Almost three decades have passed. The condition of the market is not unknown to Mangalbabu. But he has not let that affect his 29 year old shop.One kochuri costs 50 paisa. They are sold to students at half the price, at 25 paisa. Each telebhaja costs 1 rupee, that too in Kolkata itself. The price has remained unchanged for the last 29 years. The shop selling kochuris and telebhajas in Muraripukur, Maniktala is managed by Lokkhinarayan Ghosh, a man in mid-50s. His nickname is Mangal or Mongla.
In 1990, in a discarded room with a meter box, he started this shop for kochuris. According to the market then, each kochuri was priced at 50 paisa. Quite a number of schools existed in the locality. Students crowded his shop during recess hours or after school hours. Mangalbabu halved his price for them. On coming to the shop in a school uniform, you would be charged 25 paisa. In the evening, fritters such as peyaji, alur chop, mochar chop, dhokar chop, and beguni, were prepared. These telebhajas were priced at a rupee by Mangalbabu according to market prices then.
Almost three decades have passed. The condition of the market is not unknown to Mangal. He has not let that affect his 29 year old shop. To this day, kochuris are sold at 25 and 50 paisa here. Telebhajas still cost a rupee.
This shop is Mangalbabu’s only means of livelihood. How does he run his household with such prices at the shop? He says, “We do have a few issues. But I manage my household somehow. When I opened the shop, potatoes were available at 50 paisa per kilo, now each kilo costs 15-20 rupees. If I have managed without increasing my prices till now, I will never increase the prices.”
Why? Mangalbabu replies, “The shop is in a neighbourhood, everyone is eating here for very long. The students from school crowd in too, it gives me great satisfaction. If I increase the prices after all this time, many would be disappointed. I have slightly decreased the size of the kochuris. The telebhajas have remained as before.”
Neighbours are quite amazed at Mangal’s shop. In the words of Arnab Sarkar, a local resident, “It’s been so many years, everything has changed, we have grown up, but Mangalkaku’s shop still sells kochuris at the same price. Such an astonishing man!”
In 1990, “Government of the poor” was in power in the state. The Chief Minister was Jyoti Basu. Trinomool Congress was not yet formed. Mamata Bandopadhyay was a leader of Indian Youth Congress. Narendra Modi was a stranger to most.
Trinomool has formed government in the state now. The Left is in a poor condition. Narendra Modi is anticipating a second term in office as the Prime Minister. The poor has gradually lost their place. Lokkhinarayan’s shop has remained just like the poor has, and remained in service of the poor. Fortune has taken permanent residence at his shop blessed by Lokkhi (Laxmi, the goddess of wealth).
