Srinagar: Markets across Kashmir lacked the usual buzz ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr this year, with people citing inflation and back-to-back lockdowns as reasons that have “broken the back” of poor and middle class people.
Shopkeepers said that after two-three years they were expecting huge rush and good sales ahead of Eid but due to inflation people are unable to buy much this year.
Javaid Ahmad, a shopkeeper from Lal Chowk in Anantnag, who deals in readymade garments, said that the market is down and most visitors just come to buy items they require in day-to-day life, nothing else.
“Usually, about a dozen customers visit our shops on daily basis, which has increased to about 20, but ahead of Eid (hundreds of customers were visiting our shops but that is not the case this year),” Ahmad said.
Zahoor Ahmad, a shopkeeper from Amira Kadal area of Srinagar, said that a large number of people are visiting markets due to inflation they are unable to buy what they want and they return home.
He said: “A person takes some amount and thinks that he will buy three-four items from it but once he reaches the market he is unable to even buy a single item from it, such is the rate of inflation.”
Traders from other areas also echoed the same concerns and said that after three years Eid is being celebrated without restrictions, so they were expecting good sales this year but inflation has pinched poor people very much and they are buying only important items to meet their two ends .
They said that the dent caused to “our economy since 2019 due to clampdown followed by back to back lockdowns is coming to fore now as it has made poor people poorer and they are struggling to meet their ends.”
“Constant price rise is hitting the common man where it hurts the most and the administration has failed to take meaningful steps to curb the trend,” they said.
It has wreaked havoc on people, they said, particularly daily wagers, hawkers, labourers, middle, BPL and salaried classes and depleted their savings.
In Lal Chowk, Srinagar very little rush of people was seen on roads which otherwise presented a bustling look ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr.
As per Ministry of Statistics and Program Implementation’s report on monthly retail inflation, J&K has an inflation rate of 7.59 percent which is even higher than the national inflation rate of 6.95 percent.
—KNO
