A day after local Shiv Sena activists “asked” them to down shutters during Navratri, there was uncharacteristic desolation on the streets of Sadar Bazar’s Meat Wali Gali and apprehensions about the very future of the trade across Gurugram.
Far from the high rises that have come to characterise this bustling representative of Haryana in the National Capital Region, meat shops owners in the old part of Gurugram such as Sadar Bazar, Hans Park and Rajendra Park said they feared “the government” wanted them to shut shop permanently from April 1, thus rendering anywhere between 4,000 and 5,000 of them jobless for the foreseeable future.
“The problem in Gurugram, where most of us have our own animals for slaughter, has nothing to do with supply issues like the ones being faced by shopkeepers in Delhi or Noida. They have to purchase their stock from Ghazipur in east Delhi. Our problem is how will we feed our families if the government shuts our shops, according to rumours, from April 1,” said Mohammad Fakhruddin (name changed), a meat shop owner based near Rajeev Chowk.
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Rehabilitation
“No less than 5,000 people will lose their livelihoods if that happens. Will the government rehabilitate or compensate us in any way? And how will it make up for the demand for chicken and mutton from lower sections of society which we cater to? Construction workers and auto drivers can’t afford imported meat from malls,” he said, adding that his sons, who usually sit behind the counter, had asked him to take over after a “flag march” being carried out in the area on Tuesday evening.
A few kilometres away at Sadar Bazar, a walk down Sant Kabir Chowk leads one to the celebrated Meat Wali Gali. This street, according to local residents, has “never seen downed shutters” even during Navratri.
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“This market has always remained open but this time the shopkeepers decided to shut down for a few days till Navratri ends. Some said they were having supply issues, while the others decided not to take a risk,” said Shakir Khan, who identified himself as an employee from one of the shops sitting among a group of half a dozen young men utilising the space to catch up on gossip, tea and game of cards.
Navratri time
According to Reza Khan, another one choosing to speak up from the group, Navratri had in fact “softened the blow” that “developments in Uttar Pradesh” had dealt to the meat trade across the NCR. “The real effect will be felt after they [the Navratri] are over. Gosht sirf ek nahin, saari quam ki pasand hai [meat isn’t the preference of just one but all religions].”
Qadir Ansari, who was sipping tea outside his half shut shop on the main road at Rajendra Park said, “I just came to settle some accounts with my supplier today [on Wednesday].”
Insisting animatedly that he “wasn’t selling any meat”, he said a few minutes later, “This has never happened...Demand for meat products used to dip a little during Navratri, but we were never out of work like this.”