SHILLONG: As life limps back to a semblance of normality amid a steady rise in COVID cases, the city’s commercial hub, Khyndai Lad, which was shut for six long months, is slowly but surely witnessing some economic activity.
Unlike in the pre-COVID days when the streets leading to Police Bazar, as it is also known, were chock-a-block with vehicles and crowds, the scenes now, for obvious reasons, are rather toned down.
Nevertheless, people are beginning to come out to the shops and stores, but mainly to take home grocery and other essential items.
But the lull in activity has been too long for the comfort of traders and hawkers in the commercial hub, as the pandemic-triggered lockdown/curfew has taken a substantial toll on business.
Many are concerned that the footfall is not up to the desired level as yet.
Armed with sanitisers and masks, the shopkeepers of Khyndai Lad though are unanimous about the virtues of economic activity on a given day to eke out a living, rather than sit at home with no income.
“Sales are minimal and it is not sufficient for me. Market is not like before,” a vendor selling shoes, Husna Kharriti told this reporter.
Husna has been in the hawking business for over 20 years now. She had resumed hawking a month back after hawkers were not allowed to carry out their business for over four-five months. She said government officials would often come to survey the area and that she would always have sanitisers at her disposal.
A widow and a mother of three, Husna has to look after her children who are in the age group of 22, 20 and 17 years.
“I have not been able to support their educational needs any further due to financial constraints. Worse still, my rent dues have accumulated to Rs 20,000 now,” she rued.
She further said that the promised amount of Rs 700 by the government was not received despite submitting photocopies of her passbook, EPIC, etc.
However, she is grateful that essential commodities such as rice, etc are being distributed by the Dorbar Shnong of Lama Villa.
Two fruit vendors, S. Malngiang and Elphida Nongbri, too were eagerly waiting for customers. They apparently are longing for the pre-pandemic hectic days to return soon.
“Earlier, we would sell about seven kilos a day and there was a beeline of customers. Nowadays, it is hard to sell even five kilos. Even the transportation cost has shot up. It is getting tougher these days to make ends meet”, Nongbri said, with Malngiang acknowledging.
Nongbri, who was the more outspoken of the two, said the pandemic has had a negative impact on the livelihoods of the poor and needy. However, they do not want to stay home but would rather get into business, believing in the old saying, “something is better than nothing”.
Calling the sanitiser dawai (medicine), Nongbri showed a bottle that she used, saying that it was a precautionary measure against the virus.
A shopkeeper selling clothes, Gopal Deb said business was sharply declining.
“I cannot even keep aside any money for rent. Besides, customers are very few. I have to come anyways as I have to think about two square meals a day”.
Surath Nath, a shopkeeper who was busy sanitising bags, simply asked, “Business is down but if I stay home fearing something might happen, then who will feed me?
There is however no odd and even system for the shops on the roadside but the same is applicable to malls and shopping complexes.
A trader dealing in fashionable clothes, Rajib Paul, said that people have now started buying masks. “Footfalls have declined substantially and there are about 10-12 customers in a day,” he said.
