Kochi’s buzzing markets die a slow death

KOCHI: The hustle and bustle has disappeared from the trading hubs of Kochi. For the merchants of Broadway and Ernakulam Market, the 17-day-long shutdown of the commercial hubs after they were declared containment zones has spelt doom. Future, they say, is bleak even if the restrictions are lifted soon.As many as 2,000 shops line the busy streets of Broadway and Ernakulam Market. While over 4,000 people directly depend on these shops for a living, another 10,000 are indirectly connected to the chain. Already reeling from lockdown blues, the shutdown announced on July 1 has fully ended business here.

According to G Karthikeyan, president, Kerala Merchants Chamber of Commerce, the decision to shut down was taken without considering humanitarian issues. “This has pushed us to a crisis. The market, which trades in perishable goods, was closed without prior notice, giving us little time to move goods. But why was this decision taken when the case was reported a kilometre away? Why extend it for another week when it has been lifted in many nearby areas in seven days? No new case was reported here after that,” he asks.

Karthikeyan says the chamber has approached the mayor seeking financial help. “We met with Minister V S Sunil Kumar too. We are hoping a decision will be reached soon. While we believe nobody would intentionally try to bring down this market, our experiences say a different story. If a mall can be opened, why not the market?” he asks.

Paul P S, a trader at Broadway, echoes similar sentiments. A stationery shop owner, he dreads the moment he has to reopen the shop, for the sight won’t be a good one. “Products worth thousands were stocked up when the shut down was announced. Rodents would have gone on the rampage. Even the air-conditioners would be damaged. None of the goods is insured. Who is going to help us?,” he asks.

Paul thinks either the bureaucrats or the people’s representatives should take up the issue of “this unnecessary shutdown.” “Seems like nobody wants to take the risk and urge the authorities to reopen the market. We did nothing but cooperate with the authorities in containing the spread of the pandemic. But there should be an end to this nightmare,” he adds. The traders think the ESI and PF offered by the Central Government won’t be of much help to those in Broadway. “The norms stipulate that if 10 per cent of the staff earns more than `15,000 as monthly salary, they are not entitled to the benefits. That being the case, none of the shops here will benefit it. We are already struggling to pay last month’s GST,” said Paul.

Even if shops reopen, the traders are unsure of how the business will move forward. From maintaining social distancing to providing sanitisers, the vendors are willing to do their part but are unsure about public cooperation. “The few days we got to reopen were mired with problems. Some customers wouldn’t maintain social distancing. Half of our time is spent solving these issues,” says Paul.