No Eid rush in markets in Kashmir

However, this year the markets have worn a deserted look.The sales are down and the shopkeepers are distraught, Bashir Ahmad, a shopkeeper in the Lal Chowk area the commercial hub of the city here said.Earlier, there used to be a lot of hustle-bustle with people shopping a lot ahead of Eid. But now it seems that people in the Valley do not have money to spend.

Unlike usual, the markets in the Kashmir Valley wore a deserted look ahead of the Eid-ul-Adha festival with traders and locals blaming the lockdowns induced by the pandemic and abrogation of Article 370 before that which led to inflation, unemployment and the slump in the festival shopping now.

The country will observe Eid on Thursday for Prophet Ibrahim's sacrifice. The markets across the Valley used to see a huge rush of customers ahead of the festival. However, this year the markets have worn a deserted look.

''The sales are down and the shopkeepers are distraught,'' Bashir Ahmad, a shopkeeper in the Lal Chowk area – the commercial hub of the city here – said.

Earlier, there used to be a lot of hustle-bustle with people shopping a lot ahead of Eid. But now it seems that people in the Valley do not have money to spend. Shopkeepers wait till evening only to return home, he added Another shopkeeper, Sajad Khan, said the market has been down for the past few years now.

''The situation is such that instead of 10, there are just two customers. The inflation has broken everyone's back,'' he said, adding, ''The inflation is everywhere. However, Kashmir is a poor state and recently it has witnessed inflation and increase in power tariff.'' The only customers that we see are either government employees or those who come from rich families.

''A labourer earns Rs 500 with difficulty, but has a family to feed. What will he do? How will he celebrate Eid? His Eid is only when he has work. But, he earns only ten days a month as there is no work,'' he added.

Referring to the sluggish sales of the sacrificial animals, Khan said there used to be a huge rush at Eidgah for purchasing them, but, this year, there is no such rush.

''It is only the rich people who shop now. The poor have no work and they sustain their lives with difficulty,'' he said.

Bashir Ahmad, a local, called the situation ''unfortunate''. He cited many reasons for the lack of buzz in the markets this year.

''The employment rate in the Valley is low, people are unemployed. Parents invested in their children's education, but the youths are now sitting at home. The parents have to still provide for them, give them pocket-money,'' he said.

''The twin lockdowns in the wake of revocation of Article 370 and Covid-19 have also had a huge impact,'' he added.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)