Pandemic dampens I’d celebrations

With ban on gatherings, it was a subdued affair in Gurugram

Shamim, 40, did not buy clothes on I’d-ul-Fitr this year. More than 2,000 people in his firm have been sacked, and he is not sure about his job as well.

Sitting outside a meat shop in Masjid Market near the steps leading to Sadar Bazar Jama Masjid in Old City, Shamim, a resident of Gurugram’s Shakti Nagar, said the celebrations around I’d this year were no where close to what it was last year.

‘Saving for the future’

“Though I could, I decided not to buy clothes this I’d. Already 2,500 people in my firm have lost jobs. It is difficult to know what lies ahead. So it is better to save for the future,” said Shamim, his face duly covered with mask.

His friend, Mohammad Sahid, who runs the shop in the market, said the business this year was just 25-30% of what it was last year.

He added that people would throng the mosque and the surrounding areas in thousands every I’d to offer Namaz, but this year the place wore a deserted look. Ilyas, 55, selling seviyans too sounded dejected. A resident of neighbouring Nuh, he said that sale was just half compared with the last year.

Mohammed Shadir, running another meat shop in the market, said he had opened his shop just two days and the usual hustle-bustle surrounding I’d was missing.

The market association’s president Mohammed Tahir said the market mostly catered to the migrants and more than half of them had returned to the home towns. He said the religious leaders had also prohibited mass offering of Namaz at the mosque impacting the sales. “I bought around a quintal of buffalo meat hoping for some business after the lockdown, but I suffered a loss instead,” said Mr. Tahir. He said the entire Ramzan month also did not see much business since the shops remained closed for most part of it. Mr. Tahir said he offered Namaz at his home on I’d and did not make any dishes.

Shiryauddin, 50, a daily-wager said he could not go to his village in neighbouring Nuh since the buses were not plying. He said he was without work for more than two months now, and could not celebrate.

‘Hate campaign’

Shakir, running a dairy near Pataudi Chowk, visiting the market said his business suffered after a hate campaign against Muslims accusing them of spreading the deadly virus and he had to sell off his cattle. “I need to start from scratch now. It does not even feel like I’d,” said Shakir.