Fashion street keeps its ‘adress’ intact

The good old enterpreneurial spirit of Gujarat is on show again as the displaced vendors of the Law Garden area have set up shops at alternative places in the city. Turn in one of the bylanes opposite the famous Law Garden fashion street and you will find it jam-packed as the vendors have set up their shops there.

While the eateris association is protesting the court action by going on a symbolic fast since September 18, demanding a permission to work for a limited period of time during "peak" hours, especially with the Navtatri, many vendors have spilled over to the 132-feet ring road, the university road and Nehru Nagar area. They say that it is a matter of livelihood for them and they can’t afford to sit idle.

However, the change of place during the peak season has hurt them badly. Hasmuk Chidri, who goes to Kutch and buys the ware from the artisans there every year, says that this year the sales have reduced by one-fourth. "We are now selling at rock bottom prices, so that we can at least recover the capital invested. We lost one precious week when the turmoil was going on. We were too afraid to set up our shop. And now, Navratri is just a few days away, so we are forced to open shop where we can find space."

Asha Jidriwala, who has also set up a shop in the area says, "While we would do a business of at least Rs.5,000 a day in shraadh, this year, there are days when we are not able to even sell a single ware."

Satish Patel and Navin Shah, who are presidents of the Ratri Kahni Pini Bazzar of Law Garden say that the culinary delights of the larigallawalas and the chania-choli of the traditional handicraft sellers are synonymous with the Law Garden in Ahmedabad. "It is due to us that the Law Garnden is what it is," they stress. However, for the customers flocking the place, it does not matter where these people sell their fare. Pooja Shah, who buys from Law Garden every year, says, "I always buy a set of Navratri dress every year and this year is not that different." Nikita Patel, who lives near Management Enclave, found it delightful that "Law Garden" had moved near her home and she can go there and buy what she wants. A significant bit of the dash and glamour in Navratri every year in Ahmedabad can be attributed to the colours enterpreneurs spread, and this year too, they are ready to sell their wares and dish our their comestibles as the city gets ready for the festival of dance.

Republished from Asian Age