Srinagar, July 21, 2021 (PPI-OT):In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, businessmen speak of losses suffered due to the slump in the market on Eid ul-Azha. For the head of the largest representative body of traders — Kashmir Traders and Manufacturers Federation (KTMF), Muhammad Yaseen Khan said all types of businesses including of sacrificial animals, poultry, bakery, clothing, saw 90 percent less sales compared to the previous years.
Lal Chowk and Zaina Kadal, the two busiest places in Srinagar, were bereft of any Eid activity as there were no traffic jams, no queues of transport carriers, no crowds around vendors, clothes shops, bakeries on this Eid in IIOJK.
As the markets across Kashmir remained abuzz with the shoppers, the bakery and confectionery as well as the mutton dealers here have stated that the sales were not up to the expectations and that nearly 20 per cent of the material remained unsold.
“I don’t see it anywhere,” said Ghulam Nabi, a 72-year-old resident of the old city. “This is for another year that life is dead ahead of Eid. What Eid brings with it is happiness. There is none this year, and therefore, no activity.” Ahead of Eid, the authorities have re-imposed almost all forms of the restrictions on name of Covid control earlier in the city. “Markets opened but the buyers were mostly absent, even in the city’s business hub Lal Chowk. It does not feel like Eid is just two days away,” Nabi added.
Goni Khan Market was an exception, where shoppers, particularly women, showed up in large numbers to buy cosmetics, jewellery and apparels. But traders say it was nothing compared to the usual Eid rush.“We had to restock our merchandise on past Eids, but this time our stock has not even run out,” a trader at the market said.
Eid-ul-Adha, the festival of sacrifices is celebrated on 10th of Islamic month Zilhaj. The day is marked with offering of mass sacrifices of animals including sheep, goat, cow, buffaloes and camels.
Sacrificial animals were only available at select places, after an order from the Modi regime, but there, too, the sales were not much. This reporter spoke to a number of animal sellers at many places in the city. They told him the same story.“I had 50 sheep, of which 20 have been sold. The rest remain. I used to be free two days before Eid. This time, the story is different,” Ghulam Muhammad, a shepherd from a far-flung area of Budgam, said.
President of Kashmir Bakers and Confectionery Federation, Umar Mukhtar said that the market was not up to the expectations. “We had prepared only 50 per cent of the bakery on this Eid. However, only 80 per cent out of it was sold while rest remained unsold,” he said.
President of All Kashmir Wholesale Mutton Dealers Association (AKWMDA), Mehraj-ud-Din told media men that given the fact that Muslims receive meat from their neighbors and relatives on Eid-ul-Adha, the sale of mutton remained less as compared to Eid-ul-Fitr.“We knew already that the sale would be less than previous year,” he said, adding that the figure about the sale has not been collected yet.
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