Holy city tag: Traditional traders on the brink in walled city of Amritsar

Amritsar: The Punjab government's decision to declare the walled city of Amritsar a ‘Holy City' has triggered deep anxiety among hundreds of families whose livelihoods depend on fish, meat and tobacco trade. While the move has been projected as an effort to preserve the sanctity of the city surrounding the Golden Temple, those at the receiving end say the order threatens to wipe out generations-old businesses without offering any alternative.The most immediate sufferers are fish markets, meat sellers and tobacco vendors operating inside the walled city. Unlike hotels and restaurants, which may modify their menus or source meat from outside the area, small traders have no such flexibility. Many fear that the blanket ban will only push meat and tobacco trade underground, giving rise to illegal sales and corruption rather than eliminating the practice.
Equally worrying for traders is the absence of any rehabilitation or relocation plan. With no alternate sites announced by the government, shopkeepers are uncertain about where they will go and whether their businesses will survive in new locations. Rajinder Kumar, a fourth-generation fish trader operating inside Hall Gate, paints a grim picture. "There are around 18 wholesale fish suppliers in the famous Machhi Mandi inside Hall Gate. This was the first wholesale fish market of the Punjab, supplying fish to various districts even today," he said. Each wholesale shop, he added, employs over 40 workers, and entire families depend on this income. "With one order, generations of hard work are being erased," he said.Manmohan Singh, owner of Kitchen Corner inside B.K. Dutt Gate, questioned the logic behind declaring the entire walled city a Holy City. "There was already a Galliara around the Golden Temple where such restrictions are followed. Why extend it to the whole walled city?" he asked. Calling the move politically motivated, he said traders were never consulted before the decision. "We have not been given any alternative. There is no guarantee that our business will survive if shifted elsewhere. Amritsar is not only a religious city; it is also known worldwide for its food," he said.Even representatives of the hospitality sector, while welcoming the sentiment behind the decision, acknowledge its uneven impact. AK Chattha, president of the Amritsar Hotel and Restaurant Association, said meat, fish and tobacco sellers would bear the brunt, not hotels. "Hotels can bring meat from outside the walled city and adjust their menus. But this decision may instead increase illegal trade and corruption," he warned adding that there are nearly 225 hotels including lodges and guest houses inside the walled city .Sources informed that liquor is also served in these hotels illegally and after these orders , both meat and liquor will be served illegally. For small vendors like Moti Ram, who runs a pan-biri khokha, the order has shattered any sense of security. "I have spent my entire life selling pan and cigarettes here. This sudden decision has pulled the ground from under my feet," he said. Unsure about shifting, he added, "My customers are shopkeepers from this area. If I move elsewhere, who knows if my khokha will run or not?" MSID: 126191649 413 |

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