From Our Correspondent
Tura, Dec 23: Christmas shopping, the main cause of celebration for various businesses of the region, seems to have skipped Garo Hills this time, with major markets in all five districts seeing no activity at a time when, traditionally, business booms.
With only a day to go for Christmas, the situation is unlikely to change and businessmen will rue investing for the holiday season.
The holiday season, traditionally has always been a time when spending is the first thing that takes place.
Be it clothes, shoes, cell phones, music systems, lights even painting the house, most such activity would be stalled till the holiday season.
Over the past few years, however, that tradition has taken a back seat.
“Pre-Christmas shopping was the biggest business for shop owners in Garo Hills and even the Assam border markets. However, now this tradition is dying a natural death. There are many factors as to why this has happened but the lack of money in hand is the biggest reason for the sudden change,” felt a Tura resident, AM Marak.
The towns of Tura, Williamnagar, Baghmara, and Ampati hardly saw any attempts by festivalgoers to flood markets to make last-minute buys. While this may change in the coming day or so, most are not positively hopeful.
While to an extent the advent of online shopping has put a major dent in local businesses, it is not the only reason for the current dry spell in markets.
“Most people don’t have cash in hand as they have not been paid. Be it contractors, job card holders, GHADC employees, or other departments, finances have been tight and fund releases very slow and low. This has led to people not venturing out. As to when this will change is a question that none can answer,” felt a business owner from Tura.
An employee of the GHADC, who has 31 month’s salary as due stated that only two month’s salaries have been cleared, and that has not been for all.
The worst affected are those who live in towns, whether working a job or running a business. The rural belt is already in preparation for the upcoming season mainly because they are agrarian and harvest has been good this year.
“We all depend on each other for growth. If no one comes to my business to buy, I will have to shut shop soon. Similarly, if they are not paid, they have nothing to come to us with. How much can we extend credit to them and how will this cycle change without the infusion of cash in the hands of people,” asked another shop owner from Williamnagar.
“Most people that have money don’t shop in Garo Hills. They choose other locations where they can buy cheaper and in bulk. The ones who are stuck here have no money to spend so who can you blame,” asked Phulbari resident, Samgar Sangma.
The tag ‘the rich are getting richer while the poor get poorer’ seems to now have become the resonating voice for the people of Garo Hills. With coal mining coming to an absolute stop (with illegal exceptions), money in hand is like a pipe dream for most residents.
“This year we decided to delay the setting up of lights to welcome the advent of our Lord due to rising electricity bills and delayed salaries. We have to be frugal in these times as not too many have money to flaunt or spend,” added a Baghmara resident on condition of anonymity.
One interesting case has been a revelation by a bootlegger who rued the increase in the number of wine stores, the increase in liquor sale times as well as opening of bars on Sundays.
“Earlier at least we had an opportunity to earn some money from people looking for a drink when stores closed. With the increase in time and bars remaining open on Sundays, it has impacted us to such an extent that we had to leave the business. No one now really has readily available cash in hand to spend,” said the bootlegger.