other utilities.” But others feel said that Goddess Durga comes once a year and that cannot be compromised. “We are making sacrifices due to inflation in our daily life throughout the year. So why cut costs for puja celebration? It is a matter of choice,” said this woman shopping with her children.
A manager of sari store from Police Bazar said that this year the festive cheer and excitement is comparatively low but from this week there is a huge rush of shoppers. Women throng his shop and are seen rummaging through silk saris, jamdani, Assam silk, Benarasi sari and designs adorning the shop windows and walls. “Buying and wearing new clothes is an important part of the festival. Though inflation has not spared the clothing and lifestyles sector but festival offers and discounts help a lot during this time. This makes shopping more attractive to people,” he said.
PDS hurdle: Meanwhile, getting ration under PDS has always been a bone of contention during the Durga Puja festival and this year the situation is grimmer with the union government stopping the procurement of levy sugar following which it is not available under Public Distribution System (PDS).
Though ration items are sourced by puja committees during this time of the year for distributing Prasad and offerings to the Durga Puja revellers the unavailability of sugar would push the committees to buy it from Iewduh or directly from the retail outlets. The same is the case with kerosene oil.
The curse of inflation is also telling upon these committees as celebrating Durga Puja now has become an increasingly costly affair. Most committees are learnt to have maintained a low key and to observe the bare rituals as per Hindu almanac.