It’s shutters up for burnt shops

The crowds are back at C G Road. Youngsters have returned to their favourite haunts, shops have opened their shutters and business is back to normal. Well, almost.

Nearly four months after the riots, shops which were looted or burnt by rioting mobs are moving on - some have already reopened while repairs are on at others.

Two months ago, all that was left of Rasranjan Sweet Mart in Municipal Market was a shell. Now, a red sign-board is up, beckoning people to come and try the goodies. Rasranjan owner Manoj Agarwal says, ‘‘We had incurred heavy losses during the riots. Now, nearly 90 per cent of work has been completed. It’s been almost a month since we opened our shop.’’

Aggarwal says before repairs were completed, service counters were shifted outside the shop. ‘‘By April 20, the counters were set up outside. This way, people came to know that we were set to reopen,’’ he says.

Hardik Shah, a BCA student of Gujarat Law Society, who lives near Swastik Char Rasta says,‘‘I used to miss coming here and having paani-puri with my friends. In fact, I used to go all the way to Rasranjan at Vijay Char Rasta. Now that the shop has reopened, I and my friends are glad.’’

Agarwal admits that business was slow initially. ‘‘But now the sales are picking up. Every evening, we have a huge crowd of people.’’

Shoeleg - also in Municipal Market - is also set to open its doors to customers. Owner G.G. Sheikh says,‘‘The shop is nearly ready. We have even ordered shoes from Mumbai and Delhi. We will reopen in a week. In fact, some customers were here just now, to ask whether we have opened.’’

Sheikh says it took him almost three months and Rs. 1.5 lakh to rebuild the shop. ‘‘I incurred a loss of nearly Rs 15 lakh. It is only by God’s grace that I have been able to do this,’’ he says, adding that despite having insurance of Rs 10 lakh, he has not received any money as yet.

At other shops too, owners have started picking up the pieces. At Metro Shoes, which was gutted, reconstruction work has already begun. Jitubhai Dalal, who supervises work there, says,‘‘Reconstruction began almost a month back. Plastering of walls is nearly complete but it will take another two months for it to be completed.’’

Repairs have also begun at Shehnaz, a jewellery shop in Aniket, and at Shalin, another shoe store on C G Road. Owner of Shalin, Zubair Sheikh, says,‘‘Repairs in my shop began just 15 days back. Earlier, I was procrastinating because I was scared to come here. But then I realized that the problems would not be solved on their own. I have to start from scratch but I was willing. I just hope that my customers return and do not stay away out of fear.’’

Republished from The Indian Express