Shaheen Bagh market opens after 5 months
THE NATIONWIDE LOCKDOWN BEGAN ON MARCH 25. FOR THE TRADERS OF SHAHEEN BAGH, IT BEGAN MANY MONTHS EARLIER, ON THE EVENING OF DECEMBER 16, 2019.
NEWDELHI: Perfectly drawn circles adorn the lane outside shops in Shaheen Bagh market, but there are no customers. Inside the shops, workers carefully check the garments for damage — trousers nibbled by rats, shirts with dust-filled creases. The shirts have to be sent back, washed, and ironed before they can be put on display again.
The nationwide lockdown began on March 25. For the traders of Shaheen Bagh, it began many months earlier, on the evening of December 16, 2019.
“We heard reports of stonepelting in Jamia Nagar that afternoon. We were watching the news when we saw policemen chasing a mob outside our shops. The police asked us to down the shutters on our shops. We left in a hurry. The whole market closed within minutes, around 4pm. We did not know then that we would only be back more than five months later,” said Sairaq Aziz, a 32-year-old shopkeeper.
On December 16, a group of residents, led by elderly women, blocked Road 13A outside the market to protest the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, or CAA, which had been passed in Parliament a few days ago. They stayed on the road for 100 days.
As shops stayed shut over all of winter, traders continued to suffer losses, even as the number of protesters on the road grew; the site became a symbol across the country of voices against the Act.
Over three months later, on March 24 morning, Delhi Police evicted the protesters. The Delhi government had issued prohibitory orders to stem the spread of Covid-19, which had made its way to the National Capital by then.
While the road was finally clear, the shops had to stay shut. The government had ordered the closure of all markets as a precautionary measure.
With the lockdown being eased, and shops allowed to open in Delhi last week – subject to their adhering to government guidelines, the market has begun to awake from its slumber. But their wares have few takers.
“First it was the protest. Now it’s the disease. We have opened shops but nobody is coming here. Most traders have shut shop and left because they could not bear the losses,” said Sharik Malik, 21, who works at a garments’ store.
From multi-storey showrooms that sell imported garments to traders who sell locally manufactured clothes and other goods, there are around 200 shops in the Shaheen Bagh market.
On Friday, only around 40 shops were open, when at least 100 shops should have been open.
“We were fortunate to survive the protest and the lockdown, but the trader next door has shut his business. Imagine having to pay rent and salary of the staff while there has been no business for five months,” Malik said.
The monthly rent for a showroom, which are mostly factory outlets, in Shaheen Bagh ranges between ₹75,000 and ₹3 lakh.
At another store, Rahul Jha, 39, has finished collecting all the clothes that rats had nibbled. “Nobody will buy these. Most shops here are in basements, so rodents and water seepage is a common problem,” he said.
Nasir Hussain, 52, owns ashowroom and is president of the Shaheen Bagh market association. “I checked with my employees this afternoon. We sold one piece of clothing through the entire day. Normally, during the festive season, we would earn at least ₹1.5 lakh a day. The losses that the market has suffered could be hundreds of crores.”
Friday at Shaheen Bagh is usually a big day for traders. The footfall at the market is highest during Ramzan, and especially the last Friday before Eid.
But not this week.
Most traders said the market’s proximity to containment zones is also keeping people away. The lane behind the market and another one in nearby Abul Fazal zone have been designated containment zones.
Many traders said they are worried only about Covid-19 now. They said they are certain there won’t be a similar protest-related closure again. They also point towards a bright white tent on the road set up by the police.
Outside the tent, two Delhi Police constables were busy managing the traffic. Seven armed Central Reserve Police Force personnel had arrived to start their shift at the road.
As shops closed one after another in the evening, the paramilitary force personnel wore their riot protection gear and started patrolling the lanes. They had a job to do. Their task was clear — ensure there is no protest at Shaheen Bagh again.